DeepL, the global AI product and research company most known for its AI-powered translation tools, has unveiled an autonomous AI agent for businesses.

UK artificial intelligence (AI) companies attracted a record-breaking £2.9 billion in investment last year, solidifying Britain’s position as a global leader in cutting-edge technology.  

The entrepreneurial journey is as demanding as it is rewarding. Startup founders operate in an environment defined by uncertainty, long working hours, and relentless pressure to perform. While stress is often considered part of the founder’s role, unmanaged stress can quickly escalate into burnout – impacting not only personal wellbeing but also the performance of the business.

LineWise, the US-based AI-powered “virtual engineer” for manufacturers, has raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding from A2D Ventures, Y Combinator, Exitfund, REMUS Capital, SBXi Fund, and Team Ignite Ventures. The funding will accelerate LineWise’s mission to eliminate two of the most expensive problems in manufacturing: unplanned downtime and yield loss caused by defects.

The UK government may be celebrating favourable tariffs with the USA and new trade deals with countries outside the EU, but the vast majority of UK small businesses are now focused on the domestic British market to secure growth over the next 12-months, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

More than half of businesses have no formal policy in place to govern the use of AI tools in the workplace, leaving them vulnerable to data risks, compliance issues, and uncertainty over accountability.

UK SMEs relying on outdated manual bank transfers as a primary method of payment lost out on an estimated £6.15 billion in sales last year. 

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have always impressed me with their agility and creativity. They are the ones who take bold risks, experiment quickly, and often bring real innovation to market first. But there’s no denying that, for years, large corporations had the upper hand in terms of resources, technology, and reach. What I’m seeing now, however, is a real shift. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is giving SMEs the kind of leverage that used to be reserved for the biggest players.

Kerbo Charge has acquired one of its competitors in the EV charging space, Charge Gully.

Demand is growing for the ability to collect and analyse the outputs of Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. These tools, which use Large Language Models (LLMs), are increasingly being used as alternatives to traditional internet search engines. For this reason, professionals working with search engine optimisation (SEO) and its new incarnation, generative engine optimisation (GEO), are keen to understand what sources LLMs draw from and how they present topics relevant to particular brands and industries.

WheelsOn, the UAE’s mobile-first car rental platform, has closed a $12.5 million funding round, including $2.2 million in equity from a group of MENA-focused private investors, including partners of Xploration Capital, $6.5 million for a fleet expansion round, and $4 million financing from local banks. This latest round brings WheelsOn’s total funding to $12.5 million, pushing its valuation to $30 million.

Farmers and growers across the UK are set to benefit from £12.6 million in new funding, with two fresh competitions backing research and development of innovative agritech solutions that best cut costs, reduce seasonal labour, improve animal health, and tackle wider industry challenges.

Erik Rask is the Founder and CEO of MedBeat, but before founding the startup, he was a medical doctor at the Children’s Heart Centre in Lund, Sweden.

In the May/June 2025 issue of Startups Magazine, we introduced four startups that we believe are the ones to watch in the medtech space.

ZERO, the B Corp Certified sustainable money app, has launched its second crowdfunding campaign via the Crowdcube platform following a landmark first six months of operations.