For too long successful lobbying has been the exclusive realm of companies and organisations with deep pockets. That is about to change with the launch of PolicyMogul, which provides free access to political updates, parliamentary proceedings and the wider policy-making environment via a feed, powerful search tools and email alerts.

New data suggests a surge in UK business growth in territories such as Africa and Eastern Europe, with business materials being translated into languages such as Zulu, Afrikaans, Serbian and Macedonian at least 2,000% more than three years ago.

Small businesses across the UK are being offered a major new package of support and mentoring, as Small Business Saturday UK launches the UK’s first online roadshow for towns and cities affected by the pandemic.

With the government furlough scheme ending on 31st October, many people will no doubt be worried about job security. One study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex suggested more than 6.5 million jobs could be at risk.

The marketing industry may have the biggest responsibility when it comes to the advancement of equality - of the sexes, of the races, of sexualities, of mental & health conditions, and more.

Intellectual Property firm, Mathys & Squire has announced the launch of its Scaleup Quarter, a one-stop microsite resource focused on smaller and growing businesses, including startups, scaleups and SMEs, to harness their passion and energy for innovation and provide crucial IP services that are dynamic and energetic, adding value and supporting businesses as they grow.

The National Australia Bank (NAB) is partnering with Pollinate to transform their merchant acquiring offering for Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) across Australia.

What qualities make an entrepreneur? What character traits are typically seen in entrepreneurs? Are these qualities and character traits something that they are born with or do they change over time? Can they be learned? Is it nature or nurture? Whatever the answers, it is certainly true that some people take to being an entrepreneur naturally whilst others would be so far out of their comfort zone that they would never even consider the idea.

On-demand wellness app, Urban has raised £5.9m on investment platform Seedrs, tripling an initial target of £2m. This is Seedrs’ third largest raise this year, and with over 800 investors, ranks in their top 20 in terms of investor numbers.

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank, shows that a high level of engagement and interaction with external institutions and resources, is central to SMEs’ prospects of success.

As part of our 'Women in Tech' focus we got the chance to speak to Lisa Krapinger, CMO at breathe ilo, who started working in marketing at Red Bull, leading the sampling and promotion team in order to combine her passion for sports with her career. Krapinger then moved to Heineken in brand management, where she was responsible for promoting the cider brands in Austria through sponsorships and events. Krapinger said: "What I realised from these two roles was that I loved working to build new brands and products up from scratch - hence why Carbomed Medical Solutions GmbH was the perfect next step in my career path."

Whether it’s a natural disaster, global health pandemic or economic downturn, businesses are inevitably going to encounter some unexpected circumstances that are out of their control. It’s not always straightforward for companies to keep operations running smoothly during these unprecedented times, but the highest priority should be to nurture employees and support the company culture. But how do organisations invest in the business culture, while still taking care of the company’s changing needs?

Ethics and business aren’t always easy bedfellows in a crisis. Now, more than ever, in order to survive, most businesses need to be risk averse and fret primarily about the bottom line.

LinkedIn has announced a new visual redesign to help people connect with their network and community, and to make their LinkedIn experience as easy, enjoyable, safe, and inclusive as possible. Every element of the visual refresh has been designed with LinkedIn members in mind.

Women in Electronics (WE) has announced they are going global, with chapter expansions into Europe beginning this month. This will be the first international chapter for the three-year-old professional association with a focus on women in the electronics industry.

Tech startup, Clear Review has announced the launch of its new Performance Management Academy, an innovative online learning platform that will make the practice a critical part of all businesses. Providing the latest courses, exciting events, and a supportive community, the Academy will deliver help, guidance, and networking opportunities to anyone involved in performance management.

Following the Government’s introduction of a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants, Bolt, European mobility platform, has announced it is ditching its surcharge between 9:30pm - 10:30pm in a bid to reduce overcrowding on the streets at closing time.

Providing comprehensive insurance cover via smartphones: That’s the business idea behind Heidelberg-based digital insurer, Getsafe. The company was recognised as an outstanding German insurtech with the Fintech Germany Award.

The smarthome security startup, Boundary Technologies is launching its first self-service system in October, and looking to hire a reformed burglar to assist with consultations surrounding home thefts, alongside extensive product testing.

