As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on some of the standout moments from The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast. This year we have had the pleasure of talking to a wide array of figures in the startup ecosystem, from founders of early-stage startups, to angel investors and venture capitalists, to all of the winners of the 2024 Hustle Awards.

Over the course of 2024, the interest in gen AI has spread like wildfire. Data from McKinsey indicates that while AI adoption among organisations stayed at around the 50% mark for six years, the past year alone saw it jump to 72%.

Remember when the world shifted from paper to computers? Or from desktops to mobile devices? We're on the cusp of a similar revolution with AI. What once felt like a futuristic, magical tool is quietly weaving itself into our daily lives.

In recent months, allegations of sexual misconduct by high-profile figures have dominated the headlines in the UK. From the ongoing police investigation into historic claims of rape and sexual abuse against former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed, to the litany of accusations of inappropriate behaviour against BBC Presenter Greg Wallace, it seems that some of the most powerful institutions in our country are still grappling with how to identify and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

With the phased shutdown of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) set to conclude in 2027, new research from Zen Internet has revealed that UK businesses are alarmingly unprepared for the transition.

AI will continue to dominate the European tech ecosystem in 2025, according to the Partners at Antler, the early-stage VC firm in Europe.

AI Simulator, a technology that uses AI to replicate the private investment market, is set to join the American Angel Capital Association as a consultant to develop a curriculum for their deeptech toolkit. This prestigious project, funded by the Nation Science Foundation, aims to educate early-stage investors.

Embeddable, an award-winning developer tool for building interactive customer-facing analytics directly within software applications, has announced the close of its oversubscribed €6 million seed funding round.

Three startups supported by the Venture Builder at Nottingham Business School’s Centre for Business and Industry Transformation (CBIT) have achieved significant milestones in investment and growth.

The EU has officially launched DiMAT, a project offering European materials SMEs the digital tools they need to meet competitive challenges, both in Europe and globally.

Startup Maisa confirms it has completed a $5m pre-seed round funded by NFX and Village Global, VCs backed by many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.

A BBC investigation has revealed that Steven Bartlett, host of the Diary of a CEO podcast, has amplified harmful health misinformation, potentially undermining trust in conventional medicine.

Many employees find themselves facing extra challenges at the turn of the calendar year.

Dr Silvia Tedesco, Associate Professor of Sustainability at the University of Salford’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation, shares her trend predictions for a greener 2025.

Tech Cornwall announces that Cornwall Slush'D will return to Newquay on 17th September 2025.

Belgian biotech startup incubator and early stage investor biotope by VIB saw three of its portfolio startups achieve significant milestones in 2024, raising investment in excess of €10m and launching novel products to the market. In addition, these and other startups in the portfolio were awarded grants totalling €10.4m.

In recent years, the arena of cryptocurrency has grown from a gap market to a bustling virtual environment.

ANYbotics, a specialist in AI-driven robotic inspection solutions, has raised an additional $60 million, bringing its total funding to over $130 million.

New research from American Express finds that business travel is a crucial growth driver for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), with over half (57%) of decision makers saying that employee trips over the past two years were for the explicit purpose of generating new business opportunities.

Taiwan’s ambitious drive to reduce its reliance on imported fuel and achieve its net zero targets is opening significant opportunities for UK renewable energy companies, according to a new report.