Technology is constantly evolving, and some trends, like AI, have been dominant players over the last few years. While AI isn’t going anywhere, there are other themes and trends that will be taking the world by storm next year.

Alison Imbert shares with Startups Magazine what makes a winning team, how her team is shifting strategies in an unpredictable market, and why she thinks being considerate isn't incompatible with being a top VC.

Speed and reliability have become the foundation of any good online experience. Now, shoppers expect sites to load without hesitation, checkouts to work flawlessly, and performance to hold steady regardless of device or demand. Data reflects this shift too, with a two second delay being enough to double bounce rates. When experience falters, customers rarely wait. Instead, they’ll move on to the next merchant offering the same product with a smoother journey. In a market where alternatives are just a click away, even brief moments of friction can mean a lost sale.

Most early-stage founders spend more time dealing with money movement than they ever expected. Not fundraising, but the simple act of getting money in and out of the business. Traditional banking still slows teams down with long processing times, inconsistent cross-border transfers, and rigid rules that do not match how modern startups operate.

Across the UK, Europe, and the US, startup leaders are facing a growing shortage of young talent who are truly job ready. Particularly in remote settings, employers increasingly seek more mature profiles with strong soft skills and an understanding of company life capabilities that many graduates still lack.

Amidst the pressure to make sales, offer a good deal and cut through the noise around the Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales, brands competing for shopper attention online sometimes forget that meaningful connections can be built with the right user experience (UX) design and a good story.

On 13th - 14th October, Amsterdam became the powerhouse of innovation at the Oil and Gas Automation and Digitalisation Congress 2025. The event, held with the support of Host Sponsor Fluor, gathered more than 170 companies and 340 experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the new technological era and enhance professional skills.   

A fundamental shift is reshaping the startup landscape. As venture capital tightens and artificial intelligence accelerates innovation cycles, a new model for growth has emerged, one where success is defined not by the size of a company’s payroll, but by its agility. Startups are proving that lean, globally distributed teams can outperform larger, traditional organisations by leveraging specialised talent on demand. This move toward talent fluidity is no longer a trend; it is the core operating system for the next generation of market leaders.

Artificial intelligence has already become a powerful democratiser for smaller companies and startup ventures, enabling them to achieve faster growth and enterprise-level efficiency. As the sophistication and simplicity of AI improves, there are also expanding opportunities for companies to enhance their competitive edge by taking direct charge of advanced technologies.

Adam Reynolds, Co‑Founder & Managing Partner at ISH, explains how startups can avoid common post-funding pitfalls and scale sustainably.

NatWest has announced partnerships with four UK universities to strengthen the UK’s innovation and startup ecosystem, driving growth, business productivity, and creating high-value jobs across all regions of the country.

Fintech is nearing the end of 2025 with an unmatched pace of innovation. AI is now embedded in daily operations, and the industry has grown noticeably more ambitious. But while technology accelerated, communication systems inside many organisations failed to keep pace.

On the 26th November, the long-anticipated Autumn Budget was delivered by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

Press conferences across mobility, immersive entertainment, and AI join the schedule, alongside CES Unveiled and CTA Tech Trends to Watch.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and Siemens announce Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens AG, will deliver a keynote at CES 2026, the world’s most powerful tech event. Roland Busch will showcase how Siemens is developing AI, digital twin and automation technology to drive real-world impact and usher in a new era of AI-ready manufacturing, infrastructure and transportation – where the real and digital worlds are combined to transform the everyday.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announces Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner at McKinsey and Company and Hemant Taneja, CEO of General Catalyst, will join Jason Calcanis, Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, and Co-Host of the  All-In podcast for a CES keynote. This live taping of the world’s most influential business podcast will explore how AI is redefining global strategy, investment, and innovation, offering real-world insights from three of the sharpest minds in business.

A record-breaking number of submissions showcases global innovation across 36 product categories, including 32% growth in the robotics category.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) welcomes Dr Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD, as a keynote speaker at CES 2026, the most powerful tech event in the world. Dr Su will return to the CES keynote stage to highlight the AMD vision for delivering future AI solutions – from cloud to enterprise, edge and devices. AI is transforming every aspect of our lives, and AMD is uniquely positioned to deliver the performance and flexibility required to drive this transformation.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announces Yuanqing Yang, Chairman and CEO, Lenovo, as a keynote speaker at CES 2026. Lenovo will take its flagship event, Tech World, to CES, where global business gets done. Having Lenovo Tech World at CES puts decision-makers, partners, and media all in one place. For the past decade, Tech World has been Lenovo’s platform to unveil new technologies, products, and solutions.

Global Work AI, the AI-native job-search platform focused exclusively on job seekers, has secured a $2.4 million follow-on investment from existing backers Pre-Seed to Succeed, Yellow Rocks, Smart Partnership Capital, AltaIR Capital, and TMT Investments. The new round brings the company’s total funding to $3.7 million.