Employees are behind a widening gap in the cybersecurity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) a new survey released today reveals, as over three-quarters of SMEs’ C-suite and senior managers admit they have no confidence their teams are operating their own devices securely.

Togggle, a KYC startup from the UK, has been crowned the winner of the Fifty Founders Battle at TechChill Milano, 2023. The Fifty Founders Battle received 316 applications from 39 countries, making it the most international pitch battle in TechChill history, with applicants from the USA and Canada to Indonesia and Ghana.

The world of Research and Development (R&D) tax relief has undergone significant changes as of April 1, 2023, and these transformations have particularly impacted businesses in the technology sector.

Sitehop, a Sheffield-based technology company has released its flagship product, the SAFE100, which is setting new standards for the cybersecurity industry. This follows an initial round of investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced the nine manufacturing startups chosen for its third Sixth Sense cohort. The selected companies were chosen from a highly competitive pool of hundreds of applicants, distinguishing themselves with groundbreaking solutions addressing critical manufacturing challenges, with a focus on sustainability and digital reality.

Thirteen life science startups have been accepted onto Discovery Park’s new business support programme and competition, Discovery Spark. The eight-week Discovery Spark programme will equip the early-stage companies with the necessary skills to catalyse their business growth plans and gives them the chance to win a business support package worth over £100,000.

Sigma Software Group launches the UNICORN Startup Competition for startups from Ukraine and the EU. The contest is structured to guide startups through different stages, offering an intensive two-week program to support dynamic interaction.

Vagaro, a comprehensive business management platform for the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries has officially launched a partnership with Liberis, a global embedded business finance platform, to offer revenue-based finance to more than 220,000 service providers.

Set against a year of erratic financial challenges, research from Novuna Business Finance reveals that small businesses remain steadfast and resolute in their commitment to being green.

Amazon has confirmed its plans to invest up to $4 billion into AI safety and research startup Anthropic. Anthropic is currently seen as OpenAI’s main rival, and was even founded by former OpenAI employees.

Mangopay, a platform-specific payment infrastructure provider and VTEX, the enterprise digital commerce platform for premier brands and retailers, have partnered to offer an integration that will enable marketplace operators to cover both pay-in and pay-out on a single solution.

Digma has launched the world’s first Continuous Feedback platform to enable developers to continuously analyse their code at runtime to identify issues and regressions, preventing bad code from making it to production, including GenAI-generated code.

Harper James, the commercial law firm purpose-built to enable entrepreneurial and ambitious businesses to succeed, has bolstered its intellectual property and trademark practice with the appointment of three new hires from top-50 law firm Blake Morgan LLP. The new appointments form part of the firm’s ambitious plan to double its number of lawyers by hiring 60 new solicitors by 2025.

The fifth annual International Innovation Barometer has been published revealing that a declining global economy has stalled innovation potential. 

Financing goods is an understandable practice – especially for high-value items that you or your business may struggle to pay off in one go.

Ubiquity, the global business process outsourcer for industry innovators, announces the publication of a first-of-its-kind whitepaper, aimed at helping European fintech scaleups to leverage outsourcing to adapt to fast-changing market conditions.

A business comparison site has launched to eliminate the confusion and stress experienced by small business owners when choosing services like broadband, insurance, and energy tariffs.

With sophisticated cyberattacks increasing worldwide, operators must account for generative AI and the cloud when adopting a holistic, strategic approach to their security needs. MSPs have a role and responsibility in providing support in their onboarding practices.

According to new customer data from embedded banking provider, BankiFi, businesses from a wide range of sectors continue to trust payment links such as SMS, email, and QR codes when requesting payment on invoices, particularly when the relationship between buyer and sellers is already known.

Tech-powered commercial insurance broker, Hubb, has now rebranded as Taveo.

Encompass, the provider of the dynamic Know Your Customer (KYC) process automation platform, has been recognised as a winner of the ‘Discover Perfect Pitch’ competition as part of Sibos 2023 – one of the leading financial services events.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging network startup, GoPlugable has been named the overall winner of the 2023 INVENT Awards, becoming the first Greentech winner of the competition in ten years.

The UK Government is set to launch a new £2 million funded AI and innovation business advisory to help organisations mitigate AI risks and bring innovations to market quicker.

OmniIndex, the secure web3 data platform, has announced a world-first deal with Future-X Education and Cross River State in Nigeria to secure the data of every student in the state with blockchain storage and fully encrypted analytics.

Tide, the business financial platform, has reached a significant growth milestone. The business now boasts a 10% market share of all UK small businesses with more than 550,000 customers (members).