Office workers are now demanding new levels of flexibility in working arrangements following COVID-19 remote working. That’s according to a new survey of 189 office-based workers carried out this month by UK-based office software experts, SmartWay2.

We’re living through a time of economic uncertainty, so it’s no surprise that money worries are responsible for a high level of stress and anxiety right now. Financial concerns can have a huge impact on an employee’s performance and productivity levels at work and employers therefore have a duty of care to their people when it comes to financial wellbeing.

Mouro Capital, the $400m successor fund of fintech-specialist Santander, InnoVentures, has led a $26m financing round including debt and equity in Uncapped, a company changing the way growing online brands fund marketing and inventory.

Made Smarter has launched an innovative, streamlined process to enable more SME manufacturers to speed up their digital transformation.

Just 15% of UK SMEs think the Government is creating an economic environment in which they are encouraged to innovate, according to new research by GovGrant, the R&D and IP specialists.

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank, shows that an SME’s attitude and approach to innovation is the clearest indicator of whether that business will be successful. As such, the Bank is urging all businesses to be open to improving their products and services, as the British economy works to recover post-COVID.

In my last article, I explained how to make changes to an employee’s terms and conditions of employment, including the types of situation when you might need to do that. For example, if reducing someone’s working hours or making a major change to their role.

Ceryx Medical, a bioelectronics startup working towards the world’s first curative therapy for heart failure, has secured a £575,000 seed round.

A deep-tech company predicting and optimising the global economy called causaLens has released the first causal Artificial Intelligence (causal AI) enterprise platform. Businesses no longer have to rely on curve-fitting machine learning platforms unable to handle the complexity of today's world. They are invited to join the real AI revolution with a platform that understands cause and effect.

Tech Nation has announced the 31 tech companies that have been selected to join the Fintech Cohort 3.0, in conjunction with revealing new data that shows the UK is leading fintech in Europe.

The UK Government’s announcement of increased restrictions will drive many companies to the brink, according to the latest ‘Coronavirus - The Impact on Business’ from the Data & Marketing Association (DMA).

Every business needs to constantly assess what it sells, to whom, and how it sells it. It also needs to constantly assess the market and its competitors, as well as attempting to forecast future trends in demand and technology. All of this is quite a task in normal times when events move in a predictable way and in a linear timescale.

More than 11 million UK working adults have taken time off work for poor mental wellbeing, costing businesses an estimated 40 million working days each year, according to new research from not-for-profit healthcare provider, Benenden Health.

Many business people and career professionals are consulting business and career coaches these days. One of the reasons why this trend is gaining prevalence is because just like in the normal world, people in the business world need a shoulder to lean on whenever the going gets tough.

UK-based social media and creative boutique for women, WE ARE F is celebrating the launch of its sister agency, WE ARE FEMALE ATHLETES. This powerhouse of female talent and global stars will represent, manage, and fight for, the underrepresented athletes at the forefront of the women’s sporting movement.

An organisation supporting underrepresented Founders in London and connecting them with opportunities in tech called OneTech is expanding its efforts to support and diversify London’s entrepreneurial community. Addressing systemic racial and economic barriers to entrepreneurship highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with JPMorgan Chase.

In 2013, four years after having my first child, I finally waved farewell to the prospect of high value, full-time employment in the digital advertising sector. Juggling a client in Asia (early mornings), a client in North America (late nights), a workplace culture dominated by presenteeism, the needs of a pre-schooler and a four hour round trip commute, something had to give. And that something was me.

Online payment orchestration innovator, BRIDGE, has been shortlisted in four award categories, including Payment Startup of the Year and Most Disruptive Payments Technology, at the highly regarded, international annual Payment Awards.

Israel’s Touchless.ai has started to deploy a voice solution that turns any interactive kiosk into a voice-activated touch-free interface. The solution was specifically designed to overcome the problems of commercial environments: accuracy in noisy conditions, complexity for users, and significant cost and time needed to adapt for each business.

Ziglu, the challenger and fully FCA authorised Electronic Money Institution, have opened their crowdfunding round to the public today.

