AstroLabs and the Italian Trade Agency, the government agency which promotes the globalisation of Italian firms under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have partnered to launch the 2nd edition of the Global Startup Program in the UAE. The program will support the business acceleration and expansion of 12 technology-enabled Italian startups to the UAE, as a launchpad for expansion into MENA and beyond.

Today, micro business software company BaseKit has unveiled its inaugural 2022 micro business report: Crossing the digital divide.

Predictable sales are what startups crave. The exciting news is that trade shows offer predictability but with added marketing bells and whistles.

Finally, 400 million Europeans can exchange their payment card for a ring, a bracelet, or a watch. Swedish Fidesmo Pay is now available through Curve, the international payment app, which means that digital payments with connected wearables are now made possible in the whole of Europe.

When mandatory self-isolation periods ended in the UK, in February 2022, it was hoped that we would be able to work on restoring the economy. But since then, the consequences of Brexit, the war in Ukraine and global supply chain/logistics issues have significantly impacted inflation and hampered economic recovery.

A recent survey from Gallup found that just 9% of UK workers in 2022 felt enthused by their work. The report also found that businesses with an engaged workforce have on average 23% higher profits than those with dissatisfied employees.

Leading professionals from Samsung, Equiem, Tapoly and Wisdom will take to the stage at Mindspace Shoreditch on 12 October 2022 to host the panel: “What I wish I’d known at the start of my tech career”.

On the 3rd and 4th of October, 2022, Operations Nation is holding its annual cONference, a global virtual gathering of COOs, Directors/VPs of Operations, and Operation Managers working in startups to discuss the many challenges encountered along the path of scaling their companies to “operational excellence”.

Jordan Start-Up Expo 2022, organised by The Future Event, is the only large-scale B2B conference and exhibition in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This expo is bringing together the country’s emerging yet innovative start-ups along with leading cutting-edge solution providers, Venture Capital firms, Angel Investors, Accelerators & Incubators. The largest technology expo for start-ups in Jordan is scheduled to be hosted on 19 - 20th October 2022 at St. Regis, Amman. 

Henrik Grim, GM of Europe for Capchase, discusses why alt finance is an attractive option for well-run startups in a downturn.

The world has just started to recover from the pandemic lockdowns, struggling to come back to normal life. New challenges, much more shocking than COVID-19, were a lightning bolt of a clearing sky. The war in the biggest European country has started.

Voice search is rapidly growing in popularity as a way for users to get quick answers to their questions. Already, 41% of adults use voice search at least once a day, and forecasts suggest that by 2023, the number of digital voice assistants in use will reach a whopping 8 billion. 

Recoverlution, the world’s first all-in-one recovery platform, has announced a series of partnerships to support the one million people in the UK and 10 million globally in recovery from addiction. The announcement, which coincides with International Recovery Month and International Recovery Day (30th September), is supported by ex-footballer and recovering addict Paul Merson who is an ambassador for Recoverlution.

Birmingham not-for-profit hibretOne is hosting an official launch event on Monday 10th October 2022. The free event is a continuation of the company’s efforts to help UK businesses, having already supported entrepreneurs to access £4m worth of grants to date. 

London-based PR agency Lem-uhn announces its menstrual leave, menopause and miscarriage policy as it continues to aim to create a positive work environment.

Businesses are facing multiple global and national situations outside their control. The lifespan of food and drink products intensifies the global challenges facing businesses with time barriers meaning startups must adapt quickly or face a more significant impact. Europe’s first intelligent B2B online marketplace, ShelfNow, works with hundreds of producers with an insight into the landscape for food and beverage startups.

Collctiv, a group payment app that allows friends, families, businesses, charities, and community groups to collect money together, is celebrating a major company milestone after reaching $20 million in processed transactions. 

Fintech without Frontiers (FWF) initiative moves to a new phase of its mission to support Ukrainian fintech and talent, announcing a partnership with the leading financial associations of Ukraine.

KOOS, an Estonian-based start up, has today announced $4M worth of seed funding led by high profile investors at Plural Platform with participation from investors including LocalGlobe, Tiny.vc and Matt Clifford.

As the cost-of-living crisis increasingly bites, many businesses are struggling to collect payments from their customers.