Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face a unique dilemma today: deliver immersive customer experiences while tackling mounting costs in a high-pressure business environment. 

Transatlantic growth equity investor Kennet has successfully raised €266 million for its largest fund to date, Kennet VI. This new fund is already being deployed into capital-efficient B2B SaaS companies across Europe, including Screendragon in Ireland and the UK, and Fluid Topics in France.

IBC2024 is now open for registration, with the global media and entertainment (M&E) industry set to converge on the RAI Amsterdam on 13-16 September. The event will bring the content and technology community together to showcase game-changing innovations, address media’s most pressing trends, and enable collaboration during the four-day exhibition and three-day IBC Conference.

LYNEports has emerged as the victor of the Aerospace Xelerated (AX) Startup Pitch Competition at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow.

Waste textiles from sailing boats could soon find a new purpose, thanks to a research initiative that upcycles plastic fibres from sails into valuable chemicals, including vanillin – a compound commonly used in cosmetics and food for its vanilla flavour and scent.

Sage, a pioneer in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), has announced an expansion of its partnership with Stripe, a financial infrastructure platform for businesses, to help improve cashflow management and payment processing for SMBs.

Rent2Cash, the Italian startup offering "rental advance" services, has secured €3 million in a pre-seed round and officially launched its operations in Italy.

Pearl, a figure in dental AI, has announced securing $58 million in Series B funding to advance its mission of improving patient care in dentistry. The funding round, led by Left Lane Capital with participation from Smash Capital, Alpha Partners, Craft Ventures, and Neotribe Ventures, represents the largest investment ever in dental AI.

According to recent research from Google, 61% of jobs in the UK could undergo significant changes due to the integration of AI, with only a minimal number facing complete elimination.

Cowbell, a provider of cyber insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), announced the completion of a $60 million Series C equity investment from Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich), a prominent global multi-line insurer.

The Belfast tech startup scene is flourishing, showcasing a dynamic blend of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Workplaces around the world are experiencing major shifts. Skills and upskilling are in the spotlight, new roles are emerging across sectors, and innovative technologies like AI are creating both new challenges and new solutions for businesses.

DeepL has expanded its platform by adding Traditional Chinese, increasing its total language offerings to 33. This addition enhances AI-driven, precise translations, specifically benefiting businesses and enterprises. Traditional Chinese, used by over 33 million people worldwide, marks a significant milestone for DeepL in its mission to enhance global communication.

Most businesses, no matter their size or sector, face the challenges of standing out from competition and adapting to changing consumer preferences, but many aren’t aware of how central their brand identity is to achieving these goals.

Mint Neurotechnologies (MintNeuro) has unveiled the “EXPLORE” project, funded by a £100,000 grant from Innovate UK through the Biomedical Catalyst Feasibility Competition 2023.

The ODI’s latest white paper, "Building a Better Future with Data and AI," based on research conducted in early 2024, highlights critical flaws in the UK's tech infrastructure that could hinder the expected benefits of the AI boom for society, the economy, and individuals. The paper also provides recommendations for fostering diverse and equitable data-centric AI.

Fractile, a UK-based company in the AI hardware industry, has emerged from stealth mode and revealed it has secured $15 million (£12 million) in seed funding.

Vanta, the pioneering trust management platform, announces that it has raised a $150 million Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.45 billion.

NEC X, the Silicon Valley innovation accelerator backed by NEC’s advanced technologies, has announced the graduation of Chekable from its prestigious Elev X! Ignite venture studio programme, in addition to a new investment from NEC X to help scale Chekable’s transformative AI solution for inventors and patent professionals.

Fireblocks, an easy-to-use platform for building blockchain applications and managing digital asset operations, announces the launch of Fireblocks for Startups, a suite of self-service tools designed specifically for startups to easily build blockchain-based products.