European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are operating through turbulent times. Rising raw material costs, labour shortages, and increased competition are pushing some of them to their limits. At the same time, global instability has disrupted supply chains, jeopardising profit margins and the ability of many SMEs to meet market demands.

South Summit Industry & Energy, the event for the entrepreneurial ecosystem of these sectors organised by South Summit and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, kicked off its third edition at the  B Accelerator Tower (BAT) international entrepreneurship centre in Bilbao.

A new report by Marktlink reveals that while 20% of UK SME owners believe there are insufficient growth opportunities within the domestic market, a mere 11% would consider selling their company to a foreign buyer.

Continuous Software, a provider of intelligent strategic portfolio planning solutions, has announced the completion of the first phase of a €2.5 million seed funding round.

Chartered commercial broker Konsileo has completed a £8 million fundraise to accelerate its expansion across the UK.

FertilAI has raised $4.5 million co-led by Longevity Venture Partners and Redseed with additional investment from angel investors.

UK businesses are bracing for significant challenges following Labour’s Autumn Budget, with anticipated average losses of £138,000 in 2025 and a quarter of businesses (25%) expecting losses to exceed £100,000 according to new research from Fiverr.

Mark Millar who is CEO of solar and battery solutions provider, Puredrive Energy has been named Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year in the South West at the 2024 Great British Entrepreneur Awards. 

The energy world of tomorrow is being built today – and it will be more sustainable, more intelligent and more integrated than ever before.

warpSpeed, a productivity app designed for consumers and SMBs, has entered preview mode with an imminent 2024 launch.

Dote, a technology and lifestyle brand that's bringing AI-driven technology and innovation to parents for the first time as an integrated in-and-out of home ecosystem, has secured £1.15m in seed funding.

Sky Labs’ wearable device, Apollon, has been named an ‘Honouree’ in the Artificial Intelligence category at the CES 2025 Innovation Awards.

Automated Architecture (AUAR), a construction tech startup, has completed its first project using a pop-up robotic micro-factory, marking a major advancement in the company's mission to make sustainable housing scalable and accessible.

Nearly one in five (18%) employers leave employee benefits take-up to employees to initiate themselves instead of actively encouraging staff to use the benefits available to them, according to research from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk sector. GRiD highlights the potential waste of time and resources in investing in benefits if utilisation is not encouraged.

UNCAGED Innovations, the biomaterial company that creates sustainable leather from grains has launched ELEVATE, a new luxury leather alternative.

PLD Space has selected Deimos to co-lead the development of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) system for MIURA 5 orbital launcher, scheduled to begin its launch campaign by the end of 2025.

With the colder months now upon us, average temperatures in the UK are expected to drop well below 10°C. For those working in the construction industry and other jobs where the work is predominately based outdoors, this means measures must be taken to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

First things first – the rise of ESG up the corporate agenda is good news for the planet. Whether that is driven by evolving regulation, internal company values or the rise of ethical consumerism, initiatives are gaining traction. Beyond this, however, prioritising ESG is increasingly having a positive impact on the bottom line.

AI-driven recruitment tools have transformed the way employers can discover new talent. But there’s a problem. Employers and candidates alike have sparked concerns about inherent bias contained in some tech-enabled recruitment systems.

Ninety seven percent of organisations using generative AI have faced security incidents or data breaches linked to the technology this year, according to Capgemini Research Institute.