For ages, founders have strived to create products so innovative that they spawn entirely new business categories. As a founder though, I believe that attempting to create new business categories from scratch is much more arduous, and potentially disastrous, than focusing on building great products that disrupt existing ones.

During lockdown, remote working was mandated, with millions of British professionals having their first taste when introduced in March 2020. To sweeten the pill, the virtues of remote working were extolled by Government and business figures, and the nation laughed sympathetically, as clips of home-based public figures having video interviews crashed by children went viral.

Customer retention is a foundation for stable business growth, and email gamification is just the right equipment. Getting customers involved and entertained forms a deeper sense of loyalty. How is that?

During October 2024, Amazon Web Services' (AWS) GenAI Loft in London became a hub of activity, sparking collaboration and experimentation to accelerate the transformative power of generative AI. Through engaging startup demos, insightful expert panels, and educational sessions, the Loft showcased how founders are harnessing cutting-edge technologies, such as large language models (LLMs), to drive innovation across industries.

Edinburgh-based investment syndicate, Archangels, led £27.3 million of investment during 2024 in some of Scotland’s best early-stage tech and life science companies.

People – whether employees, customers or stakeholders – are the only reason any business exists. After all, it’s people who create companies to fulfil human needs and desires.

Gone are the days when Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) accountability fell only on the big corporations. Today, we see increasing regulatory demands, evolving consumer preferences and intensifying climate concerns. All of these place ESG principles as not just a moral imperative, but a strategic business necessity for startups and SMEs alike, helping them drive growth, resilience and profitability.

Small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-SMEs are the backbone of the economy, driving innovation, employment, and growth. But these businesses often operate on tight margins and face numerous challenges, from economic uncertainty and rising costs to evolving risks.

IQ is undeniably a strong predictor of success, and there’s no way around that. It plays a critical role at a global level, especially in determining early career opportunities. For instance, not everyone has the IQ to complete a medical degree or excel as a computer engineer.

Given how fast-paced the world of startups is, keeping an eye on the newest market trends and staying ahead of them isn’t just smart play – it’s an essential element of success and survival. In the US alone, there are roughly 4.7 million businesses that launch every year. Globally? It’s hard to even begin counting.

Neurent Medical, the Irish MedTech company at the forefront of treatments for chronic inflammatory sino-nasal diseases, has secured funding from the Claret European Growth Capital Fund III (CEGCF III).

Metaview has released its 2024 Year in Interviews Trends Report, revealing the topics and trends that dominated hiring conversations in 2024.

Business owners plan to increase their use of outsourcing services over the next year, according to research carried out by Evelyn Partners. 

The majority of employers (55%) take a passive approach to encouraging the utilisation of the health and wellbeing support they offer, according to research by Towergate Employee Benefits.

Spain’s innovation ecosystem strives to keep pace with global rivals, according to the new ‘Tech Scaleup Spain. Keeping the pace of innovation in an evolving global scenario 2024 Report’ that Mind the Bridge (with the support of ACCIONA and Crunchbase) presented at Tech Spirit Barcelona, shedding light on the state of Spain’s innovation ecosystem and its positioning in the global race for technological leadership.

The CIPD is urging the UK Government to consult thoroughly with employers to ensure that proposed changes to employment law don’t negatively impact organisations or workers.

New research from Intuit QuickBooks uncovers a potential surge in entrepreneurial activity across the UK, marking 2025 as a pivotal year for self-employment growth.

In 2022-23, approximately 801,006 companies were registered in the UK, showcasing a rapidly growing entrepreneurial landscape.

The University of Salford’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation has received £101,000 of funding from Innovate UK, to help educate SMEs across Greater Manchester on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity.

Energy Revolution Ventures, an energy tech venture capital firm targeting the multi-trillion-dollar opportunity in electrification, has closed an $18 million seed and series A fund focused on breakthrough deeptech.