AI is no longer just a trendy technology that companies promote as a value add; it has become a must-have for organisations aiming to stay competitive. This message is heard in many technology events and workshops during 2025.

In an exciting move for attendees of the world’s most innovative pro AV and systems integration event, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has secured Sol Rashidi as a Keynote Speaker for ISE 2026. Sol will take the stage at 13:00 on Wednesday, 4 February. Her participation perfectly mirrors ISE’s 2026 theme, ‘Push Beyond,’ inviting the industry to explore every opportunity and redefine what’s possible.

Since the global financial crisis of 2008, successive governments have placed high-growth companies at the heart of the UK’s economic strategy. The goal is to create an environment where innovative startups can grow into globally competitive businesses such as the fintech giants Revolut, Wise, Monzo, and Ebury.

Your startup’s story isn’t just a pitch, it’s the playbook for how you attract customers, talent, and investors. Here’s how to tell a story that sells your vision as much as your product.

The late payment problem continues to weigh heavily on UK small businesses, with new research from accounting software company FreeAgent showing that almost two-thirds (62.6%) of invoices sent by SMEs in the last year were paid late.

A new Disability Trading Framework has launched to improve access to supply chains for disabled entrepreneurs and ensure that trading processes are fair and accessible to all.

In just over a year, AI funding went from explosive to cautious optimism. After the staggering $108 billion poured into AI startups in 2024, 2025 has shown the emergence of a new pattern.

Enterprise AI is facing a severe reality check. Amidst a massive rush of investment, a recent MIT study has delivered a sobering finding: 95% of corporate generative AI pilots are failing to progress to scaled adoption and deliver measurable financial returns.

The future of work isn’t physical versus digital. It’s both, beautifully and intelligently intertwined. That’s the driving force behind Connected Realities, the newly announced theme for Workspace Design Show, taking place 25th - 26th February at the Business Design Centre, London.

UK SMEs say specific Government initiatives designed to help them survive and grow don’t go far enough, according to new research from Bibby Financial Services (BFS).

In Germany, physics curricula include almost no breadth requirements; students take only physics or closely related courses. In my cohort, entrepreneurship wasn’t presented as an option at all. Where university spin-outs do occur, they frequently address extremely narrow problems. These observations reflect a broader European issue: cultural and structural barriers discourage technical talent from founding companies and from working on actual problems that scale.

Cambridge Future Tech (CFT), the scientific venture builder, and global built environment consultancy Arup, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the creation of the Deep Rack Venture Studio – an initiative targeting the creation of 16 new startups addressing critical challenges in global data centre infrastructure.

In a tough economic climate, we hear a lot about ‘productivity’, often reduced to a statistical measurement associated with the economic output of a country or region. Because of their relatively small size, mathematically, startups don’t contribute significantly to the macroeconomic productivity figures.

My professional journey started within the depths of corporate marketing with established brands. In those early years, I managed campaigns backed by generous budgets and renowned brand reputations. While it was thrilling at first, it eventually became a little predictable. Then I started working with startups – and everything shifted.

Caracol, one of Europe’s fastest growing deeptech companies and a pioneer in large-format robotic manufacturing, has announced the closing of its $40 million Series B round, co-led by Omnes Capital, Move Capital Fund I, alongside CDP Venture Capital – Large Ventures Fund, which played a key role as a catalyst for international investors.

Maia Ventures, an early-stage AgriFoodTech fund, has launched its first fund of €55 million. It will back 20 to 25 companies, with initial ticket sizes ranging from €0.5 to 1.5 million. The fund is fully operational with six investments to date and is targeting a final closing in the coming months.

Any business in the startup phase is under immense pressure. Limited budgets, high expectations, and the relentless pace of early growth can put pressure on every function of the business – particularly marketing. So the recent explosion of AI, promising automation, scale, and cost reduction, has left many founders wondering whether AI can take the place of a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) within their business?

Between 40,000 and 60,000 women leave the tech industry each year, costing the economy an estimated £2 to £3.5 billion annually, according to The 2025 Lovelace Report: Unlocking £2–3.5 billion.

Intangible assets, particularly intellectual property (IP), now constitute a significant portion – around 90% – of the S&P 500's market value. This is a substantial increase from the 32% seen in 1985. Nevertheless, the importance of these assets is still often underestimated and overlooked by management and market participants.

Tech startups today sit at the intersection of enormous opportunity and mounting risk. On one hand, global IT spending is projected to grow by 9.3% this year according to Deloitte, driven in part by surging demand for AI and digital transformation. On the other hand, the rapid pace of change, macroeconomic volatility, and shifting investor sentiment mean that even high-growth companies can find themselves vulnerable.