Two-thirds (66%) of UK companies have admitted to commissioning market research in 2020 which has never been used due to the disruptions and delays caused by COVID-19. This is according to new research from Stravito, a provider of knowledge management software for insights.

Job discovery platform, DirectlyApply is celebrating its second birthday after enjoying its most successful year to date. Despite lockdown and the fall in available jobs, DirectlyApply experienced rapid growth over the last 12 months, seeing revenue jump by 1,400%.

PatchAi and Roche Italia aim together for the digital transformation of the Italian healthcare system with an innovative solution for patients affected by oncological diseases.

Over half (54%) of UK workers say they are more open to taking on a side hustle or freelance work since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Fiverr. Over 2 in 5 (44%) agree they are more open to it, due to the flexibility that working from home has given them.

Social impact startup OX has successfully secured three grants with a total project value of £1.2m in the past four months. The grants, awarded by Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre, will see OX work on separate projects with Potenza Technology and Penso to expedite the delivery of the world’s first clean transport ecosystem. 

A cloud-based CRM provider has announced another instalment of their successful virtual event series, designed to help UK businesses tackle 2021 and set strong foundations following a challenging 2020. BuddyCRM’s Build Back Better - Sales Masterclass will commence on 18th March 2021 and is free for delegates to attend. 

Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) has raised $9.5m in Series A funding. The investment was co-led by IQ Capital, Parkwalk Advisors and BGF, and includes investment from Foresight Williams, Cambridge Enterprise, Martlet Capital, Cambridge Angels and Cambridge Capital Group. The funding will be used by CGD to expand its product portfolio of energy-efficient power devices and to double the size of its team.

Vinehealth, a platform to improve the quality of life and survival of cancer patients through highly personalised patient support, has secured a £1m Biomedical Catalyst grant to deliver their innovative cancer companion app to four NHS trusts within a randomised controlled trial, thus generating robust evidence of the platform’s clinical and cost effectiveness in improving patient self-management and data collection.

Ally.io, a hypergrowth technology company specialising in goal-setting and business execution software, has announced a $50M (£36.5M) Series C funding round led by Greenoaks Capital. Tiger Global, who led the company’s Series B round, and Madrona Venture Group also joined the round, as well as previous investors Accel, Addition Ventures, Founders’ Co-Op, and Vulcan Capital. 

incspaces, a space as a service operator with locations across London and Manchester, is opening a brand new 24/7 flexible workspace in the heart of Leeds. The 19,000 square foot venue will play host to both young startups and established businesses embracing the ever growing flexibility of the future of work.

Mazuma, online subscription accountancy service, has announced the launch of a new technology offering, featuring a modern, highly accessible app and a contemporary website. Both of which outline additional resources and provide further advice for small business owners across the UK.

Vivacity Labs, the London-based tech company which uses artificial intelligence to improve traffic insights and safety, has announced it has secured £5m of Series A funding in a VC round led by investor Mobeus, with additional funding from existing investors Downing Ventures and London Co-Investment Fund.

The Quarterly OurCrowd Jobs Index has released indicates that OurCrowd-backed high-tech startups are seeking to fill hundreds of positions despite record-high unemployment in the overall economy. This is the first quarterly jobs survey by OurCrowd, venture investing platform.

New data from global ticketing platform, Eventbrite, shows that British entrepreneurs haven’t stopped training and networking because of the pandemic, with over 150,000 attending online startup events since the beginning of the first lockdown in early 2020.

A new report by Claromentis has revealed that 73% of UK workers want to split their time between home and office working after the pandemic. Unilever, Twitter, Square and many more companies have announced their staff may never return to working a five-day week in the office. But what do workers want?

The DIY system, launched by Edinburgh-based Boundary, was designed and created by a team of experts brought together by Boundary to solve the problems associated with traditional alarm systems and using leading-edge technology thinking.

Sustainable events agency and consultancy, Legacy Events, is set to launch its new innovative marketplace, which includes everything needed to organise a successful sustainable event, in one place.

Design Pickle, the leading graphic design and creative services subscription platform, has released information about their acquisition of British design services company, Design Hero. The acquisition marks the first of its kind for Design Pickle, paving the way for expansion into the UK and European creative markets.

LOT Network, the international community of the world’s leading high-tech companies committed to protecting its members from costly litigation from patent assertion entities (PAEs, also known as 'patent trolls'), has announced that ByteDance has joined its 1,200 member organisation. In doing so, the company is taking proactive measures to protect itself against potential litigation from PAEs, and inoculating themselves from a pool of over three million patents.

Step Anywhere 2021 is on for March 29th, 30th, and 31st, and fully online! Organised by the team behind Step Conference, The Leading Online Tech Festival For Emerging Markets will bring together over 1500 international attendees, 100 showcasing startups and global players in healthtech, edtech, fintech, foodtech, smart cities, digital media, and more.