Hoxton Farms, the London-based biotech developing cultivated animal fat, has opened its pilot facility to advance research, scaleup production and develop prototypes with customers. Signalling the next phase of growth, the new site in the heart of London’s Old Street is the UK’s first pilot production facility for cultivated animal fat.

FDM Group, a Global Workforce Development Partner to Microsoft, hosted a future of Artificial Intelligence event, shedding light on AI’s transformative powers, showcasing real-world examples and providing valuable insights for organisations planning their own AI adoption journeys.

Hoxton Farms, the London-based biotech developing cultivated animal fat, has opened its pilot facility to advance research, scaleup production, and develop prototypes with customers.

The fast growing modern-day learning management system, Thrive Learning, is hosting its annual customer-only conference on the 28th of September at The Science Museum in London.

Tide, a business financial platform, has reached a significant growth milestone. The business now boasts a 10% market share of all UK small businesses with more than 550,000 customers (members).

Storyteq, the technology arm of Inspired Thinking Group (ITG), is launching BrandCore, an innovative AI-driven engine providing marketers with secure, controllable AI that works for them and their brand.

The prestigious London Business School’s MENA Entrepreneurship Club joined forces with AstroLabs, MENA’s leading entrepreneurship ecosystem builder, to support aspiring entrepreneurs with their journey in the Kingdom by bringing the first of a series of co-hosted events in Saudi and the UAE.

A recent study by Forbes Advisor, the financial guidance and price comparison platform, asked UK SME leaders for their attitudes towards the importance of a website to the success of their business.

The global “last mile” food and package delivery industry is worth almost $990 billion and is facing immense pressures to manage costs and cope with demand. Helping them deliver on their promise and create operational efficiencies, geo-location startup Naurt has announced the public launch of their software which is set to redefine the delivery ecosystem.

HiBob, the company behind ‘Bob’, the HR platform transforming how organisations operate in the modern world of work, has secured $150 million in new funding in a round that was led by Farallon Capital and included Alpha Wave Global and existing investors. 

A new independent report by Warwick Economics and Development at SETsquared’s Future of the Economy event in Bristol estimates that companies supported by its Scale-Up Programme will contribute £1.3 billion GVA to the UK economy between 2018 and 2030.

inDrive, the global mobility and urban services platform, is proud to announce the launch of the Underdog Tech Award, a new international prize for founders of the best tech startups operating outside major tech hubs and startup communities. Applications will open in September.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced technology as a new eighth pillar of the Human Security for All (HS4A) campaign. The announcement took place at an event on the United Nations Main Campus, co-hosted by CTA, World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) and the UN Trust Fund for Human Security during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced that CES 2024 is thriving and on track to surpass the CES 2023 footprint and number of attendees, exhibitors and global media. CES 2024 will be the largest in-person, independently audited tech event in the world. Scheduled January 9-12 in Las Vegas, registration for CES 2024 is now open.

The startup, which provides full-stack software solutions to transform sales to online and build a robust ecommerce system, has successfully raised $2.2 million led by I2BF Global Ventures and Somersault Ventures with many existing investors participating.

The global ‘last mile’ food and package delivery industry is worth almost $990 billion and is facing immense pressures to manage costs and cope with demand.

Mental health tech startup thymia is giving out free AI-powered ‘Mental Wellness Checks’ to employees from this month, to empower employers to better understand and improve the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce ahead of World Mental Health Day.

Heero Technologies, a high growth cleantech software and data company based in Dundee, is excited to be shortlisted for two ‘Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards’.

Organisations across the country will be able to demonstrate that their new artificial intelligence and digital innovations meet regulatory requirements so they can quickly bring them to market.

The Connected Banking Series focuses on building future-oriented banking models by accelerating the pace of digital transformation and delivering a delightful customer experience in line with policy and regulations while ensuring the highest standards of privacy and security.

Small businesses are facing a ‘quadruple threat’ of rising interest rates, rocketing energy prices, delayed customer payments and the cost of meeting sustainability expectations.

The tech industry is suffering from leaky pipeline of recruits and women are the solution to the problem.

Workspace Design Show, the trade show bringing together the UK workplace design community, returns to London’s Business Design Centre for its eagerly awaited third UK edition from 27-28 February 2024.

Lomar’s newly launched corporate venture lab, lomarlabs, has announced its latest portfolio company and collaboration with Silicon Valley tech startup Blue Dot Change. Together, they will work to develop, design, and test Blue Dot Change’s compact nature-based catalyst dispenser, which aims to accelerate the reduction of methane in the air.

