Inicio AI, a fintech startup based in the West Midlands has been awarded £1.25 million as part of the One To Win pitch competition at Birmingham Tech Week’s Tech Awards. One to Win is spearheaded by TechWM, set up to promote tech in the region, with support from sponsors Rigby Group plc, SCC, Haatch, and the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (delivered through Midven, part of Future Planet Capital). It is the largest single prize for any pitch competition in the UK.

JLR has announced the launch of its latest Open Innovation Hub in India to identify and work closely with startups to develop the next generation of products and services that will help to define JLR’s future client experiences.

Geovation, Ordnance Survey’s (OS) geospatial innovation hub, welcomes the next cohort of GeoTech and PropTech startups to join the award-winning Accelerator Programme.

Chiller units are an essential part of many industrial and commercial operations. They help maintain the necessary temperature for various processes, from manufacturing to data centres, keeping systems running efficiently. However, like any equipment, chiller units have a lifespan. Over time, they can become less efficient, more costly to operate, and prone to breakdowns. Knowing when to upgrade your chiller can save money and improve overall performance.

Startups are as vital as ever to the UK’s economy, with nearly 860,000 new companies registered at Companies House between 2022 and 2023.

Oshen, co-founded by Anahita Laverack, uses cutting-edge technologies to revolutionise oceanography sustainably through robotics and AI.

Do you keep hearing people boast about their latest £20,000 month, or about how many clients they have on their books, or about how many things they’ve sold?

Nationally, 86% of UK small business owners are fearful of Autumn Budget announcements that could negatively impact the growth outlook and finances of their enterprises – according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

UK SMEs face a ticking time bomb as a result of the imminent effects of an account reporting standard change, according to national audit, tax, advisory, and consulting firm Crowe.

Birmingham-based venture capital firm Midven, in partnership with The 51% Club, has announced a new initiative that’s set to nurture the next wave of high-growth female-led startups. The Fortuna Fellowship is a first-of-its-kind accelerator and will see up to five female-led ventures potentially secure a share of £2 million investment.

Accountants are calling on the new Labour government to provide more support for UK small businesses by introducing legislative reforms and simplifying tax laws, according to new research by accounting software company FreeAgent.

Jarvis, a pension fintech that empowers employees to actively plan for their ideal retirement, has partnered with JA, the software provider for umbrella companies, to transform pension management for umbrella companies.

Pleo, a European spend management platforms, has released a new report examining the current landscape of UK businesses. ‘The Finance and Business Synergy Report’ from Pleo, delves into the sentiments surrounding budget cuts, collaboration and growth in 2024, and how these dynamics are influencing business operations.

Eighty-two percent of employers say they currently record sickness absence, a marginal improvement on the 80% that said the same in 2023 but not as many as the 85% who recorded sickness in 2022.

Canva, the world’s all-in-one visual communication platform, has unveiled a suite of new products and features set to transform how people design at work and beyond. This announcement coincides with Canva reaching the major milestone of 200 million monthly active users, an increase of more than 115 million over the last two years, as the company also hits $2.5 billion in annualised revenue.