Time pressures are limiting the ability of small businesses to focus on growth, according to new American Express research, with over two-fifths (43%) of small businesses looking to AI to help tackle this challenge.  

Over my career I’ve worked with countless startups – some of which have gone on to become household names. The ones that stand out offer more than great products or clever marketing. They have a beating heart. They create moments that make people feel – joy, excitement, pride, nostalgia.

Venture debt financing is an increasingly popular source of funding for growth companies in Europe, reaching record highs in 2024 with a deal value of €25.4 billion, according to PitchBook. With this growing interest, we are seeing a broader range of providers in the market, from established financial institutions to a wide range of funds.  

MicroFactory has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from a set of visionary backers, including Clement Delangue, the founder of Hugging Face, and Naval Ravikant, early investor in Uber and Twitter, giving the company a post-money cap of $30 million.

The Pharma Partnering Summit, a global premier conference series dedicated to strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry. This high-impact conference brings together top executives from pharma, biotech, investment firms, and advisory groups for two dynamic days of deal-making, networking, and thought leadership.

Amazon is expanding its commitment to climate-focused innovation by welcoming 11 startups and scaleups into the latest ClimateTech cohort of its Sustainability Accelerator.

Small businesses are grappling with significant hurdles when it comes to hiring, new data has revealed.

UK SMEs and micro businesses continue to be dissatisfied with the level of proactive advice and personal service they receive from their main bank, according to new research from RFI Global.

360Learning has launched its L&D Performance Academy – a free, ATD-accredited, interactive online Academy built to help learning and development professionals future-proof their careers and drive measurable business impact in the age of AI.

OX Delivers, the UK-based electric vehicle startup, and Wahu Mobility, Ghana’s manufacturer of durable and connected electric bikes, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to enhance electric mobility solutions that boost business, create jobs, and make a positive sustainable impact in Ghana.

Research from Towergate Employee Benefits reveals that only 14% of employers strongly agree that they have a good understanding of their employees’ needs across all four pillars of health and wellbeing: physical, mental, social, and financial.

Anthemis, an early-stage investment firm, and Cambridge AI Venture Partners (CAIVP), a team comprised of industry experts Sir Andy Hopper, Prof. Rob Mullins, Dr Gavin Ferris, and Mike Halsall, announce the launch of CommonAI, a collaborative engineering and computing platform for AI-enabled startups, enterprises, engineers, academics, and investors. 

BIOWEG, a German biotechnology company developing high-performance, biodegradable ingredients to replace intentionally added acrylic polymer based microplastics, has closed a €16 million Series A round.

Clarity, an AI-powered customer-experience and voice-of-customer (VoC) platform for highly regulated industries, has raised $12 million in new funding. The round is led by Prosus Ventures with participation from STV Al Fund (backed by Google), Sukna Ventures, Wamda Capital, Neo, Oraseya Capital, Phaze Ventures, Propeller, Tech Invest Com, and angels from OpenAI and Google.

There is a growing disconnect between employee expectations and what organisations are delivering, putting pressure on HR leaders to rethink hiring, leadership development, and retention strategies.

Aberdeen’s ONE Tech Hub has welcomed two ambitious tenants, energy tech company Energy Insider and AI startup VetAI, further cementing the hub’s role as the home of the region’s digital tech sector, one of the UK’s fastest growing.

Jam 7, creator of the Agentic Marketing Platform (AMP), has closed its seed funding round led by Stephen Altman, founder of New World Private Equity Partners. The investment will accelerate Jam 7’s mission to transform how B2B tech companies innovate, compete, and grow.

UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are embracing digital tools at an unprecedented rate, investing in software designed to streamline operations, improve collaboration and drive growth.

As the seasons change, many Brits will be experiencing colds, coughs, and flus over the next few weeks. Working while sick, otherwise known as presenteeism, costs employers around £24 billion annually, according to Deloitte, due to reduced productivity, prolonged illnesses and leaving employees to work through a reduced capacity.

“The companies that thrive in this new era will not be the ones that hand over the keys to an algorithm. They will be the ones where leaders treat AI as a force multiplier,” writes Alexander Walsh, Co-Founder and CEO of Oraion