BlinqIO, a generative AI company has announced the launch of its new BlinqIO Virtual Tester (BVT). The first of its kind, it is a fully autonomous advanced testing platform for websites and applications.

Micron Agritech, a Dublin-based agricultural technology company, has raised £2.3 million in funding co-lead by ACT VC, Atlantic Bridge, and Yield Lab Europe, positioning itself for expanded growth within both the UK and the Irish markets.

Discover a unique event experience that transcends the boundaries of artistic inspiration at the upcoming Workspace Design Show, taking place from 11 - 12 October at RAI, Amsterdam. This event will bring together the Benelux workplace interiors community in a dynamic exploration of the future of experiential workspaces.

Automat-IT, a prominent DevOps provider and an AWS Premier Partner, has expanded its presence to the UK and Spain with a strong commitment to assisting startups in accelerating their business growth.

In a world where tourism is a major economic driver (contributing nearly $7.4 trillion to global GDP in 2022), the significant environmental challenges posed by the tourism model developed to date mean that sustainability has emerged as an inescapable goal for the sector.

The Bank of England is set to hike interest rates for the fifteenth time in a row on Thursday, despite recession fears, which will mean the Bank’s rate will be at its highest level since the beginning of 2008, taking interest rates to 5.5%.

The speed at which tech, like AI, is changing the world of art and culture is alarming. Two Austrian organisations are looking to drive awareness in a big way around it by launching an award and possibly opening an ‘AI for culture’ research and competence centre in Austria.

Saïd Business School at The University of Oxford and OpenOcean, a European venture capital firm, have released O3, the world’s most accurate open-access startup insights platform.

Acer has announced a collaboration with renowned designer Jenn Lee to digitalise this year’s collection and bring it to life at London Fashion Week 2023.

French Treasury Management fintech has raised €15 million in seed funding that it will use to accelerate its platform that enables companies to manage their corporate treasury and make international payments in fiat and digital currencies using blockchain technology.

Brite Payments, a pioneer in instant bank payments and one of Sweden’s fastest-growing fintechs, announces that it has partnered with Auctionet to provide its users with seamless, instant account-to-account (A2A) payments. 

Chief Security Advisor for Europe and Board Advisor at Microsoft Sarah Armstrong-Smith will be sharing her insights on cyber security as a panellist at Wales Tech Week in October, it has been announced.

Tech Barcelona, the independent and non-profit association that works to consolidate Barcelona as a technological and digital hub of international reference, has announced its partnership with G-P (Globalization Partners) a player in the global employment industry, known for setting the standard in global employment compliance.

First AML, the global scaleup which streamlines the entire anti-money laundering (AML) onboarding and compliance process, has announced a new partnership with Mercia Group LTD, a provider of CPD training, assessments, compliance and marketing services to the UK&I accountancy profession.

BetaDen, Worcestershire's first technology accelerator, is welcoming eight new early-stage businesses into its programme from September 2023.

Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are currently owed an average of £27,214 in late payments, according to new research from Intuit QuickBooks, as SMBs estimate one in six invoices (17%) with customers or suppliers are overdue. 

When relocating, the initial focus for many is the job at hand, prioritising visa and immigration responsibilities. However, there are many other factors that can influence the success of a relocation, one of which is employees’ integration into new communities.

A survey has found that most dating app users experience negative emotions whilst swiping, with only a mere 4% expressing genuine happiness. Other alarming statistics, uncovered by inclusive dating app Mattr, found over a quarter of individuals report feeling overwhelmed and 17% experience depression whilst looking for potential matches.

Mastercard and Paysend, a UK-based fintech, have expanded their collaboration to enhance cross-border payments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are increasingly looking for ways to send money or pay vendors across the globe quickly and securely.

Zoho, a global technology company, has announced Zoho Billing, an expanded version of its current application Zoho Subscriptions. Zoho Billing is a multifaceted billing solution built specifically for growing businesses, allowing users the flexibility to experiment with pricing and the ability to go to market swiftly.

Startups Magazine is excited to announce our much-anticipated ‘Female Founders: Igniting success in tech’ networking event! Taking place at PLATF9RM, Hove on the 19th September at 6pm, we will be bringing you an inspirational keynote, and more surprises…

Bob Wigley, Chairman of UK Finance, has joined climate risk analytics provider, Climate X, to help banks anticipate the impacts of climate change and build resilience.

Vorboss is providing London’s startups, schools, NGOs and SMEs access to its fibre network at a reduced rate of £350 per month.

