Santander UK is currently running the Santander Universities Emerging Entrepreneurs programme for 2020, bringing together budding entrepreneurs from across the UK and offering them start-up support as well as a chance of receiving up to £30,000 of funding at a virtual pitching competition final in September.

Manchester tech startup Fractory has announced that it has developed a first-in-the-world cloud manufacturing solution, becoming the only platform capable of instantly processing 3D models for pricing tube cutting without the need for manufacturing drawings. 

Gaming platform 3D Aim Trainer celebrated the first anniversary since its founding in June. The company, based in Dendermonde in East Flanders, Belgium, started as a passion project by competitive gamer Bernd Matthys and has since become a global success.

Concerns have been raised about van driver safety after Department of Transport data revealed road traffic has risen to 83% of pre-lockdown levels. It is estimated demand for home delivery has increased by 100% due to COVID-19 as online sales have become a lifeline for small businesses. 

An empowering new healthtech app called Blueheart has launched to democratise access to sex therapy and help people overcome sexual dysfunction to have healthy personal relationships.

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank has looked to quantify exactly how much UK small businesses should be re-investing to succeed post-COVID-19. The study analysed data from over 1,000 companies and ranked their success on a scale that evaluated factors including productivity, growth, consistency and outlook.

Phos, the fintech behind the first-ever software Point of Sale (POS), has today announced the extension of its partnership with Mastercard to introduce their innovative mobile payment solution. 12,000 small businesses across 12 European countries will now be able to accept contactless payments using their Android mobile devices, with this number set to increase over the coming months. This will allow merchants to digitalise their payment processes and offer more payment options to their customers, with the potential to drive sales and grow their businesses.

A new resource for anyone who runs their own business - or is thinking of doing so - has been launched by one of the UK’s most prolific supporters of micro businesses. The Happipreneur - Why #MicroBizMatters? is 2020’s ultimate guide for enterprising people, dedicated to helping ambitious entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to achieve happiness and success by controlling their own destiny.

A London-based entrepreneur has launched a startup to target the industry of high-cost lending.

UK fintech R8 is rebranding as Mode in order to bring together the Group’s separate businesses under one common identity. Mode has also announced the appointment of ex-Alipay executive, Rita Liu, to the leadership team. Rita will help advance the Group’s vision of transitioning the world to a truly digital financial system that reduces friction and costs for consumers and merchants, and that gives digital assets the place they deserve in today’s modern economy.

On 1st September, Electronic Specifier will be bringing the latest products and technology trends together at the ‘Electronic Specifier Expo’. Attendees of this virtual event will have the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of industry experts who will be sharing the latest products, technologies and solutions in the industry, as well as contributing to an informative programme of webinars and motivating talks.

The ‘commute’ was falling out of favour prior to the pandemic, as an increasing number of office workers started to embrace flexible working.

London Tech Week 2020 launches today showcasing the best of global tech and how it will play a crucial role in helping us navigate the challenges facing our changing world.

We are in the year 2020, which means a lot of things. However, one major transition more people are turning to is sustainability and a meat-free world. Not just giving up meat as a food, but all animal based products, however, this can prove difficult when it comes to clothing and the fashion industry.

If you have come up with a catchy and distinctive brand name for your product or service and/or put in place a logo and design packaging, you may be wondering which specific branding elements you can protect as a trade mark.

Tech Nation, the growth platform for tech companies and leaders, has launched its Unlocking Global Tech report, assessing the value of UK digital tech exports and exploring the opportunities and challenges for digital tech companies to expand and scale in different regions around the world post COVID-19. 

OVHcloud have announced a brand-new Hosted Private Cloud range, with the release of the first product in the suite: Hosted Private Cloud Premier. The new product addresses the strategic needs of large organisations for performance, security and isolation and location of their data, while at the same time offering competitive pricing.

The use of digital gift cards has grown dramatically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis in the US, according to a new survey by Rise.ai, a startup that offers AI-driven customer re-engagement solutions.

Just as small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, cash is the beating heart of every SME. But getting cash flow wrong can have devastating consequences, so how can businesses use the fintech industry to protect themselves and create stability in the most uncertain of times?

Global small business platform, Xero has released new metrics on the health of the UK’s small business community in July from its Xero Small Business Insights (SBI) program, in partnership with research firm AlphaBeta (part of Accenture).