Uluu, an Australian startup which turns seaweed into a plastic alternative, has raised over £7 million ($16 million AUD) in Series A funding to build a demonstration plant for the industrial production of its materials.

It goes without saying for entrepreneurs, employees, and students alike; everyone’s busy, but at what point do you become too busy? It’s an eternal conundrum, as people drive for success without it being at the expense of their mental health.

Zempler, a digital bank serving startups and microbusinesses, has announced a new partnership with iwoca, one of Europe’s leading SME lenders, to expand its SME offering and make business lending more accessible.

The City of London Corporation and NEXUS have signed a partnership agreement to promote London as a destination for ambitious startup founders, providing access to critical infrastructure, networks, and learning opportunities to support the next generation of high-growth businesses.

The average lifespan of a Chief Revenue Officer is less than two years. That’s less than the life of a hamster. The startups they preside over don’t fare much better: 90% of startups will fail within three years and only 2% of scaleups make it to Series D. Overall, three-quarters of venture investments bite the dust.

Businesses must stay efficient without losing their competitive edge. When scaling, whether through organic growth or acquisition, using the right tools and technology can streamline operations, reduce manual overhead, foster clear communication, and improve both physical and cyber security measures – all essential factors for sustainable growth.

SpinDrive has raised new growth funding. The company’s frictionless machinery products enable industrial end-users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to achieve higher energy efficiency and productivity, while reducing operational emissions, maintenance costs, and pollution from oil-based lubricants.

In what founders are calling a race against the largest economic divide humanity has ever seen, Prompt University opens its doors as the world's first completely free, open-source institution dedicated to teaching prompt engineering and AI communication skills.

Sustainability is everywhere. From investor decks to packaging labels, every business seems to have a ‘green strategy’. But it’s also true that sustainability has suffered setbacks in recent years. Some large corporations have quietly rolled back their climate commitments or deprioritised their ESG targets in response to political pressure.

The joy of the festive season is all about connection – spending traditions together, creating special moments, finding that perfect something that lights up a loved one's face. Yet, for e-commerce, this time is also the biggest commercial battleground of the year, and it usually starts much earlier than December: 65% of shoppers start their gift search before November.

Forget the usual choice – big tech capitals are no longer the only places to build a thriving startup. Emerging European cities are carving out their own innovation hotspots, offering founders advantages that the biggest hubs can’t match.

In an age where AI can generate business plans in seconds, draft marketing copy at the click of a button, and even stimulate human conversation, it’s easy to overlook the importance of human interactions when it comes to growing a business.

Chainguard, the trusted source for open source, announced $280 million in growth financing from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund (CVF). This investment, which will help Chainguard meet growing demand and accelerate its mission to make open source software trustworthy by default, follows the company’s Series D fundraise in April and marks $636 million total secured in the past six months and $892 million in total.

Branded Realities, the creative technology company at the intersection of sports, fan engagement, and immersive experiences, has closed its $1.6 million seed funding round.

Astut, an Oxford University AI spin-out, has announced £1.6 million in seed funding to commercialise its breakthrough technology that helps organisations navigate unprecedented crises where traditional AI systems fail due to lack of historical data.