Over a third (35%) of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe the pandemic has been a positive catalyst for change as digital skills soared during lockdown, according to the findings of PayPal’s inaugural report, The Business of Change: Recovery and Rebuild.

Startup OLÉ is becoming the first deep tech startup event in Europe. This ground-breaking event is associated with the fourth wave of innovation on the European continent, as Startup OLÉ is the event for universities and university startups, which are the cradle of science.

UnderPinned has hit its funding target of over £500k within an hour of going live on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. Having quadrupled their community and launched accelerator programme with day one profitability since their last round, they’re raising to amplify marketing and further enter US & European markets.

ReLondon is set to convene leaders and innovators from across the capital and beyond for the fourth Circular Economy Week (#CEweekLDN), which took place 14th – 18th June. The week showcased some of London’s most promising circular economy approaches to inspire action and encourage organisations and individuals to waste less and reuse, repair, share and recycle more. The aim is to promote polices, practices and behaviours that can accelerate the growth of the circular economy and place it firmly on the agenda for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.

A technology hub has launched two unique business incubation programmes in response to post-COVID needs by building a peer powered community and bringing world-class innovation and growth opportunities to the region’s most promising entrepreneurs.

TravelTech Show, taking place virtually on 14-15 September 2021, has committed to supporting startups in the travel technology space by creating a £25,000 fund that startups can apply to access. The fund supports startups from across the globe founded with the last 48 months and have not raised more than £2M in funding with subsidised exhibiting options and additional marketing and PR support.

UK-based healthtech firm Kiteline, formerly known as Liminal Health, has secured £370,000 in funding to meet the demand for support for those living with chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and, most recently, long COVID.

CRL have shortlisted 16 startups as potential participants for the CRL Accelerator programme. Over the past six weeks, the CRL team have been working with the group, supporting them to identify the biggest questions and assumptions that need to be understood before they could progress their business to the next stage.

Putting a sustainable spin on laundry, Oxwash, the UK-based startup backed by Twitter Co-founder Biz Stone has raised £2.08m ($3M) in seed expansion investment, to clean up the traditional and environmentally costly washing and dry cleaning sector with its space-age technology.

According to government data, SMEs made up over 99% of the total business population at the start of 2020 - and this is the reason why thriving SMEs remain the backbone of rebuilding our economy. Across the UK, SMEs are getting back on their feet, employing workers and providing important services which fuel our local economies.

Environment-savvy small firms have been stirred into action by the pandemic and propelled saving the planet to the top of their agenda. And business owners now see sustainability as a critical issue and want to take action as lockdown restrictions ease.

Eleven startup companies from Bristol’s world-leading tech scene have been shortlisted to pitch and demo their innovative products at SETsquared Bristol’s flagship Tech-Xpo 2021 event on 30 June.

To help catalyse London’s green recovery from the pandemic, ReLondon today launched a support package to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reap the financial and environmental benefits of the circular economy. 

Insurtech startup Urban Jungle, famous for its £5 per month renters insurance, has announced the launch of its new Building and Contents insurance product - targeted at younger homeowners, who it says have been ‘ignored’ by the big insurance companies. 

A major new resource to showcase the opportunities for investing in the UK creative industries sector is being unveiled at a National launch event on 21st June. 

Launching this month, British brand The Good Level offers high quality, full spectrum CBD oils, balms and jellies all made with UK-grown hemp. Born of the founders’ frustration in trying to find consistently high-quality CBD products for themselves, The Good Level’s range of cold-pressed CBD products offer a natural choice to support daily mental and physical wellbeing.  

Israeli agritech startup, Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture, which has thus far focused on developing a technological solution for artificial pollination of insect-pollinated crops such as almonds, is expanding its services to wind-pollinated crops. They will start with pistachios, one of the world's fastest growing crops.

Next September 14th and 15th, more than 100 international experts will participate in a new edition of ICT Spring, the renowned tech summit. The event, organised since 2010, will take place at the European Convention Center Luxembourg, at the very heart of Europe: ICT Spring will therefore be the first largest in-person event of the year. Today, the organisers are announcing the various topics that will be discussed during the different summits, as well as the first experts who will share their knowledge and best practices, during what promises to be an exceptional edition.

Businesses are increasingly optimistic about emerging from COVID-19 - and say that utilising social media and new technology will be key to that recovery.

Kaelo is a design company on a mission to create a brand new global product category, providing the drinking experience of the future. Founded by serial inventor, Kevin Jabou, the company’s first product is described as an open bottle host; a fully patented dry-cold chamber that can be integrated into any table or countertop, to serve a drink perfectly chilled.