Many hundreds of thousands of new businesses are set up each year in the UK. Indeed, according to Companies House, just over 200,000 new businesses were established in the first three months of 2023. For some, the founders will be content with a lifestyle business or will not wish to scale in any meaningful way. But the majority of businesses will need to raise some form of funding and for many this will be during the early-stage of the business when it is looking to scale.

June 19-23 sees the launch of National Women’s Enterprise Week (NWEW), the first ever UK wide celebration of female led businesses. 

Calling all founders! If you have a disruptive idea that you want to get in front of an audience of investors, changemakers and potential customers, TNW Conference 2023 is the place to be. TNW’s yearly flagship event once more supports founders in their quest to find funding by putting their startup in the spotlight. Will you meet your next backer? We’ll do the intros, so you can work your magic!

Space has inspired countless generations of people who have marvelled at the night sky. It’s no wonder then that the space sector proves to be an attractive option, especially for fresh graduates and early career engineers. But the realities of a sector where remuneration for highly-skilled engineering talent struggles to keep pace with other industries means it is hard for space businesses to retain good talent.

Hattrick is the first female-founded marcomms and PR agency to gain B-Corp status in Manchester. The region has been touted as a UK hotspot for sustainable business in 2023 by B Lab UK, the not-for-profit behind the stringent Certification movement.

In the second instalment of our four-article series, we looked at how startups can often partner with each other to secure cutting-edge solutions, leading to competitive advantages.

In honour of World Password Day, NordPass remind internet users of the most common mistake they make when creating their passwords.

Small businesses hire on average three unsuitable candidates a year with poor soft skills the biggest cause of mismatch, according to new research from global hiring platform Indeed. 

Technology industry leaders will gather in Parliament this month to discuss the future of the UK’s digital economy.

Amazon research shows investors reward startups with a firm commitment to sustainability – with more than half of UK investors declining a startup investment opportunity in the last 12 months due to concerns about a company’s sustainability credentials. The news comes as eight startups from the UK are unveiled as participants in the second Amazon Sustainability Accelerator.

Despite a rise in activity in the construction sector, a wave of strikes impacted the public sector and negated a comeback in consumer spending, causing Britain's economy to stagnate in February.

Huckletree, an independent workspace accelerator and innovation hub, has announced the opening of the Huckletree Innovation Lab at Regent’s University London this September, in line with the start of the academic year. The partnership aims to provide university students with access to a creative and entrepreneurial environment, nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration on campus.

Ambr, a burnout prevention software company, announced that it has successfully closed its $900,000 pre-seed funding round. The investment was led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from Pi Labs, APX VC, Plug & Play, Loyal VC and a number of strategic angels.

We know from our own research that first-party misuse is increasing dramatically. Two thirds of the merchants we surveyed as part of our last annual Chargeback Field Report said that they have seen first-party misuse rise by an average of 28%. Every chargeback dispute can cost a company 2.5x the cost of the initial transaction and can necessitate companies setting up departments solely dedicated to recovering funds lost to chargebacks.

Fiverr the company that is revolutionising how the world works together, is introducing Fiverr Enterprise, formerly Stoke Talent.

Sustainability management and ESG reporting platform FuturePlus has closed an up-round of £750,000 with further investments from Two Magnolias, Vala Capital and HNW individuals and family offices. Funds raised will secure FuturePlus’ position as one of the hottest sustainability management and ESG reporting platforms since its launch in February 2022.

DocuSign has released findings from a new report, “Unlocking the potential of the anywhere economy,” that examines the opportunities and challenges the anywhere economy brings to people, businesses and countries. The findings of the report reveal we have entered an era that is poised for considerable business growth and the potential to experience new levels of productivity.

ViennaUP’23 is a decentralised community-driven festival blooming in the heart of Europe. Initiated by the Vienna Business Agency, this exciting adventure connects startup ecosystems, businesses, founders, investors, tech enthusiasts, creatives, and visionaries.

The so-called Great Resignation that employers have had to face in recent years looks set to continue in 2023, with the current economic backdrop only adding fuel to the fire as individuals weigh up their options. MHR believes that the success or failure of a business depends on its people and so it is critical that businesses try to buck this trend and retain their top talent.

Businesses worldwide are embracing the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to provide personalised customer experiences, but customers remain cynical. That’s according to the fourth annual State of Personalisation Report from Twilio, the customer engagement platform that drives real-time, personalised experiences for today’s leading brands.