All the way back in our 2023 May/June issue, we had the pleasure to speak with CEO & Founder Nickolai Vysokov about his company, BrainPatch, who is pioneering an e-meditation device which delivers meditative, quickly calming, and stress-relieving sensations via small, non-invasive electrical currents to the brain.

In the realm of artificial intelligence, the adage of "garbage in, garbage out" holds more weight than ever before. 

Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth, announced on 20th May that applications are open for the latest Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme which will award up to 40 projects up to £45k each.

Over two-thirds (68%) of SME leaders believe their business is resilient and prepared to withstand challenges, with a similar proportion (69%) feeling confident in their ability to recover quickly from setbacks.  

With AI adoption racing ahead, outdated systems are holding organisations back as technical debt is rapidly becoming one of the most expensive challenges facing enterprises today, costing them more than just money.

Less than two-thirds (57%) of employers are ‘very confident’ that their pension scheme is compliant with automatic enrolment regulations, according to new research by Towergate Employee Benefits. This is leaving businesses open to the possibility of non-compliance notices and fines.

For founders trying to find their way through the world of investment, the language alone can feel like a closed shop: SEIS, Series A, VCT (venture capital trust), syndicates, ARR (annual recurring revenue), traction. But understanding these terms – and the logic behind how investors make decisions – can change how you approach pitching entirely.

“I was fidgeting through life in outfits – and identities – that didn’t quite fit.”

A growing number of UK small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are taking cybersecurity more seriously, with over half increasing their cyber defences in 2024, according to new research from Bionic.

In a world increasingly preoccupied with AI displacing jobs and automating roles, one question dominates headlines and boardroom discussions alike: Will AI replace people? As the founder of Solvora.ai, a platform building agentic AI co-pilots for solopreneurs and small businesses, my answer is clear: AI will not replace people. But it will radically replace how people work.

Spanish startup Dedge Security has raised a €4 million seed funding round, led by venture firm Tritemius, to strengthen its position as a leading security platform for developers and companies building on Web3.

As an entrepreneur navigates their startup from the helm, they will have an optimal view of financial health and the direction this is heading in. While navigating a business is no smooth sailing, witnessing the first signs of financial strain can be distressing, however, when acted upon early, the business owner can shore up finances by seeking professional insolvency guidance.

In the world of business, change is constant and forward planning is challenging. But, despite all this, one thing remains the same – the ambition to spend smarter.

Fintech startups often underestimate the complexity of scaling revenue, sometimes fatally. Mistakes made during this critical stage frequently drain resources, halt momentum, and can even lead promising companies to fail entirely.

I want to be honest straight off the bat, resilience isn’t just some fluffy buzzword we throw around to sound inspirational. For women running businesses, especially those doing it while juggling kids, self doubt, the dreaded imposter syndrome, deadlines, caring responsibilities and the pressure to show up looking polished for Instagram, resilience is often the quiet force that gets us through the day. We never think much about it until after the fact, only when looking back on what we have waded through, that Resilience in it's true form is appreciated!

Ask most founders when they first called a lawyer, and the answer is usually the same: when something went wrong. A co-founder fallout. A deal that turned messy. A competitor copycatting their product. Legal support gets brought in when things catch fire, not while the idea’s still burning bright.

In the new normal of global trade, policies shift overnight, markets swing unpredictably, and yesterday's financial reports might as well be ancient history.

It was during my second startup that I burnt out. After my first company took off quickly – creating and delivering DSLR camera equipment to customers worldwide within a year – I assumed my next venture would be just as smooth. I was wrong.

Startups today face more complexity and competition than ever before. Having a great idea is no longer enough. Success depends on how quickly founders can build the right support around them – whether that’s forging strong connections, accessing funding and mentorship, gaining access to the right talent at the right time, having flexibility, or becoming part of a strong community.

In an age where every click, swipe, and search can be tracked, stored and analysed, data privacy is no longer a luxury but a necessity. From social media profiles to medical records and financial transactions, personal information is constantly collected and processed, often without understanding or consent.