I set up SimplyHair in 2013. I was working alongside my husband, Pip, to grow digital marketing agency, digitalbeans and also juggling a role in customer services and a side business as a mobile hair extension stylist when I realised how poor online purchasing experiences were in the hairdressing trade.

Written by Amy Filippaios, Founder of ecommerce wholesaler, SimplyHair and Creative Director at digitalbeans

As we carry on focusing on female founders and women in tech ahead of our next issue, we decided to catch up with Lindsay Gledhill, a partner at UK law firm, Harper James Solicitors. Lindsay heads up the Intellectual Property (IP) team. She has specialised in IP exploitation and dispute resolution since 1997. It has made Lindsay the go-to lawyer for IP-rich firms who wish to protect and exploit their proprietary technology in fast-growing and international markets.

A post-COVID-19 Great Digital Catch Up - to support 4.5 million people to cross the digital divide - is presented as the solution to fix the UK’s digital divide in a new report by digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation. 

The Government’s furlough scheme has saved an estimated two million jobs and helped protect tens of thousands of startups and SMEs from closure. However as the clock ticks down to the end of October, the point at which the scheme will end, many businesses are now understandably concerned about what will come next once this provision is taken away.

Alternative SME credit specialist, Caple has helped Cloudbooking, a cloud-based room, desk and visitor booking software firm, to access multimillion-pound unsecured funding, contributing to an estimated 50% growth for Cloudbooking.

Aiways has started taking online orders for its U5 all-electric SUV. German customers can now order a U5 from the Aiways website, and become among the first in Europe to own an all-electric 410km range SUV from Aiways.

Minecraft has signed up to use a spatial simulation engine that is so powerful it is also being used in the fight against COVID-19. Created by supercomputing startup, Hadean, Aether Engine is being made publicly available for game studios of all sizes, from independent developers to AAA game studios, with Minecraft developer Mojang Studios as its first global partner.

Here Ramya Sriram, Digital Content Manager at Kolabtree, the freelance platform for scientists, gives five steps to ensure that you protect your Intellectual Property (IP) while working with a freelancer or remote worker.

Business bank, Allica Bank is launching a £100m funding round to help it meet the current high levels of demand for finance it is experiencing from British businesses, and continue broadening services and product lines.

Boris Johnson and his government have been pushing for employees to return to their offices in a bid to get the economy back up and running; but figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in the last week of August, only 50% of workers are back in the office.

Startups Magazine recently spoke to Tsewang Wangkang and Frederick Szydlowski, Co-founders of Embargo, a loyalty platform that allows restaurants, bars, and coffee shops to recognise and reward their customers through the use of pioneering technology.

Tailoring your marketing efforts to a global audience can be a perfect chance to expand your business and reach prospective clients that may not otherwise learn about your products or services. Targeting a global audience, however, requires having an in-depth understanding of regional laws, cultures, and purchasing behaviours. Here are four clever ways to market your business abroad.

A platform for workplace safety and quality, SafetyCulture, has acquired EdApp, a mobile training solution. EdApp currently delivers approximately 50,000 lessons per day across over 90 countries. The acquisition will enable millions of workers across diverse industries to access world-class micro-learning resources, free of charge.

Inspekto has released a whitepaper on the future of quality assurance in the industrial automation market. The paper addresses the needs of automation vendors and distributors who wish to add the first off-the-shelf product for industrial vision inspection to their portfolio.

A community-led co-working space dedicated to creating real social impact, Impact Brixton has announced the launch of Impact Day - a free working space and training programme for local individuals or organisations working towards social change in Lambeth.

Phos, the fintech behind the software-only Point of Sale (SoftPoS), and Stanchion Payment Solutions, a global specialist in payments systems and integration, have announced a partnership to enable payment processors and banks to accelerate the time to market of innovative contactless payments acceptance solutions for European merchants.

Startup founders and investors, especially in Silicon Valley, often talk about scratching your own itch as a way to reach the highly sought-after product-market fit, which will then accelerate your company to greatness. It’s likely that your problem isn’t unique, the theory goes, so by solving it you could stumble upon an idea for a product that could help thousands or even millions of people.

Xero has announced improvements to Xero Tax as it continues to transform the compliance landscape in the UK. Xero Tax is a cloud-based tax and accounts production solution. Designed by accountants for accountants, it provides increased visibility and efficiency when filing for clients.

