2020 was a year of survival for many industries as COVID-19 impacted organisations of all sizes. To help businesses prepare for 2021, global technology company SafetyCulture, is bringing together some of the sharpest and innovative minds for a free virtual event: SafetyCulture Summit 2020: From Surviving to Thriving.

Multi-nationals Hewlett Packard Enterprise NASA and Ernst & Young are among the finalists for this year’s Diversity in Tech Awards (DITA) which takes place virtually on Tuesday the 10th November 2020 at 5pm GMT. The ceremony, which acknowledges and celebrates Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DE&I) advocates and organisations that have made impactful strides in diversity and inclusion in the workplace and community has moved to an online format due to COVID-19.

$6tn in the next five years, this is how much the world will spend through contactless payments, according to analyst firm Juniper Research. For many of us who have discovered and since relied heavily on contactless payments since its introduction in 2007, either through card, phone, or watch, or those of us who have taken a stroll down a COVID-era high-street to see shop windows adorned with 'card payment only' signs, this is hardly a surprise.

The invitation-only network for founders and CEOs of the most successful tech businesses, Fast Growth Icons, has announced the online return of its annual event, taking place on 10th December 2020, hosted by Utterly Events. Founded in 2016, Fast Growth Icons delivers high quality insights, allowing founders and CEOs to connect with peers that are building high growth, established businesses.

Somerset based communications agency, ADPR, is offering completely free careers advice and support for anyone considering a role in PR & Marketing and has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 24 year-old first-time entrepreneur who built a mobile app company from his bedroom has had the business acquired by UCAS, the UK’s university admissions service.

London’s highest-rated IT support provider, Totality Services has launches WFH IT Support to service the millions of workers displaced by the new lockdown regulations. The new offering affords teams of all sizes the level of IT security and support previously reserved for large office-based operations, servicing the needs of the nation’s work-from-home employees.

It was 2am on a cold December morning when I attempted to get a ride home after a rather disappointing Christmas party. I pulled out my phone and opened up Bolt. At that time of night drivers were few and far between. I was matched with a driver on the other side of the Thames to myself with an estimated arrival time of 27 minutes.

Technology company, Emitwise has raised $3.4m from former Uber CEO, Ryan Graves and other Silicon Valley investors to roll out unique technology that helps companies meet their emissions targets faster and support the transition to a net zero carbon world.

Developers of an electric wheelchair designed to enable social distancing and built with COVID-19 resistant materials have been awarded a UK government grant of £175,000.

The growing number of channels in which to advertise your business online can be a tempting route to target your ideal audience. Businesses have flocked to digital media to gain traction for their brand, but they’ve dismissed an incredibly valuable and highly successful form of marketing – direct mail.

COVID-19 has changed the way we work forever, with limited in-office hours and lockdown 2.0 seeing hundreds of businesses going back to 100% remote work, there has been a dramatic rise in demand for surveillance software that monitors employee activity.

With the gyms officially closed more people will now take to the streets to get their exercise, although this wasn't a problem during the 1st lockdown, (remember those lush summer days) we have an extra obstacle to come up against - the weather. Finding the motivation to run in the rain is tough, but getting out of the door is the hardest part. Once you’re running, the wet weather and puddle-dodging are exhilarating. And logging the miles in a downpour is a surefire way to feel hardcore. Wet-weather runs can give you a mental advantage if you’re training for an event, too. Knowing you’ve run in all conditions means you’re prepared for any weather race day throws at you.

Heather Monro, an executive coach, leadership consultant and speaker at Impact International here reflects on the higher-stage leadership that is called for in these uncertain times.

A tech company has launched the world's first smart self-disinfecting door handle, which can potentially eradicate millions of pathogens per building, save businesses thousands in cleaning costs and contribute to a post-COVID19 way of life.

As we enter Lockdown 2.0 we are at least all much better prepared than we were in March when we entered Lockdown 1.0 and went into the total unknown. We are better prepared this time because we have all learned so much already this year about living and working during a pandemic and we take those lessons learned into the second lockdown.

Israeli startup, OutSense has raised $2.2m in a Series A round from Peregrine Ventures in order to complete the development and testing of an IoT technology which monitors health and helps prevent life threatening diseases by quickly and accurately analysing human waste from within a standard toilet bowl.

Halloween may have just passed, but it feels like this whole year has featured lots of tricks and very few treats. Before January 1st rolls around, we’ll have experienced two national lockdowns, a huge cultural shift to working from home on a mass scale, and many will have felt enormous mental and emotional strain as a result.

When it comes down to managing one’s personal health, small changes can lead to significant improvements, according to Sarah Bolt, the founder and CEO of Forth, a digital healthcare service in the UK. Self-improvement starts from within, and Sarah is the ambassador of this belief; Sarah is championing the innovation of personalised biomarker profiling to help others with self-improved health. Forth’s biomarker profiling starts with an at-home blood testing kit that is sent back to the lab where it is analysed for over 50 key internal biomarkers integral to good health. By reporting the results to an app, it shows users how the body is performing, allowing them to optimise their lifestyles to reach their personal best.

Step Saudi 2020 is coming to your screens this November! Organised by the team behind Step Conference, Saudi's Leading Online Tech & Startup Conference will bring together the Kingdom’s best entrepreneurs, creatives, and digital enthusiasts.