In today’s increasingly digital-led way of life, retailers, service providers and other businesses are digitalising more of their operations and dealing with customers across a range of channels - whether it’s via a website, mobile app, email and other messaging formats, social media, or even the old-fashioned phone call.

Sapien kicked off its venture ambitions by leading a six-figure funding round for Manchester based sports VR company, Rezzil to support the development of its consumer platform, launching on Facebook’s Oculus Quest platform.

Pearson College London, part of Pearson, a FTSE 100 and global education company, is inviting early stage startups and entrepreneurs to apply for their annual incubator programme.

Mental health technology company, Paranimo is expanding its platform offering to the charity sector following its successful launch to the general public. Developed with the support of Bristol-based Amdaris, the move will see Paranimo empower charities to offer tailored mental health support, however, whenever and wherever users choose. 

Sam Jones, the founder of Gener8 - a free-to-use web browser that lets people take back control and earn from their online data - has announced a £2.1m funding round that closed not long after appearing on Dragons’ Den.

Whilst many say young people have been hugely affected by the pandemic, new polling reveals a new wave of optimism when it comes to the study and the career choices of today’s school leavers.

The largest business festival in the Baltics, sTARTUp Day, will take place on 25th–27th August, creating a startup-minded buzz in the Estonian National Museum and around Tartu. It is also possible to participate in the event online, and a total of 3,000 participants are expected. To celebrate the fifth anniversary year, more than 150 speakers will be performing, the activities will take place on four stages, there are almost 50 seminars, and more than 30 side events to take part in.

Aerospace Xelerated has announced its call for applications is open. Formerly the ATI Boeing Accelerator, the programme is being led by industry partner Boeing for its third year, with further industry partners to be announced. The programme will be investing into startups building autonomous and AI solutions that advance the way aircraft are built, from the factory floor all the way to the passenger journey.

iov42, an emerging British startup, which builds blockchain-inspired identification tools, has been chosen over corporate giants including EY, Vodafone and Deloitte to secure a spot as one of only seven tenderers selected to design and develop the next-gen of the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI). The flagship project from the European Commission hopes to leverage blockchain technology to improve standards of cross-border services for public administrations across the EU.

Tramshed Tech, a startup ecosystem and a fast growing business incubator in Wales is launching a startup academy supported by Google for startups. Workshops will take place every Thursday, beginning 30th September 2021.

Only seven percent of UK business owners have created a truly scalable business model, according to new research from Worcestershire based business support provider, BizSmart.

Startups looking to enter franchise agreements should pay careful attention to the contracts they enter into, a leading law firm has said. Harper James Solicitors said many franchisors are often willing to include a force majeure clause, which changes the franchisee’s obligations in the event of extraordinary circumstances - like the ones that devastated many businesses in the last 18 months.

New research released by Ricoh Europe revealed that just 35% of employers trust their staff fully while working remotely, with 39% suggesting their people don’t work as hard or effectively as in the office.

Startups Magazine will once again be exhibiting at The Business Show at London’s ExCeL from 24th-25th November.

In celebration of Startups Magazine's 'Women in Tech' issue, Startups Magazine and Inspiration Space have joined forces to host Entrepreneurship Decoded, a live event that brings together ambitious female founders for an honest conversation about what it really takes to start and grow a brand in 2021 and beyond.

A new survey has revealed that 85% of SMEs in the UK are familiar with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but more than half are still not cleaning their data and therefore not adhering to the GDPR’s legal requirements. 

OurCrowd has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC), represented by the Chairman of its Supervisory Board, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan, Mikayil Jabbarov, to promote strategic cooperation in the field of investment by the Government of Azerbaijan in OurCrowd’s portfolio.

UTP have launched a new eBook for SMEs, offering advice about how to future-proof their businesses.

Brilliant female entrepreneurs across the UK are being encouraged to apply to take part in a campaign which showcases inspiring women running their own businesses, and offers support.

LawtechUK has published a feasibility study and proof of concept for a new technological approach to the late payment challenges facing British business. This would work as an ‘SME online dispute resolution’ platform, produced in partnership with a consortium of legal, technology and alternative dispute resolution experts from the University of Oxford, Oxford Computing Consultants, Resolve Disputes Online and Jur.