I always thought that nothing would take priority over my career. Even during pregnancy, I was certain that I’d be itching to get back to work. Back to my routine, back to what I’m good at and have worked so hard to progress and refine over many years.

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank, shows that the practice of regular training correlates strongly with high performance in SMEs and will be vital to businesses’ prospects of a swift recovery post-COVID. 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.

In the current turbulent economic climate, many startups will be faced with financial challenges. In many sectors and industries, employers have not seen a return to pre-lockdown customer demand. That being the case, the starting point is to think about what your structure will look like for this new normal?

W2 is Wincanton’s digital innovation programme for developing products and services across all sectors of the Group to drive sustainable value in the supply chain. Under the W2 umbrella, W2 Labs aims to reach out to both startups and existing partners to bring fresh thinking to the supply chain, help us respond intelligently to business change and develop agile, flexible and potentially transformative solutions that improve Wincanton's customer offering.

One thing that every early stage business should produce is a pitch deck, whether they are looking to raise external funding or not. A pith deck is typically a 15 to 20 page very simplified business plan set out in a PowerPoint type format. Its purpose is to succinctly outline all aspects of the business to any outsider. Just like a business plan, producing a good pitch deck is a good exercise for any founder in refining the business itself, and considering all aspects clearly and objectively.

Sewio, a UWB-based real-time location system (RTLS) vendor, is giving away three Digital Hero Enablement Kits for free to evangelise ultrawideband (UWB) technology and its advantages to the wider market.

Xero has announced that it is increasing the limits on its Starter plan, alongside improving the functionality of payments and insights tools, to help sole traders and new small businesses get started, manage their cash flow and grow during and beyond the pandemic.

Sustainable fashion app, Nuw has announced the expansion of its services across the UK and Ireland to empower people to reduce their environmental impact of fashion, and give love to the clothes that already exist in our own wardrobes.

When should leaders invest in homegrown talent or go headhunting? Is there a place in a team for driven but disruptive employees? Is leading with transparency always the right way? These questions and more are tackled by former England football manager, Kevin Keegan OBE and BigChange founder, Martin Port in a new series of video interviews launched today.

As a startup, taking the first steps into marketing can be daunting. Where should you start? What activity will be the best use of my time? If you’re limited on time or budget - and even if you’re not - a great place to start is content marketing.

Tech Nation has today announced the launch of the Fintech Pledge with support from HM Treasury (HMT) and the Fintech Delivery Panel, to accelerate the growth of the UK’s fintech sector by enabling enhanced collaboration between banks and leading fintech firms.

For years, if not decades, being a ‘woman in tech’ has been seen as the exception to the rule and for many, a career path that’s littered with challenges. According to a Women in Tech report from PWC, only 5% of leadership positions in the tech sector are held by women, a paltry 3% of females say a career in tech is their first choice and only 16% of females have had a career in tech suggested to them (vs 33% of males).

New research, commissioned by meeting provider, PowWowNow has revealed only a quarter (25.9%) of companies provided information about Shared Parental Leave (SPL) without it being requested first, suggesting a lack of transparency around the existence of the initiative is preventing its uptake.

Founder of early digital success story, Online Galleries, and former Managing Director of 1stdibs’ international region, Carmine Bruno has announced his new venture: an international marketplace that will set a new standard for dealing antiques and furniture online.

As the Government’s CBILS initiative draws to a close this month, two British fintechs Ebury and MarketFinance, have joined forces to ensure SMEs across the UK are able to quickly access the emergency lending. MarketFinance will offer both its CBILS loans and revolving credit facilities to Ebury’s UK SME base to support them with their business finance needs.

Connected Brits admit to spending hours getting ready for work-related video calls during lockdown and struggling to get back into the zone once the call is over, leading to millions of hours of ‘wasted’ work time since lockdown.

Manufacturer of custom-made GaN-on-SiC epitaxial wafers for components and devices for telecom, satellite, defence and power electronics, SweGaN has announced that the company has been named for the 2nd year in a row to the Ny Teknik (New Technology) “33 List” of Sweden’s most promising and innovative young companies. This year’s contenders included 270 companies.

