A few weeks ago, I was speaking at a conference about Gen Z (we discussed how to hire them). At the end of the session, a woman raised her hand and asked: “I agree with you about Gen Z. But we’re far away from them yet. So, can you help me, how do I convince my boss that it is okay to start hiring MILLENNIALS?”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is significantly changing the way small and medium-sized businesses manage their finances. In the UK, the number of SMEs adopting AI tools has increased 32-fold between 2022 and 2024, while average spending on AI tools has risen nearly sixfold over the same period. Once seen purely as a tool for automation, AI now plays a much more proactive role, helping businesses anticipate cash-flow gaps, prevent fraud, and deliver more personalised customer experiences. 

Female-founded businesses are a vital and dynamic force within the UK’s entrepreneurial landscape. As of October 2024, there are 7,696 high-growth companies in the UK with at least one female founder, representing 13.7% of the country’s high-growth ecosystem.

Two essential Startup Masterclasses are now open for registration, designed specifically for founders and business owners navigating complex innovation, IP, and immigration requirements. Each event offers highly practical insights from experienced experts to help you protect your innovation, strengthen your funding eligibility, and secure your long-term UK status.

Dean Franklin is the winner of The Apprentice 2025 and Founder of ADL Air Conditioning, and at The Business Show 2025, he discussed starting a business during lockdown, his experience on the show, and how life has changed since the big win.

The UK can build great startups. But unless our venture ecosystem learns to move faster and back conviction earlier, we’ll keep losing the companies that could define Britain’s next industrial era.

Finance leaders across the UK remain bullish about their own business prospects for the year ahead, but deep concerns persist around government policy, global uncertainty and the pace of technological change.

The second edition of Workspace Design Show Amsterdam returned to RAI on 5th – 6th November 2025, bringing together Europe’s workplace design community for two vibrant days of ideas, inspiration and meaningful connections.

On 26th - 27th November 2025, Madinat Jumeirah will host DATE – a Digitisation, AI & Emerging Technology Summit, where technology meets investment and deals take shape. An initiative by Trescon, D DATE will bring together government leaders, global innovators, investors, and technology visionaries to explore how emerging technologies – powered by cloud, hybrid, and hyper-converged infrastructure – are shaping industries and translating innovation into tangible business outcomes.

Defence Builder, Ukraine's accelerator for defencetech startups and 17Tech Oy, a Finnish defence technology accelerator and venture capital firm, announce a strategic partnership to reinforce the defence tech innovation ecosystems of Finland and Ukraine. The accelerator accepts startups from all NATO countries.

Despite two-thirds (64%) of startups planning to increase investment and 85% wanting to stay in Britain, one in five of the UK’s fastest growing companies could leave the UK within the next three years without action, a new report from Virgin Media O2 has warned.

With less than two weeks until the Budget speech, a leading voice in the quantum industry is warning the UK government needs to announce a Quantum Sovereign Wealth Fund or risk an innovation exodus.

Dreame Technology announced that three of its products have been named CES Innovation Awards 2026 honourees: the H15 Pro Heat Wet Dry Vacuum, Aqua10 Ultra Roller Robot Vacuum, and Furcatch Air Purifier FP10.

Finance lecturer, author, and award-winning entrepreneur, Tara Askham, has been appointed to the Steering Committee for the Maple Review, a government-backed independent review led by Small Business Britain and supported by Xero, focused on tackling the barriers that economic deprivation creates for UK entrepreneurs.

Ahead of the Autumn Budget, with small business owners already worried about the prospect of tax hikes, 53% of UK small business owners say they need to secure funding or finance in order to invest in growth plans for 2026.

A new report released at Web Summit, Lisbon, by one of the UK’s fastest growing fintech lenders, Juice, uncovers the hidden behavioural forces driving the UK’s £65 billion SME funding gap, and how lenders, fintech's, and policymakers must act to close it.

Ada Ventures, the pre-seed investment firm backing inclusive alpha founders across the UK and Europe, has launched an AI-powered pitch deck review tool for founders that allows them to access VC-grade feedback before they share their materials with prospective investors.

PitchBook has released findings from its latest investor survey, conducted in partnership with Web Summit. The 10th annual survey captures investor sentiment and trends shaping technology investment and AI adoption.

The UK’s Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has revealed that nearly one million 16–24-year-olds are currently not in work or education, marking the highest numbers in over a decade. This lost generation risks deepening divisions in the labour market, impairing industry innovation, and stalling economic growth.

Every month, Zubr Capital publishes a report on the European venture capital industry, examining everything from surface-level developments to emerging trends and maturing signals.