Robert Rizea and Bogdan Demeny are the Co-Founders of Racketpal. As two passionate tennis and squash players, Rizea and Demeny realised there was no obvious and easy way for them to meet other players who were also up for a game. But they knew there had to be a way to fix that. Then one evening in September 2018, the pair were enjoying a pint in The Cleveland Arms in Paddington when the eureka moment struck. They decided it was time to create an app to help racket sports players meet each other, and started working on plans for the app that became Racketpal the very next day.

This year’s edition of Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) featured some fantastic traveltech startups on a mission to revolutionise the travel industry. The event finished up with the Touristech Startup Fest, where 40 startups pitched their businesses to a jury of industry leaders and investors. Of those, we have rounded up a highlight list to share these businesses with you.

Frame is an AI-enhanced collaboration software with a mission to provide a framework for focus. Project managers utilise Frame as a unified platform to streamline task assignments, centralise communication, and monitor project progress in real-time, ensuring teams stay synchronised and projects remain on track. Remote teams use Frame to stay connected and organised, simplifying collaboration across all their tools in one unified space.

Protos Labs announced a successful seed round funding of $3 million. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its global expansion and product development, as it works to revolutionise the cyber insurance and risk management landscape.

The Circle of Trust, the Manchester founded, female led company launched in the UK last week at No. 1 Circle Square in the presence of the great and the good of the Manchester business community.

London startup Hidealoo aims to make the installation of toilets in small and hard to fit spaces even easier, thanks to its discreet foldable frame.

Oasis Defender, a UAE-based startup, is advancing multi-Cloud security with its AI-driven SaaS solution for Cloud network security, designed for unified visualisation and configuration across multiple Clouds.

Sobo, an Atlanta-based startup that helps business owners build more profitable companies, introduced its SaaS-based consulting platform.

Lightning Reach is a fintech for good startup that enables rapid access to emergency hardship cash grants for those in need.

RED Semiconductor (RED), a fabless semiconductor company specialising in advanced microprocessors that bolster AI and security applications, has been chosen to be part of the inaugural cohort of ChipStart UK. This government-backed incubator was initiated under the National Semiconductor Strategy.

Munro Vehicles (Munro), a manufacturer of all-electric 4x4s, and Scotland’s only volume production car company, has announced an equity crowdfunding round and revealed details of design and technical enhancements for its all-electric 4x4 Series-M Pick-Up and Series-M Truck models, driven by extensive field trials of, and customer feedback on, the Munro MK_1 pre-production model.

In a world grappling with overconsumption and cost-of-living pressures, ivault is pioneering a solution that puts a planet-friendly lifestyle in the palm of your hand. The blockchain-based app is set to redefine the sharing economy, making it easier and more rewarding to share what we already have rather than buying new.

In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, one company is committed to redefining learning experiences. Immerse Education, founded in 2012, is on a mission to revolutionise education for students aged 13-18.

UK-based Setmixer was the standout among 10 finalists selected from over 400 startups, emerging as the champion of the first Global MediaTech Pitch Day, hosted by Raw Ventures on September 28.

Bioniq, a precision health startup, is now offering personalised supplements, Bioniq PRO, for customers from all over the world. The startup expands access to personalised supplements worldwide using its patented algorithm that already leverages data from more than 40,000 people with over 4 million biochemical data points.

Diagnostics testing company MI:RNA has developed a new AI-empowered testing method for early disease detection. This new technology is showing preliminary data of 73% sensitivity and 71% specificity in identifying Johne’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition that impacts the health, welfare and productivity of cattle and other livestock. With further research, these numbers are expected to increase significantly.

British deeptech startup Nanovery has achieved a significant advance, with the grant of the first patent in the UK for its unique DNA nanorobot platform.

Electron, a provider of marketplace software for flexibility and distributed electricity, has raised £4 million to expand in the UK, Europe, and North America, and accelerate the world’s transition to net zero.  

‘Knowledge is power,’ as the saying goes. So how can education become an even more powerful tool? With the introduction of more technology! Integrating technology into the classroom ensures lessons remain engaging in an ever-plugged-in world, and opens up education to more people across the globe.

With climate change causing some of the hottest summers on record, wildfires are on the rise, causing distress, destruction, and devastation globally.