Nottingham based electronics design consultancy, Ignys has launched a new website this month, hosting an electronics blog full of design advice and a carousel of 16 product development services.

Nine creative industries startups and scaleups have joined Digital Catapult's flagship 5G Testbed Accelerator programme. The latest programme cohort is drawn from across the UK’s creative sector, with content focusing on music, theatre, and immersive storytelling taking centre stage.

UK healthcare scale-up, Navenio has announced that the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust will be using its location-based AI platform to support portering teams and transform how the service is delivered.

Is the education system equipping young people with the skills to succeed in a fast changing labour market? A new report from The Entrepreneurs Network argues that as children return to schools after lockdown, students as young as eleven should have the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship in order to develop the skills and mindset necessary to prosper in the modern economy.

BeCard, a digital and ecological alternative to paper business cards, has been launched. Using Smartphone technology, the BeCard app makes it much easier and less time consuming for eco-savvy, networkers to capture and prioritise the business details of their newly won contacts.

A new study, commissioned by business bank Allica Bank, urges small businesses to re-evaluate their trading horizons, following the establishment of a clear link between overseas trade and SME performance.

It’s been a tough year for many sectors, and perhaps none more so than retail businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have accelerated what many considered inevitable: the move away from traditional, physical store shopping to online-only models. With once High Street stalwarts such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and Harrods announcing closures and job losses, it seems that the retail sector is about to undergo a huge shake-up - one where businesses will need to be innovative to survive. We caught up with The Shirt Society, a Manchester-based startup, which is the brainchild of local businessman Matt Bird, and has already been backed by renowned tech entrepreneur Scott Fletcher MBE.

COVID-19 has brought about sweeping changes across all industries. Whether for better or worse, these changes are forcing a reset, providing an opportunity for businesses to emerge in a much stronger position.

The only virtual conference you need to attend surrounding Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace in 2020, the 'This Is Us Virtual Conference' is fast approcahing, taking place 20-21st October. We caught up with Meena Chander, founder of the conference.

Matias Rodsevich is proud to announce the official global launch of his book ‘The PR Paradox - How to Master PR as a Startup or Scale-up’, the first of its kind book solely focused on doing PR as a startup, which will take place on the 10th September 2020.

The Business for Peace Foundation has announced the 2020 Oslo Business for Peace Award winners. The Honourees are: Marc Benioff, Founder, Chair and CEO of Salesforce; James Mwangi, Chairman and CEO of Equity Group Holdings and Felicitas 'Joji' Bautista Pantoja, Co-founder and CEO of Coffee for Peace.

As the Founder/CXO of a startup, your other title is CFFO, or Chief Fire Fighting Officer. You don’t have time to attend a one-day workshop to solve a current problem in your business, let alone read a white paper on the topic. You need quick reads that provide you with answers to your problems now. And that is the purpose of this article.

Wonder Women Tech (WWT), a global ecosystem that serves women and underrepresented groups in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), announced today the lineup for the organization’s first-ever virtual summit, taking place September 16-19th, 2020 from 9-5:30pm (PT).

HumanForest, London’s only free, shared electric bike, has raised £1.8m from leaders of the mobility sector, including founders of the first profitable ride sharing App, Cabify.

Even the most optimistic founders and executives at high growth companies aren’t immune to the challenges of fundraising. According to PWC, European IPOs have been ‘heavily impacted’ in the first half of 2020, with just 28 deals compared to 53 at the same stage in 2019.

UK-based quantum photonics startup, AegiQ has announced that it has secured a total of £1.4m in funding from Innovate UK to develop secure quantum communications for fibre-optic and satellite based applications. AegiQ will join a global pilot project to provide scalable, high performing semiconductor technology for next generation telecoms.

London is the leading EdTech hub in Europe according to new research published by London & Partners and Dealroom, to coincide with London Tech Week 2020.

As Londoners start to return to work this month, First Office Hub, the global workspace broker, shares emerging trends from across the Capital in the office property market.

These days, most businesses rely on just a few short, daily peaks to bring in most of their money. In order to do that, customer service needs to be top-notch. This starts with having great people and enough of them on the floor when things pick up. That is where Stint comes in, it helps companies to work smarter by connecting students with high street and hospitality businesses needing to fill shifts at peak times. We caught up with the two co-founders and learnt some more about the startup! 

