This World Book Day, Startups Magazine has compiled a list of the must-read books for all the founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs out there.

I want to be a billionaire, and I’m not afraid to shout it from the rooftops. Why? Because the world needs more women in business who dare to dream this big – and act on it.

Ying Liu is the head of AI R&D at the London-based startup TG0, and a pioneering researcher in human-computer interaction. Here she offers her advice to the next generation of female technology leaders.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, there’s still a lot of progress to be made in closing the female investment gap. Despite one in five startups having a female founder, by the time you get to venture funding, a shocking 2% goes to all-women founded teams. According to the latest Virgin StartUp Founder Barometer, over a fifth (22%) of women shared that the biggest challenges when it comes to running their own business today is access to funding.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising everything, and the design space is no exception. AI offers startups innovative tools to enhance creativity, streamline processes, and reduce costs. When startups have limited resources at the start, AI is an excellent option to overcome challenges.

The competitive reality of startup accelerators has reached new heights, with recent industry data revealing a stark imbalance between supply and demand. Approximately 4.2 million companies search for funding annually, with 1.6 million applying to accelerators. Yet, only 48,000 are accepted into equity-based and non-equity-based programmes, according to Crunchbase data, leaving 97% of entrepreneurs underserved and without access to critical support.

In the world of healthcare, there has been a long-standing gap in the way diseases and medical conditions have been researched, diagnosed, and treated for women. From heart disease to reproductive health, much of the focus has historically been on male-centric research and clinical trials.

The European Union must invest €100 billion to catalyse greentech entrepreneurship and innovation to secure its role as the world-leading exporter of greentech products, solution, and knowledge, says billionaire investor Dr. David von Rosen.   

​A​ few months on from the Labour Government’s first Autumn Statement and the employment market is in turmoil, business closures have hit a 20-year high and UK economic growth has all but stalled.

The emergence of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has shocked the IT industry. With its extremely cheap AI solutions, DeepSeek has challenged the dominance of tech giants and exposed an inefficiency in the way large corporations approach product development. If DeepSeek’s model becomes the norm, the entire IT sector could see a dramatic reduction in costs, making technology more accessible. 

For nearly 40 years, discussions about women in business, finance, and entrepreneurship have felt like they’re on a loop. We talk about diversity, increasing female hires, and closing the funding gap. Yet, we rely on the same data and measurements – and unsurprisingly, we see the same results. This narrative makes it seem like we’re constantly falling short when, in reality, we may not be looking at the numbers the right way.

Female Founders Day is back again. It's a free event designed to celebrate women entrepreneurs and leaders through an investor panel, pitch competition, and networking opportunities. This is the second time London Venture Capital Network (LVCN) is running the event and this year LVCN is proud to partner with Microsoft for Startups (Headline Sponsor), Barclays Rise, and NEXUS. It's a day packed with unparalleled opportunities to make connections and drive innovation in women's entrepreneurship—plus a chance to win a £5K cash prize.

Running a business means making critical decisions every day – about money, contracts, governance, and risk. But most founders aren’t legal experts, financial analysts, or compliance officers. Nor should they have to be. The alternative? Spend thousands on professionals just to tell you what you already half-know or waste time Googling answers that may not even be right for your business.

Growing a business in the UK is thrilling, until you hit the tax maze. With evolving regulations and financial hurdles, startups must be sharper than ever to keep their books in order and their cash flow intact. Compliance is not just about ticking boxes; it is about staying ahead of the game and avoiding unnecessary financial headaches.

The Estonian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EstVCA) CEO Madis Lehtmets says that the private and venture capital funds operating in Estonia are actively seeking new investments locally and abroad. “Last year, funds expanded their teams, opened offices in other countries and attracted international talent so as to boost their presence on foreign markets and grow their expertise, including in order to invest in new sectors,” he explained.

A new report developed by National Women’s Enterprise Week (NWEW), launched ahead of International Women’s Day, reveals a staggering inequality in investments and the disproportionate success rates between male and female entrepreneurs’ funding applications.

Epoch Biodesign, a company using enzymes to make recycled plastics cheaper and higher performing than virgin materials, has announced it has raised $18.3 million in Series A capital in an oversubscribed round.

On May 27-28, Gdańsk will welcome over 6,000 participants, 150 speakers and hundreds of startups ready for networking and innovation. This year's edition is held under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Digital Affairs. A special highlight of the event will be the SpaceTech guest stage. Tickets are now available. 

A new study from Grantify, a platform that assists businesses in securing funding, reveals a 44% funding gap in UK tech grant enquiries. These figures suggest that men are more than twice as likely to apply for tech funding in the UK compared to women.

For those navigating an increasingly digital world, it can be nice to go back to the basics of putting pen to paper, discarding your tablet for the therapeutic experience of writing on a pad, or in a notebook. However, carrying a notebook wherever you go is not always convenient, as you may have a lot of notes to juggle, and having an in-between point between digital technology and physical paper provides a perfect medium.