Whisper, an AI-driven sales and behavioural cloning technology for content creators, has raised $1 million in a recent funding round led by investors, including AngelList Early Stage Quant Fund and a consortium of high-net-worth content creators. Content creators make up the largest shareholder group, reinforcing Whisper’s mission to develop AI-powered sales tools designed specifically to serve their needs.

New research from Trainline Partner Solutions (TPS) highlights a significant shift in business travel attitudes amongst Gen Z professionals. The research shows a growing preference for ‘slower business travel’ – lower-carbon journeys that align career progression with environmental consciousness, even if they take longer.

Quantexa has announced that it has completed a $175 million Series F investment round, led by Teachers’ Venture Growth (“TVG”). 

UCL Business (UCLB), the commercialisation company for UCL which supports UCL’s researchers to turn breakthroughs into companies, has seen a surge in spin-out activity over the last financial year (August 2023-July 2024).

DeepL, a global Language AI company, has announced the launch of Clarify, a new feature bringing interactivity to AI translations, powered by its large language model (LLM). Clarify transforms the user experience by actively engaging throughout the translation process, serving as an interactive AI companion and language expert that resolves ambiguities and provides greater control over translations. This results in a more personalised, engaging experience that yields higher quality, nuanced translations – driving seamless cross-border communication for DeepL’s rapidly expanding network of over 200,000 business customers worldwide.

Howie Systems, founded in Vienna in the mid of last year by industry veteran Ewa Lenart, has successfully secured €420,000 in funding from leading London-based Venture Capital firm Pi Labs. The startup is pioneering in building a single source of truth for construction and real estate data.

Cino – the only real-time shared payment app that finally lets people pay together in a seamless, single transaction – has raised €3.5 million in Seed funding led by Balderton Capital. Connect Ventures also participated alongside leading angels, including Barney Hussey-Yeo (founder of Cleo). The funding will support Cino’s launch in the UK, where it already has a growing waitlist, and continued growth across Europe.

Trying to secure investment in your company from venture capitalists can be very daunting for leaders of SMEs or startups. It could have taken you years of hard work to realise your business goals, and now you find yourself negotiating the complex and cutthroat world of finance with experienced, shrewd professionals who might want a significant share of your operation.  

Moonwatt – the energy storage startup founded by seasoned professionals with a track record at global leaders like Tesla, EDF, Siemens, Scatec, and Freyr Battery – has raised €8 million to unlock the true, 24/7 power of solar with its disruptive sodium-ion battery system. Co-led by daphni and LEA Partners, Founders Future, AFI Ventures (by Ventech) and Kima Ventures also participated alongside strategic business angels and customers. The funding will be used to accelerate the development and deployment of Moonwatt’s hardware and software technology, expand the team and drive the shift toward a cleaner, more resilient global energy ecosystem.

Heidi, the healthcare AI company whose AI scribe is transforming how clinicians work, has raised $16.6 million in its latest funding round. The Series A follow-on investment is led by Headline, with participation from Local Globe, Anthology (Menlo Ventures and Anthropic), and existing investors Blackbird, HESTA, Possible Ventures, and Archangel Ventures.

When I look back on my journey as an innovator, what strikes me most is not the "eureka" moments of invention but the quiet, persistent work of transforming ideas into tangible, industrialised solutions. It’s one thing to dream up a new technology in the lab, but it’s another to see it deployed at scale, solving real-world problems and making a measurable impact.

The startup differentiation problem: most startups believe that innovation means adding more features – a faster app, a smarter algorithm, a better design. But customers don’t buy features.

They buy transformation.

Generation Z business leaders are pioneering a new approach with purpose, profit, and personal wellbeing at the forefront of their business, according to new research by American Express and The Conduit, a collaborative impact community and members club.

Quantum Industries (QI), a startup in quantum secure communications for critical infrastructure, has announced the successful completion of its seed financing round, raising a total of $10 million in fresh capital.

In the digital age, we interact with countless applications, whether for personal, professional, or recreational purposes. Many of these applications appear consumer-oriented but are, in fact, B2B applications. By accessing healthcare services, payroll systems, or school management platforms, customers are using their provider’s applications (such as GP or employer) which is a business customer of a larger B2B application. B2B applications form an integral part of daily operations across various industries.