On December 3rd, organisations representing millions of people took part in Techtimeout Tuesday – the UK’s biggest digital wellbeing day.

A new global survey titled ‘AI Workplace Report’ from Freshworks, a business software provider, reveals that nearly half (45%) of UK employees would consider swapping their current jobs for roles that better harness AI, and 35% of UK workers say they have already received a salary bump or a promotion as a result of their AI usage. 

System7, a new AI consultancy co-founded by Nicolas Baxter designed to transform marketing and sales teams, has launched as the first co-founded company from cocreatd, the venture studio founded by Oliver Yonchev.

AgrofoodBIC S.r.l. (Business Innovation Centre), a multi-company open innovation hub active nationally and internationally since 2019, partners with Eatable Adventures to identify and accelerate global startups that address the evolving needs of the Italian foodtech sector. This collaboration aims to foster innovation and build bridges between established companies and emerging ventures.

EntreReality, a digital human startup headquartered in South Korea, has launched Twinit AI Makeup to establish its footprint in the global beauty tech market. With cutting-edge technology that combines AI and 3D vision, Twinit aims to redefine the cosmetics experience for users worldwide.

Keychron, a leading manufacturer of peripherals compatible with Mac, Windows, and Android, launched direct sales of the Keychron K2 HE Wireless Magnetic Custom Keyboard. This high-performance mechanical keyboard combines the best of traditional mechanical technology with the advanced benefits of magnetic switches in a minimalistic design accented by natural rosewood. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $1M USD, the K2 HE is now available for direct purchase on Keychron's website, starting at $130 USD.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on December 9 that it will operate its largest-ever exhibition space for Seoul-based startups at CES 2025, the world's largest consumer electronics and ICT trade show. The event will run from January 7 to 10, 2025, in Las Vegas, showcasing cutting-edge technologies from emerging companies worldwide.

According to new research from Dext, the bookkeeping automation platform provider, the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) surveyed could be losing a staggering average of £742 every month from incorrect invoicing stemming from poor tracking of rechargeable expenses. With the UK home to over 5.5 million SMBs, the figures indicate up to a £1.1 billion monthly shortfall in the economy, signalling the need for a massive overhaul of outdated expense management practices.

Today, Maria 01, the startup community in the Nordics, has announced that its member startups have raised over €1 billion in funding since the hub’s founding in 2016, according to recent member data.

Startups Magazine is excited to announce that we will once again be exhibiting at CES in Las Vegas, on the 7th-10th of January. If you’re attending the show, come by Stand 60311 at Eureka Park to pick up a copy of our Survival Guide, and have a chat with the team!

Otterly.AI, the AI search monitoring solution for marketing teams and brands, has announced its launch from stealth with over 1,000 users, including notable names such as Skale, Downtown Ecommerce, and Videoloft.

Crypto Quantique, a provider of quantum-driven security for the Internet of Things (IoT), has boosted the functionality of its semiconductor hardware security IP block, QDID, adding a true random number generator (TRNG) to the physical unclonable function (PUF). The PUF is inherently resilient against side-channel attacks because the source of entropy is quantum-derived, and seeds are read on demand.

Switzerland Global Enterprise, the official Swiss agency for export and investment promotion, and Presence Switzerland, the Swiss government marketing and communication agency, announced that swisstech will be showcasing 10 of Switzerland’s most innovative startups at CES Unveiled, held before the start of CES 2025 on Sunday, January 5th, 2025, from 5:00-8:30pm at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Mandala Bay Convention Centre, Shoreline Exhibit Hall in Las Vegas.

Metaview has released its 2024 ‘Year in Interviews Trends Report’, revealing the topics and trends that dominated hiring conversations in 2024.

Energy Revolution Ventures, an energy tech venture capital firm targeting the multi-trillion-dollar opportunity in electrification, has closed an $18 million seed and series A fund focused on breakthrough deeptech.

The University of Salford’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation has received £101,000 of funding from Innovate UK, to help educate SMEs across Greater Manchester on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity.

In 2022-23, approximately 801,006 companies were registered in the UK, showcasing a rapidly growing entrepreneurial landscape.

New research from Intuit QuickBooks uncovers a potential surge in entrepreneurial activity across the UK, marking 2025 as a pivotal year for self-employment growth.

Spain’s innovation ecosystem strives to keep pace with global rivals, according to the new ‘Tech Scaleup Spain. Keeping the pace of innovation in an evolving global scenario 2024 Report’ that Mind the Bridge (with the support of ACCIONA and Crunchbase) presented at Tech Spirit Barcelona, shedding light on the state of Spain’s innovation ecosystem and its positioning in the global race for technological leadership.

Business owners plan to increase their use of outsourcing services over the next year, according to research carried out by Evelyn Partners.