The percentage of small business owners predicting growth has fallen for the fourth consecutive Quarter to a new five-year low (25%) – and in every industry sector, the percentage of enterprises predicting growth is down on the start of the year – according to new tracking research from Novuna Business Finance.

Five years ago, I launched my first startup in The Bay Area. I’ll skip to the end: it failed. The idea was solid, I was motivated, but my co-founder and I didn’t see eye to eye. It was a costly, time-sucking mistake and it taught me a lesson I wish I’d learned sooner: non-technical founders don’t need a technical co-founder to get started.

Every business is a tech company now. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling clothes or executing a large-scale green engineering project; you’re ultimately driven by tech. Without it, your company wouldn’t exist in its current form. And yet, with all the advanced tech available, you’re still running your business using spreadsheets. Because they’re familiar, they feel comfortable… And they’re letting your business down. It’s time for a new approach.

Despite more conversations being held publicly about the impact of menopause and the requirements for support, many women still feel alone in their struggles, especially the physical and mental health effects on their work and career.

As the global digital finance evolution accelerates, Future Blockchain Summit x Fintech Surge returns to Dubai Harbour from 12th - 15th October 2025, convening international innovators, startups, regulators, investors, and tech leaders during Expand North Star, the world’s largest startup and investor connector event powered by GITEX GLOBAL.

New insights from American Express’ Merchant Barometer reveal that nearly two-thirds (65%) of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) say customer expectations around payment choice are higher than ever, with over half (52%) planning to improve their online checkout experience in order to reduce levels of cart abandonment.

Global capital has turned cautious, which has exposed a simple truth that disciplined teams, who obsess over product and customers, are edging ahead of competition who solely relied on larger cheques. In this article, Nicolai Chamizo explores how lean, founder-led fintech startups are gaining ground, which business models have genuine staying power and how the Nordic ecosystem has become an early proving ground for the next fintech chapter.

The AI boom has reshaped the startup landscape. By some estimates, just over half of all the new billion-dollar companies in 2025 so far are AI companies. Many founders still operate with the same mindset they had during the booming valuations of the late 2010s and early 2020s. The default, time and again, is focusing on raising big rounds and chasing billion-dollar status as quickly as possible.

Oneleet, the all-in-one security compliance platform, announced that it has raised a $33m Series A round led by Dawn Capital, with participation from existing and new investors including Y Combinator, Frank Slootman (former CEO of Snowflake and ServiceNow), and Arash Ferdowsi (co founder of Dropbox).

India is a land of incredible opportunities – opportunities stitched together by diversity, ambition, and potential.

55 North, the dedicated quantum technology venture capital fund, today announced the first close of its €300 million inaugural Fund I at €134 million, establishing its position as the sector’s largest pure-play quantum VC.

The UK Government has announced fourteen flagship projects funded under its new Regional Tech Booster programme, aimed at stimulating tech ecosystems and creating job opportunities across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and in all English regions. The £1 million initiative will support businesses, founders, and communities through training, mentoring, networking, and scaling support, designed to spread tech-led growth beyond London and the South East.

Digital twin implementation challenges in the energy sector, smart operations for sustainability and the use of robotics – all in an agenda powered by advanced technologies. 

In the West Midlands, the startup ecosystem is getting a boost from an unlikely source: local pension funds and the combined authority. Involved from the start of this innovative approach is Rupert Lyle, Principal of the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund. This pioneering fund, launched two years ago, is changing how regional businesses get financed, offering a blueprint for how pension capital can fuel homegrown innovation.

Rachel Curtis spent three decades in financial services, building a career focused on customer experience, operations, and marketing. But it was a digital transformation project that opened her eyes to the potential of a new kind of technology, and the gaping need for it.

Property management software Hospitable announced it has raised over $1.5 million in funding directly from its own customers and employees.

NGP Capital announced the results of its third, annual data-driven deep dive into the DACH startup ecosystem’s investment landscape. Comparing data from the 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. 

For many startups, “going global” used to be an aspiration saved for later stages of growth. But today, ambitious young companies are thinking differently. They’re building globally distributed teams from the outset, treating international hiring not as an expansion strategy, but as a foundation for growth. 

Beyond Aero has reached Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL6) for its hydrogen-electric powered aircraft. This achievement is validated by a full-scale propulsion system test campaign in a representative environment, a critical milestone moving Beyond Aero from laboratory promise to real-industrial viability.