The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) has officially launched its call for applications to the 2024 intake. It is chaired by Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, and applications close 22 October 2023.

WSO2, a business in technology for digital transformation, has announced the launch of its global startup accelerator programme.

CareLineLive, the all-in-one home care management software company, has announced its acquisition of the business behind CareFor IT and Ulysses (UDMS).

Cambridge is the best place to start a new business in the UK outside of London, according to an index created by tech startup DeliveryApp.

Zoom has announced that Zoom AI Companion (formerly Zoom IQ), the company’s generative AI digital assistant, is now included at no additional cost for customers with the paid services in their Zoom user accounts.

Increasing numbers of UK businesses are struggling to understand how to combat cybercrime, putting them at increased risk of cyberattacks resulting in crippling costs such as multi-million-pound ransoms, litigation and reputational damage, according to a new report published today.

Glasgow diagnostics spinout Microplate Dx has closed a £2.5 million seed funding round to develop its point-of-care diagnostic platform which can confirm the presence of bacteria and guide a patient’s doctor to effective treatment by rapidly identifying effective antibiotics to use and which ones to avoid.

2FLY, the Stuttgart, Germany-based developer of hydrogen-electric powertrain systems for aircraft, today announced it has successfully completed the world’s first piloted flight of an electric aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen.

HiBob, the company behind Bob, the modern HR platform that powers productivity, engagement and retention, and Papaya Global, the dedicated payroll and payments platform for global workforces, has announced a partnership.

The OnePlanetCapital Climate Change EIS Fund has had a successful inaugural summer raise with just under £3 million incoming from investors and deployments into three new companies as well as an existing follow-on investment into portfolio company &Sisters.

It’s the final countdown for SMEs hoping to be mentored by a trio of inspiring entrepreneurs – and to receive funding to support them to build their businesses.

Intel Ignite, Intel Corporation's acceleration program for early-stage deep tech startups, reveals the 10 exceptional startups selected for its first cohort in the United Kingdom. The 12-week program kicks off on 12 September 2023.

One of London’s recycling and waste management companies, First Mile, has welcomed the Baker Street Quarter Partnership and Harley Street BID to its list of BID schemes in the capital, further tackling air pollution and boosting recycling rates across the city.

Industry leaders from Change Awards and The IN Group have road mapped the future of change management and how it can revolutionise business growth at the CHANGE Talks this week.

PayU GPO, an online payment service provider operating in over 30 emerging markets, has announced a strategic partnership with 4fund.com as its official payment operator, delivering enhanced benefits to users across the European Union.

OLIVER, the in-housing and marketing ecosystem specialist, has set up a global AI Council as part of its self-governance policy in the responsible use of the emerging technology.

Silico, a player in the Process Simulation category, announces the release of Silico 2.0, which redefines the landscape of Process Simulation. In collaboration with their partners and customers, Silico is raising the bar for process excellence technology.

Cowbell, a provider of cyber insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has announced plans to further expand its footprint in the UK market with a new senior appointment and launch of its AI-powered cyber insurance programme.

Axithra, a new spin-off of imec and Ghent University, has announced a €10 million seed round, securing the first two years of R&D. Axithra develops a technology platform for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to quickly and accurately measure drug concentrations in a patient’s blood.

The customisable and compliant embedded finance platform, FutureBank, has partnered with digital ID verification company IDVerse (previously known as OCR Labs Global) to further its digital transformation and accelerate customer onboarding through swift and secure digital identity verification (IDV).

Penny Black, the UK tech startup using innovative marketing techniques to make drab ecommerce packages more rewarding and personalised, has received an additional £1.5 million in seed funding from AGFA, the 150-year-old imaging technology company and VC investor, ninepointfive.

An overwhelming majority of business leaders - 94% - admit to “tech anxiety” within their organisation’s senior leadership, according to a new study from Kin + Carta, the global digital transformation consultancy.

The Berlin-based climate-tech startup Swobbee is expanding its service to include an online shop for rental batteries. The company is thus evolving into a comprehensive battery service provider for micromobility.

Volvo is on the road towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030, an important focus area for its technology investments and R&D spending is e-motors, inverters and overall electric drivetrain optimisation.

The desire for greater flexibility is the biggest driving force behind women starting businesses in the UK, as new research from Small Business Britain highlights most women are happier after starting their own businesses.

Storyblok, the content management system (CMS), was used by Sydney FC, one of Australia’s most successful football clubs, to build a digital stadium experience that generates a massive amount of engagement from the fans.