Over £20 billion could be spent by households across the festive season in the UK this year, as small businesses prepare to target a fifth of Christmas spend – equating to approximately up to £4.4 billion.

Seven businesses have joined Digital Catapult’s latest quantum innovation accelerator to fast track the development of solutions and accelerate the practical application of deeptech. Aiming to help solve complex market challenges in major sectors of the UK economy including transport, defence, and telecommunications, the programme convenes unique quantum capabilities and innovation consultancy to de-risk technology adoption.

Three innovative UK tech companies – specialising in renewable energy, advanced sensors and hydrogen-powered systems – have been given government support to expand into Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Each has been selected to participate in the UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme, an initiative that helps British scaleups unlock commercial opportunities in 11 markets across the Asia Pacific region.

The Venture Capital Trust Association (VCTA) is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the introduction of Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs), an initiative launched by then-Chancellor Ken Clarke in November 1994.

This year's final of the EIT Jumpstarter programme was held on 28 November in Budapest, Hungary, along with the EIT Community conference “The next decade of innovation for the future of Europe. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme”. EIT Jumpstarter is an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union.

A new partnership aims to transform the performance of the £14.7 billion UK search market by creating a transparent approach to paid search and setting a new standard in digital advertising.

Open science startup and preprint network DeSci Labs has been listed as one of the 20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch, 2024, by Business Worldwide Magazine. This is DeSci Labs’ second accolade within a month following its Lab Awards success in the Best Automation & Data Innovation category at Lab Innovations 2024.

Economic uncertainty is on the rise for the UK’s 5.6 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) following the Autumn Budget, according to iwoca’s Q3 2024 SME Expert Index.

Berlin-headquartered fintech bunch has launched in the UK, bringing its operating system for private equity and venture capital funds to the largest market in Europe. The move builds on a stellar year of growth for the company, which has tripled both its revenue and Assets under Administration over the past 12 months.

In the 12 months ending 31 October 2024, one in 427 adults in England and Wales entered insolvency, higher than the 12 months to October 2023. Combine this with overall registered company insolvencies in 2024 tracking similarly to 2023’s figures – which were the highest for a decade – leading finance and small business experts have pooled their wisdom and launched a new eBook to help SMEs survive.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), in collaboration with Alibaba.com, has officially launched the first phase of the fourth edition of the Athlete365 Business Accelerator programme, which aims to empower current and former elite athletes to transfer their skills into successful business ventures.

Bboxx, a data-driven super platform that transforms lives by unlocking access to clean energy and digital products across Africa, has announced an agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to integrate generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into its Bboxx Pulse platform.

Lucanet, a global provider of end-to-end CFO software solutions, is releasing the first of its GenAI capabilities – a addition to its CFO Solution Platform. This release will add advanced Copilot features for Lucanet’s Consolidation and Financial Planning and Disclosure Management solution, in addition to the Copilot for the XBRL Tagger made available in October.

NGP Capital, the global venture capital firm, has unveiled the results of its latest comprehensive data report, "A Decade of European Startup Founders." The new research offers an unparalleled examination of the European startup ecosystem and the visionary founders who have driven its growth over the past ten years.

The rapid adoption of AI is unlocking significant opportunities for organisations across the UK, enabling them to innovate, streamline operations, and compete on a larger scale. Yet, as businesses integrate AI into their operations, many face serious security risks for which they are often unprepared.

The majority (85%) of finance leaders need a six-day work week to complete their tasks, causing stress and a general feeling of loss of control. That’s according to a survey by AccountsIQ, a provider of fully cloud-based accounting software, which surveyed 260 CFOs and finance leaders across the UK and Ireland.

Newly released research* reveals a troubling reality: UK employees are struggling with confidence in using AI at work, feeling under-trained yet eager to learn. 

Lineage, the largest global temperature-controlled warehouse REIT, has announced the winner of its Food Chain Innovation Challenge. Ryp Labs, the winner of the San Francisco regional event, was selected for its innovative solution for tackling postharvest food waste, securing the global grand prize of $50,000 and an invitation into a six-month, Lineage executive-led incubator programme.

The public is being urged to show support for small businesses this weekend as Small Business Saturday returns with a mission to deliver a vital boost for firms heading into another challenging winter. 

OX Delivers, the UK e-mobility startup, has secured a $163 million contract to create its first franchise partner in East Africa, as part of its strategic vision to supercharge trade across the Global South.