Bristol-based tech startup, Geollect is one of ten companies chosen to take part in a special mentoring programme being run by the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency.

RedArc is urging smaller employers to be on high alert for mental health issues amongst their staff as the government begins to encourage a wider return to the workplace. RedArc believes the more intimate nature of a small business means that management and colleagues may be better able to spot a member of staff who is struggling with mental health issues than is sometimes possible in a larger, more anonymous, place of work.

Arguably one of the most difficult industries for a startup to break into is health tech, but often it is new ideas and solutions in the medical sector that end up being the most revolutionary.

Fintech business lender, MarketFinance has secured an additional £50m from one of Israel’s largest asset managers, Viola Credit, to lend to UK SMEs under the HM Treasury and British Business Bank CBILS initiative. The announcement comes as MarketFinance launches a 'unified application' process in which SMEs will, through one application, be presented with a variety of finance options and be able to select those best suited to their needs.

The German software startup, DGG, has secured a total of €760K in the seed funding round to support the development and worldwide adoption of its 3D optimisation tool, RapidCompact. The investment was led by 3VC Partners, Fraunhofer Tech Transfer Fund (FTTF), Singapore-based Sobel Rand Pte Ltd, and Charlie Songhurst, former Head of Strategy at Microsoft.

Indorse, the platform focused on building, growing, and sustaining high performance software engineering teams (built on blockchain technology) is formally announcing its Hackathon tackling challenges posed by COVID-19 - winners receive $40,000 for their innovations.

Aviation specific document management system, Web Manuals is launching a freemium package for aviation startups, to boost innovation as the industry emerges from the COVID-19 crisis.

Tech Nation has announced the 30 scaleups that have been selected to join the new Net Zero programme. Announced in Alok Sharma’s speech today at London Tech Week, the companies come from across the UK and across a range of sectors including construction, agriculture, and energy.

With the upcoming issue focusing on Women in Tech and Female Founders, we decided to speak to a few females in the industry on their journey and experiences. Starting with Franziska Kirschner, Research lead at Tractable. "When I was a child, I wanted to become a dog when I grew up. I genuinely believed that science would progress far enough that I could change species by the time I reached adulthood. Unfortunately,  the world’s scientists had other ideas and their endeavours focused elsewhere, such as on making computers reason like humans. 

Fintech startup, Fluidly has added end-to-end funding tools to its cashflow management solution, offering pre-qualified funding options to millions of businesses within minutes.

Ten British green tech private companies with significant potential to help protect the environment are revealed in the Sunday Times BGF 10 Green Tech to Watch, researched by Fast Track.

Vertical farming, the practice of growing crops indoors under tightly controlled conditions, is continuing to expand rapidly. By using LED lighting tailored to the exact needs of the crop, alongside advanced hydroponic growing systems, and growing crops in vertically stacked trays, vertical farms can achieve yields hundreds of times higher than the same area of traditional farmland.

For startups, the importance of quality professional advice cannot be overstated. While business owners are quick to seek advice from lawyers and accountants there is considerable resistance to seeking financial advice.  A survey conducted by OpenMoney earlier this year, which polled 2,080 adults, provides a worrying insight into how business owners view financial advisers and the advice that they provide. We spoke to Pradeep Oliver, Partner, Cripps Pemberton Greenish who gave us more insight on the topic.

The East Anglian City of Ely has been labelled the worst connected city in the UK according to a study by Nomad Digital.

David Spencer-Percival, serial entrepreneur and founder of two globally successful recruitment businesses, Huntress and Spencer Ogden, is launching his latest venture, Life Science People.

Fleet management software for small and medium-sized companies, Vimcar has released new research into vehicle theft and misuse in the electrical services sector. The survey of more than 1,000 UK firms identified a clear need in the sector to have greater control over its fleet, with vehicle misuse costing the industry thousands each year.

The Business 20 (B20), the official voice of the global business community across G20 members, and Business at OECD have launched a joint conceptual policy proposal that focuses on reducing barriers that firms in general and SMEs in particular encounter in their quest to participate in Global Value Chains (GVCs), as cross-border fragmentation and friction continue to impede the free flow of people, capital, goods and services.

