Creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has revealed non-alcoholic drinks brand, Reformed Character Drinks and fashion force for good Manchester Fashion Movement, as the winning businesses of its ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ programme.

Almost a quarter (22%) of 16-17 year olds have decided to pursue a career in tech since the pandemic. That’s according to research from UK scaleup Talent Works, which surveyed UK students and tech professionals in the early stages of their careers on their education and the journey into tech.

Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, today sets out its commitment to unlock the talent of thousands more people across the UK by helping them to start their own business.

Banco Santander (through Santander Universities) and Oxentia Foundation are launching the Santander X Global Challenge | Helping Businesses Prosper for entrepreneurs with innovative, scalable solutions to help SMEs - the main driver of economic growth, job creation and social unity - digitalise and be more efficient.

It is that time of year again, and hasn’t it come round quickly? As we introduce you to the cohort for Central Research Laboratory’s 2021 accelerator program, there are some similarities from last year, but also a number of exciting changes.

Diversity VC, Crowdcube and Frontline Ventures has announced the launch of the ‘Diversity VC: Parental Leave Guide’ as part of a collective of 25 top VC and tech firms. The guide, a first of its kind for the VC industry, aims to set the standard for parental leave policies and offers step-by-step advice on how VCs can create them. The guide is focused on the UK, and we hope the principals will be useful for other countries.

finnCap Group, a provider of strategic advisory and capital raising services to growth companies, has announced a partnership with YourGamePlan to help embed enterprise in schools across the country and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Algbra, a sustainable and values-focused digital finance provider dedicated to bringing an end to community and ethnicity based financial inequality has launched. Founded by Chief Executive Zeiad Idris and Chief Operating Officer Fizel Nejabat, the firm’s mission is to educate, engage and empower overlooked minority communities and facilitate their ability to take control of their finances. Algbra has raised £3.75m in fundraising and is backed by SFC Capital, British Business Investments and New World Group.

As lockdown restrictions lift, small businesses across the country are finally beginning to look to the future. And having survived the pandemic, many will be looking to secure new funding to help them thrive in the post-COVID-19 age. Recent figures indicate the signs for UK startups are positive.

CEMEX Ventures, open innovation unit and corporate venture capital of CEMEX, launches Construction Startup Competition 2021 and renews its alliance with Ferrovial, Hilti, VINCI Group´s Leonard and NOVA by Saint-Gobain.

Sonovate, provider of on-demand business finance and technology solutions to the global contract workforce sector, funded a record £55m in March - cementing its status as one of the UK’s most established and scalable fintechs.

The UK tech industry has expanded ten fold in the last ten years, enabling the creation of hundreds of fast growing tech companies that are set to challenge Silicon Valley in the coming decade, according to analysis by Dealroom.co and the Digital Economy Council. 

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of entrepreneurs and investors say they have witnessed discrimination within the startup community, harming the growth of many early-stage businesses.

More than three quarters of SMEs with restrictive budgets are struggling to compete with bigger organisations due to the lack of access to innovative technology, impacting their ability to grow and enlist talent, according to new research.

Vinehealth, a UK digital health tech company has received a Class 1 Medical Device CE mark for its Vinehealth Cancer Companion mobile application for patients and VinehealthPRO web application for clinicians. 

A massive 74% of consumers believe that retailers don’t supply enough information to help guide conscious and ethical purchasing decisions, according to new research by lifestyle and impact-driven banking app, Novus.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN-designated 20 May as World Bee Day. In Cork, an Irish Agtech startup, ApisProtect is working on revolutionising beekeeping by working with beekeepers around the world to develop innovative technology to remotely monitor honey bees.

A new ‘coinless, not cashless’ solution by British startup Shrap has just started real life trials - with the first in Rochford in Essex as part of Community Access to Cash Pilots and will run until the end of September. Shrap will enable businesses such as pubs, cafés, restaurants and shops to continue to accept cash but without the hassle and expense of coins. The trial is backed by major banks, consumer groups and business organisations. 

Ethnicity is a greater challenge than gender when establishing and growing a business according to new research from Santander UK and PRECIOUS, the UK’s longest standing online platform for ambitious women of colour.

Despite the trials and tribulations of last year over three quarters (83%) of UK businesses met or surpassed their growth target according to a new study by Oracle NetSuite, the same percentage as a similar report conducted prior to the pandemic.