When generative AI exploded into the public consciousness two years ago, business leaders were understandably keen to be at the vanguard of the revolution and unlock its potential.

I’m not sure when the idea of Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) first started circulating around the B2B world but it’s relatively recently (cue someone mailing me with evidence of them first in use in 1973…). Personally, I’ve been using the idea consciously for the last four years or so.

Aachen-based startup IonKraft GmbH, a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University, has successfully closed a first equity financing round of €3.5 million. The round was co-led by M Ventures (the strategic investment fund of Merck) and TechVision Fund and joined by High-Tech-Gruenderfonds.

Bev Hurley CBE, Executive Chair of YTKO and previously CEO for 25 years, has been recognised for her Outstanding Contribution to Economic Development at the Institute of Economic Development (IED) Annual Awards 2024.

The rise in AI adoption by companies encourages the hiring of more managers – rather than fewer – relative to other positions, to supervise the implementation of this new technology. That’s according to a working paper co-authored by IESE Business School professors Mireia Giné, Sampsa Samila, and José Azar that analyses 375 million US job vacancies over more than a decade.

Lineage, the large global temperature-controlled warehouse REIT, has announced the winner of its pioneering initiative, the Food Chain Innovation Challenge London. After a full day of pitching at the Science Museum to an esteemed judging panel, Mimica, the brand behind dynamic food expiry labels, was crowned regional champion and walked away with the $5,000 prize. 

Airbound, a drone technology startup, has announced a $1.7 million seed round led by Lightspeed to build the world’s most efficient delivery drone. With its proprietary blended wing body tailsitter design, called TRT, Airbound aims to transform logistics, reducing delivery costs by two orders of magnitude compared to traditional options.

Cornwall’s flourishing tech ecosystem took centre stage last month at the highly anticipated Cornwall Slush'D 2024, showcasing the region's most innovative startups and highlighting Tech Cornwall's strengthened commitment to supporting early-stage businesses.

What an event! The 50th edition of The Business Show has come to a close, marking a milestone in the event’s history. This year’s show brought together over 750 exhibitors, 350 expert-led seminars, and thousands of attendees under one roof, delivering two days packed with inspiration, innovation, and actionable insights for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

No one ever said launching a startup was easy. As such, founders want to employ the best professionals to spearhead various functions as companies get their footing. However, some roles are more essential than others. These are 10 positions they should hire for first.

Bower, the AI-driven waste sorting app helping users correctly recycle everyday waste, and VARTA, the European battery manufacturer, have announced their new AI-powered scanning feature, which allows consumer batteries to be immediately recognised and sorted for recycling without the need of a barcode.

Tenity, the global fintech innovation ecosystem and early-stage VC, releases its third Climate Fintech Report. Drawing on data from 750 startups worldwide, the report highlights the subsector's resilience to economic challenges and its leading position in gender equality in venture funding, with female-founded or led companies achieving funding parity at pre-Series B rounds.

Revolver Therapeutics is pleased to announce its new funding is from UK Innovation Science and Seed Fund (UKI2S), managed by Future Planet Capital, and from o2h Ventures to progress its transcription factor inhibitors. 

DeepL, the global Language AI company, has announced the launch of its first voice translation solution DeepL Voice, with the first two products unveiled: Voice for Meetings and Voice for Conversations. DeepL Voice makes it possible to conduct virtual meetings across several languages as well as real-time translation for in-person conversations.

This international hub on cybersecurity, co-funded by Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad (INCIBE), an entity under Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, through Secretaría de Estado de Digitalisación e Inteligencia Artificial, and Universidad de Salamanca continues its activity connecting Spanish companies with international investors by attending the Finnish event from 20 to 21 November.

A newly released report has named London the number one city in Europe and number three globally for life sciences, behind Boston and New York, and ahead of Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, San Francisco, and Singapore.

In a momentous cooperation signalling a new era of industrial progress, KAOUN International, in strategic partnership with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON), announces the World Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics Summit & Expo Saudi 2025 (WAM Saudi). During the WAM Summit 2024, a significant cooperation agreement was signed, marking a landmark commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia's status as a leading global industrial powerhouse.

Workspace Design Show (26 – 27 February 2025, BDC, London) is proud to announce the launch of the “Workspace Wellbeing Hero” initiative, recognising and celebrating exceptional individuals in the workspace design industry who go above and beyond to support the wellbeing of others through acts of kindness and resilience in their work environments. This initiative shines a spotlight on those who make a tangible difference in workplace culture through selflessness, compassion, and perseverance.

Sage Foundation, the social impact arm of Sage, the accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) firm, has launched a new, three-year partnership with Village Capital to support 165 impact-creating startups across Europe, UK, and the US. 

In a strategic move set to reshape the industrial Augmented Reality (AR) landscape, Almer Technologies has announced its acquisition by RealWear, a company in wearable computing for industrial applications. This strategic acquisition, financially backed by TeamViewer marks a significant leap forward in the mission to empower frontline workers worldwide with cutting-edge AR technology.