New research from GovGrant, with data commissioned from CBI Economics, has revealed that just 10% of UK SMEs own Intellectual Property (IP) rights. This scenario is further exacerbated by the fact that the UK’s top ten patent applicants are predominantly made up of large firms, but still make up almost a fifth (18%) of IP applications. This suggests large firms dominate SMEs when it comes to applying for patents. 

Creative England and the British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme have announced a new partnership, establishing an accessible source of financial and business support for creative entrepreneurs across the UK. The partnership provides vital support for creative businesses - many of whom struggle to access traditional forms of finance - to start, grow and develop their IP.

Environment-savvy small firms have been stirred into action by the pandemic and propelled saving the planet to the top of their agenda. And business owners now see sustainability as a critical issue and want to take action as lockdown restrictions ease.

Dutch artificial intelligence company, Sentinels has raised £4.9m (€5.7m) in a seed funding round, led by INKEF Capital, complemented by strategic angel investors and industry leaders - including several members of the early Adyen team. The startup has now raised a total of £7.3m (€8.4m) to date. 

COVID-19 rocked the world and demanded many changes to the way we went about our daily lives.  As a result, this pivotal year has led to a renewed focus on the health of our planet post-pandemic. Many have recognised the positive reaction to the world slowing down on our natural surroundings, and many have taken the opportunities that this huge period of change has offered to drive their ambition to make a difference.

According to the Project Management Institute, project success depends on whether it’s delivered on time and the cost doesn’t exceed its budget. It’s even more important to consider if the delivered IT product works as it was intended, people within the company can use it and it ultimately meets that goal that drove the project initially.

Accelerator programme, Lloyd’s Lab, run in association with L Marks, is currently on the look-out for innovative InsurTech startups to take part in its latest cohort, Cohort 7. The core aim is to find startups that can help them either grow the market or operate better.

As we all prepare for the reality of returning to the office, businesses are asking for more in a workspace - from allowing 'pandemic pets' in the building, to flexible contracts, and creating an environment which keeps employees' physical and mental wellbeing front of mind.

You are a startup, you've got investment, and you are ready to take on the world... but have you got solid ‘brand’ foundations in place to succeed when so many startups don’t?

After the wettest May since records began, many of us could do with a sunny holiday. There’s reason to be hopeful, with the UK government permitting international travel since 17th May and the EU agreeing to open its doors to vaccinated travellers.

Naturally, large and small businesses have innumerate differences in their motivations and capacity to operate. For instance, SMEs commonly benefit from the flexibility imparted by smaller and more focussed teams, with ownership often aligning with management. Conversely, they may have less financial freedom to invest in diversifying or building the kind of economies of scale enjoyed by more established enterprises.

New regulations for more sustainability in the European Union: on 10 February 2021, the EU adopted a tightened version of the Circular Economy Action Plan. Among other things, this plan deals particularly with the top of the sustainability chain, more specifically with specifications for a more sustainable product design. Bennet Barth, Program Director RESPOND at the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, explains what startup founders should look out for if they want to make their products more sustainable.

Virtual events have provided a lifeline for thousands of companies during the pandemic, allowing them to stay connected to their audiences and keep vital sales and marketing efforts going. But at the same time, most organisations have struggled to deliver a positive, consistent audience experience due to connectivity issues, problems with event formats, or difficulties encouraging participation, averting desk-based distractions and preventing Zoom fatigue.

As we now know, this year’s CRL cohort is slightly different with a larger number of startups initially involved, and then after a six-week period, a hackathon and a pitch day, six will be chosen to continue on the accelerator programme. I got the chance to catch up with all 18 startups, to find out a little bit about the founders, the business, their big ideas and some of the challenges they have faced with their products and proof of concepts so far.

Employees are at greater risk than ever of suffering burnout and employers should consider putting in place preventative and curative measures. For startups in particular it is important to look at tackling burnout in a sustainable way, eradicating the factors and issues before they take hold. Debra Clark, Head of Specialist at Towergate Health & Protection explains.

Fully embedding a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy within a business is more important now than ever, and this applies to startups just as much as to any blue chip. One may be forgiven for thinking that startups have more urgent priorities: securing investment, gaining customers, hiring talent or simply turning a profit, for instance.

Spain’s Impress, the new generation of orthodontic chains in Europe, has raised a $50m Series A round. This marks the biggest Series A round in Southern Europe.

Business festival sTARTUp Day has announced the programme of this year's hybrid event. The festival brings to the stage over a hundred speakers in the course of two festival days and one side event day. On 25th-27th August, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu will become a meeting place for all the startup-minded people, with performers sharing their experiences on four stages, dozens of practical seminars, sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN, and many side events.

What makes a great website? Who knows for sure, but there are a lot of little things we know MUST go into the pot, and just as many that need to come out. A lot of webmasters out there think they know the answer, and yet, they aren’t following their own advice.