Across global innovation hubs – from the UK and US to key markets in APAC – university spinouts are capturing investor attention like never before. These research-rooted ventures are now seen as high-potential engines of scalable growth, sparking an emerging hiring boom focused on transformative leadership.

As we begin the second quarter of 2025, the first companies with 12-month accounting periods are preparing their latest research and development (R&D) tax relief claims under the new merged R&D Expenditure Credit (RDEC) – and the Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS) scheme. But what are the key considerations early claimants need to be aware of?

The sales game has changed, and if you're still relying on outdated methods, you're already falling behind. Conversational AI isn't just another buzzword – it’s a powerhouse for sales teams looking to scale their outreach, close deals faster, and operate with efficiency.

With almost half (48%) of UK companies now offering a four-day working week, new research from hybrid meeting technology leader Owl Labs reveals that UK workplaces are on the brink of a major shakeup in working patterns. Employees aren’t just embracing shorter weeks; they expect the four-day model to become standard in the next five years.

DevOps today is the engine behind agile transformation, and high-performing digital organisations. Teams are redefining how software is built, tested and deployed. However, in a world where success often happens behind the scenes, recognising hard work is vital. 

Subjektiv Art is a new app launched to make discovering, buying, and selling art more inclusive and simple by creating a discovery and sales platform complete with completely integrated global logistics network for moving art around the world.

VentureIsrael announced the launch of its second venture fund, VentureIsrael 2, targeting investments in early stage deeptech startups across Israel.

Zendo Energy, the British startup building the first ‘Energy OS’ to decarbonise computing power in data centres, has announced it has raised £1.75 million in a pre-seed funding round.

I spent years as a physio on the pitch at Birmingham FC, juggling sports injuries and million-pound hamstrings. The workflows were slick: an ache reported in the morning was scanned, triaged, and rehab could be planned by lunch. It struck me that the lower back pain that benched a striker for two weeks was akin to the pain keeping a warehouse worker off the job for months – yet outside elite sport, the pathway was anything but slick.

A growing number of PE firms are using advanced data analytics techniques to assess their potential investments. As a result, they require more complex data from their prospects to build a much more holistic picture of how a company is performing now, and, with predictive analytics, will potentially fare in the future.

Many startups assume securing a domain and launching a website are enough to establish a digital presence. This is a perilous misconception. A single negative online experience can have severe consequences; in fact 88% of visitors are less likely to return after just one bad interaction.

As digital customer experiences become central to everyday life, marketers need to remove barriers and create inclusive content. That’s where the European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes in. Taking effect on June 28 2025, the directive will shift how businesses approach digital communications.

Yhangry, the UK’s largest private chef platform, is entering the short-term rental (STR) space with a mission: to help property managers and hosts stand out in a saturated market by offering unforgettable, in-home food experiences that go beyond the typical rental stay.

When misinformation about a new innovation begins to circulate on social media – as happened to the dairy co-operative, Arla at the end of last year – it’s easy to pick campaigns apart and highlight communications missteps – but there’s a bigger issue at play.

TechMarketView has released the second edition of its Tech Confidence Index (TCI). This bi-annual report provides insights into the confidence and sentiment of the UK technology sector, with findings indicating a more cautious outlook for 2025. The overall TCI score has declined from 6.5 in Autumn 2024 to 6.1 this spring, reflecting increasing economic and geopolitical pressures.

Innovation is reshaping diagnostics, with at-home testing transforming how key healthcare needs are addressed. Malebox is leading this disruption responsibly, offering a clinical-grade, UKCA-marked home-to-lab semen analysis service.

Stride Ventures, in partnership with management consultancy Kearney, has launched the Global Venture Debt Report 2025. The launch of the report happened at a co-hosted in-person event in London.

More of us than ever before are thinking about starting a business in the next 12 months, according to research from small business support platform and membership community Enterprise Nation.  

AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and Hostinger Horizons have transformed software development. They can handle routine code tasks, offer instant suggestions, and even provide ready-to-use software. However, they are not magic oracles of error-free code.

David Fisher, Senior Investment Director at IW Capital discusses the 4 key criteria to consider when it comes to Intellectual Property (IP).