Three in ten SME finance experts (28%) report that the most requested loan amount at the start of 2024 was over £100,000, 56% higher than the same period last year, according to iwoca’s Q1 2024 SME Expert Index.

Aerospace Xelerated (AX) announced it will run a pitching competition during this year’s Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) on 25th July. The winning startup will receive a prize of £5,000, six months of mentorship from the AX team, and exclusive exhibition space for the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow to help them grow their business. The second-place winner will receive a prize of £2,500 and three months of mentorship.

Swiipr, a travel paytech company transforming the airline industry’s outdated and inefficient disruption payments systems, has secured £6 million in Series A funding, led by Octopus Ventures, to help drive the company’s next phase of growth.

The eternal “nothing to wear” dilemma arises from having a wardrobe filled with up to 88% of clothes that go unworn throughout the year, according to Movingo. Style DNA, a company in image consulting tech, unveils its brand-new AI Stylist Assistant to address the issue.

Inspeq AI, a full-stack AI Ops platform, has secured $1.1 million in funding, led by Sure Valley Ventures.

Having spent a lifetime creating brands, much of my time in recent years has been spent advising young startups about their ventures. Sometimes it’s interesting, even rewarding, but on other occasions it can be very difficult.

DigitalOcean Holdings, the developer cloud optimised for startups and growing technology businesses, has announced the next evolution of App Platform, a fully managed platform-as-a-service (PAAS) solution designed to streamline the entire application lifecycle.

Startup accelerator programmes have become hugely popular in the tech world in recent years with ambitious inventors and eager entrepreneurs looking to turbocharge their dream of growing a thriving business.

On 23rd May at The Podcast Show, Startups Magazine was lucky enough to sit in on a panel all about the future of podcast production with Artificial Intelligence (AI) at its core. The panel challenged popular misconceptions, highlighting ethical considerations, and demonstrating how AI tools are revolutionising podcasting from production to promotion.

In the dynamic world of business banking, the adoption of cryptocurrency represents a transformative shift that is reshaping how businesses manage their financial operations.

One of my key missions is to encourage other business owners and founders to take time out from their busy everyday lives, to make time for; connection building, enjoyment, self-care, and a new level of networking, that incorporates rewarding themselves with new experiences, combining work and play.

Approximately half of all self-employed people have experienced poor mental health within the past 12 months – 22% worse than the national average.

On 22nd May at The Podcast Show, Startups Magazine attended a panel including, Vogue Williams, host of My Therapist Ghosted Me, Grace Beverley, host of Working Hard, Hardly Working, Audrey Indome and Tolani Shoneye co-hosts of The Receipts Podcast, as they explored how important powerhouse woman are in the audio industry. Shining a light on the significance of sisterhood, the necessity for safe spaces, and how bigger corporates and advertiser can help female hosts to reach female listeners.

Santander is offering emerging startups across the UK the opportunity to win up to £25,000 in funding and business support through the Santander X UK Awards 2024. The Santander X UK Awards are one of the UK’s largest early-stage business pitching competitions, having provided over £1 million in vital funding and business support to thousands of UK businesses to date.

It was November. I'd just come back from almost two weeks in the Canary Islands. I should have felt refreshed and ready to get back into work at Hustle House – the people development consultancy I founded with my friend.