The number of businesses with a positive outlook for the next 12 months exceeds the number with a negative outlook for the first time, in the clearest sign yet that parts of the economy are slowly springing to life, according to the latest wave of the Opinium-Cebr Business Distress Tracker.

OurCrowd, a crowdfunded-venture investment platform, has announced the launch of its Pandemic Innovation Fund. The Fund plans to raise $100m for investment in urgent technological solutions for the medical, business, educational and social needs triggered by global pandemics and other health emergencies.

Startup Zhiyun, the world’s most popular gimbal brand for cameras and smartphones, has announced the launch of the SMOOTH-X smartphone gimbal. SMOOTH-X is a stylish palm-sized foldable gimbal that weighs only 246g and easily fits into your bag – or even your pocket. With the new dedicated ZY Cami app, SMOOTH-X provides new ways to capture and create stories. Unfold your world with foldable SMOOTH-X – it is a whole new spin on the gimbal. 

Leadoo Marketing Technologies (Leadoo MT) has launched its new platform to help UK SMEs update their marketing strategy, fight back in the current business climate and set themselves up for future proofing their business.

Eleven startup companies from Bristol’s world-leading tech scene have been announced to pitch and demo their innovative products at SETsquared Bristol’s Tech-Xpo 2020.

Sage has published its SMB Tracker highlighting the latest sentiment from the UK’s small and medium sized businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Almond Impact is overfunding, having surpassed their funding goal of £500,000 in a pre-launch crowdfund which has so far attracted over 400 investors. 

An entrepreneurial mum of three, from Preston, who’s a domestic abuse survivor, is on a mission to have ‘done her bit’ during COVID-19 to raise funds for Women's Aid & galop, by streaming a charity event 'The Big Festoon' from her bedroom on 5th June.

As employees return to work, UK businesses are likely to face a backlog of annual leave requests that could cost thousands of pounds. By collecting data and analysing the average monthly salary at a baseline at £2,214 and at least 50% of employee annual leave owed, Coworking Specialists Instant Offices have calculated how much it would cost for companies of different sizes to pay staff for a minimum of two weeks of annual leave.

Are you looking for the latest on the 2022, Hustle Awards? We have a website with all the details right here. 

Every issue, every event, practically every day we come across so many amazing startups, founders, teams and general amazing people. And although we love to champion and expose them as much as we possibly can through our magazine, we decided we wanted to do more to celebrate these people.

In recent weeks, we have seen that the coronavirus pandemic is a catalyst for digital solutions. One might think that digital banks and digital insurers will benefit equally from this.

The UK’s online behaviour has changed dramatically since the country was put into lockdown on March 23rd, with the consumption of adult content notably spiking at a 292% increase when the changes came into effect.

The government’s £500m Future Fund is now open for applications with innovative and high growth British businesses able to secure investment to help them through the COVID-19 outbreak. UK-based startups can now apply for a convertible loan of between £125,000 and £5m, to support continued growth and innovation in sectors as diverse as technology, life sciences and the creative industries.

Collision from Home announced that Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization will be speaking at Collision from Home on 23rd-25th June. The Director-General will be asked about COVID-19 and the fight against this unprecedented global pandemic from the unique viewpoint of the World Health Organization's overarching access to the frontline.

Space Forge, the organisation leading the space manufacturing revolution, has secured a £600k of funding package from the Development Bank of Wales, alongside Bristol Private Equity Club and Innovate UK. This funding will help the company continue developing their reusable manufacturing satellite, ramp up their capability in Newport, Wales and Bristol and build upon UK and European partnership schemes.

The world economy might be stopped in its tracks because of the coronavirus, but Dutch-African tech company, Tunga, is not. The organisation with a network of over 400 African software developers, has received a Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) loan to build further capacity.

Technology platform for mobile computer vision and augmented reality (AR) solutions for enterprises, Scandit, has announced that it has raised $80m in Series C related funding led by G2VP, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm of former Kleiner Perkins partners. They were joined by Atomico, GV, Kreos, NGP Capital, Salesforce Ventures and Swisscom Ventures. Scandit has previously raised $43m.

The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and necessary Government restrictions to curb the spread, has thrown millions of the UK’s small and medium sized businesses into a period of uncertainty, and in many cases, hardship. The Government has announced a series of sweeping, comprehensive and extraordinary measures for businesses to help them weather the storm

Africa is a land of innovation! For several years now, initiatives have been multiplying to publicise the dynamism of this continent full of future. From Futur.e.s in Africa organised in Casablanca in collaboration with Cap Digital to EDF’s Pulse Africa competition, African technology is seducing by its ability to break codes and propose effective solutions to current issues.

According to new research from Small Business Britain and BT Skills For Tomorrow, UK small businesses are moving more of their services online for survival as the sector looks to take its first steps towards recovery.