New data from global ticketing platform, Eventbrite, shows that British entrepreneurs haven’t stopped training and networking because of the pandemic, with over 150,000 attending online startup events since the beginning of the first lockdown in early 2020.

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the UK economy. The government has noted that they contribute to 99.9% of all private sector business in the country with a turnover of £2 trillion.

The Quarterly OurCrowd Jobs Index has released indicates that OurCrowd-backed high-tech startups are seeking to fill hundreds of positions despite record-high unemployment in the overall economy. This is the first quarterly jobs survey by OurCrowd, venture investing platform.

Vivacity Labs, the London-based tech company which uses artificial intelligence to improve traffic insights and safety, has announced it has secured £5m of Series A funding in a VC round led by investor Mobeus, with additional funding from existing investors Downing Ventures and London Co-Investment Fund.

Entering a flash recession, with signals the UK economy is already on the recovery following the financial difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s never been a more important time to secure additional investment for SMEs to help continue growth for their business.

Mazuma, online subscription accountancy service, has announced the launch of a new technology offering, featuring a modern, highly accessible app and a contemporary website. Both of which outline additional resources and provide further advice for small business owners across the UK.

Although this may sound like one of the easier questions you have read this week, this question is so much more than these seven words primarily show.

Last year, the Government introduced a new grant via the Kickstart Scheme to support the creation of new jobs placements at businesses across the UK. Unfortunately, the rules of the scheme meant that businesses needed to create a minimum of 30 job placements to apply directly for a grant.

Whilist travelling is one of the most truly amazing experiences - meeting new people, trying new foods and even learning new languages - it is not without its challenges. Although we are living through the most connected time in history, it can still be a struggle to find WiFi on the go (that actually works). Here, Startups Magazine speaks to travel technology startup, Rent ‘n Connect to find out why their products can save you from all those hair-pulling moments.

In today’s fast-paced, technological environment,  people are constantly retaining information through the internet and social media. There are many opportunities for individuals to access expert advice from all sorts of industries through the likes of online interviews, podcasts and Twitter feeds. Still, does this mean that all the advice that we have access to is useful?

Why do startups fail, and what can founders do to prevent it? Many entrepreneurs and investors opine on this question, but few offer data-driven answers. Our goal is to identify and share clear learnings on this, and the timing could not be more critical.

In June of 2020, the US Supreme Court handed down a ruling that barred employers from discriminating against queer and transgender employees. This was the latest of many fights happening worldwide to introduce or strengthen legislation to protect the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.

Ally.io, a hypergrowth technology company specialising in goal-setting and business execution software, has announced a $50M (£36.5M) Series C funding round led by Greenoaks Capital. Tiger Global, who led the company’s Series B round, and Madrona Venture Group also joined the round, as well as previous investors Accel, Addition Ventures, Founders’ Co-Op, and Vulcan Capital. 

Vinehealth, a platform to improve the quality of life and survival of cancer patients through highly personalised patient support, has secured a £1m Biomedical Catalyst grant to deliver their innovative cancer companion app to four NHS trusts within a randomised controlled trial, thus generating robust evidence of the platform’s clinical and cost effectiveness in improving patient self-management and data collection.

Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) has raised $9.5m in Series A funding. The investment was co-led by IQ Capital, Parkwalk Advisors and BGF, and includes investment from Foresight Williams, Cambridge Enterprise, Martlet Capital, Cambridge Angels and Cambridge Capital Group. The funding will be used by CGD to expand its product portfolio of energy-efficient power devices and to double the size of its team.

A cloud-based CRM provider has announced another instalment of their successful virtual event series, designed to help UK businesses tackle 2021 and set strong foundations following a challenging 2020. BuddyCRM’s Build Back Better - Sales Masterclass will commence on 18th March 2021 and is free for delegates to attend. 

Social impact startup OX has successfully secured three grants with a total project value of £1.2m in the past four months. The grants, awarded by Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre, will see OX work on separate projects with Potenza Technology and Penso to expedite the delivery of the world’s first clean transport ecosystem. 

Over half (54%) of UK workers say they are more open to taking on a side hustle or freelance work since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Fiverr. Over 2 in 5 (44%) agree they are more open to it, due to the flexibility that working from home has given them.

Launching a new startup is always a huge risk, but with effective user research and testing, product leaders can gain valuable insights from end users to reduce risk from the outset and build a culture of learning from their customers. We recently held a virtual event titled ‘From Idea to Launch: How startups succeed with UserTesting’ and we were joined by product and startup experts, including Arielle Kilroy and Justin Berkovi, to get their top tips for ensuring success.

In this article, Andrew White, Partner and UK & European patent attorney at intellectual property firm, Mathys & Squire discusses how building a strong Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio puts you in a better position to secure business investment when you need it and why linking your IP strategy to your business goals - including investment plans - is crucial for making it all come together effortlessly.