Cyprus’s tourist industry suffered a hammer blow this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but the disaster has fuelled other ambitions on the island with many political leaders, financial experts and corporate players now seeing the country as an international hub for SMEs.

The sporting legend and seasoned business advisor, Sir Clive Woodward, will teach a new live and interactive course on team growth and development, to help combat the 95% failure rate for tech startup businesses in the UK. He will be working with an up-and-coming online-learning platform, which aims to flip this staggering stat by addressing the critical knowledge crisis affecting marketing and sales professionals in tech companies worldwide. 

European VC funds are raising a record amount of capital in recent years - $13B in 2018 with over 40% going into funds greater than €250M. Venture is not only a vital source for startup companies to achieve growth and create value through innovation - it is key for the overall economy. In essence, it is a two-sided business, where exceptional founders are matched with capital. While a lot has been said and written about the ‘front’ facing side of the venture industry, how do venture capital firms emerge and raise their funds?

Businesses, whether they’re established, starting up or looking to grow, all have one thing in common. The need to be agile and aware.  And, if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that businesses can adapt to a changing market and they can do it very quickly.

UK startup, Flare Bright has announced that it has won a UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) contract to rapidly innovate it's SnapShot product.   

Technology startup inploi has launched a string of new features adding tens of thousands of job opportunities to their platform and positioning it squarely as the professional community to connect the New Collar Workforce with companies that want to engage and hire from this demographic. inploi notes that 82% of their user base does not have a LinkedIn profile.

Online investment platform, Seedrs has announced the next evolution of its secondary offering. Opening up its popular secondary market platform to all private businesses, allowing founders, employees and early investors to realise secondary liquidity without having to wait for an IPO or exit event.

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).

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?

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Local businesses are core to our communities, but the impact of COVID-19 has been tough on business owners and the surrounding community. As part of Google’s commitment to supporting local businesses in the UK, new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Google has been released today which reveals the positive changes in people’s connections to their local community sparked by lockdown and that up to date online information is key to reigniting consumer confidence. 

It’s troubling times for industries around the world who are attempting to negotiate the impact of a global pandemic and - for those in the UK and EU, the uncertainty around Brexit.

Speechmatics and Prosodica, a provider of innovative voice and audio analysis technology and subsidiary of Vail Systems, have announced their partnership to deliver better caller experiences to enhance customer care and improve customer experiences.

A new wellness and health startup has set out to tackle sleep disorders and anxiety with a new product known as the weighted blanket.

George at Asda, UK supermarket clothing brand, has partnered with delivery experience platform, Sorted as part of a trial aimed at providing real time updates to improve post-purchase tracking for George customers.

Global provider of Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS), Quuppa has announced its first ever round of funding, worth €20m.

For freelancers and small business owners, mentors can help take your career to the next level. As such, Tide explores what to look for in an ideal mentor, and how to successfully find and approach one.

Retailer and wholesaler, BWG Foods, has become the first retail and FMCG business in Ireland to launch an innovative Scan, Pay & Go checkout technology, developed by MishiPay, as part of a new pilot scheme taking place across its retail network.

Five startup businesses have won a year’s access to a new online finance training platform from a Yorkshire-based finance management firm. The wins are part of a competition which launched Mellor Financial Training’s virtual training platform, established to offer an on-demand digital system specifically designed to be consumed online.

As we continue to work towards the government’s net zero emissions by 2050 commitment, businesses are naturally becoming increasingly aware of the need to be more eco-friendly. Other strategies, such as the Clean Growth Strategy, which aims to promote economic growth at the same time as decreasing emissions, mean that the focus on having a positive effect on the environment is now higher than ever.

Online streaming giant Netflix, which has over 150 million paid subscribers in over 190 countries, collects data from its users. Using advanced analytics to understand customer behaviour and buying patterns, the company makes extremely relevant customer recommendations, helping it achieve an impressive 93% customer retention.

With heat-based illnesses such as heat stroke, current medical care often consists of an immediate emergency ice bath. However, an ice bath is anything but portable, and so Matt Anderson, Founder of Cryogenx, came up with a solution to help aid heat stroke or similar illnesses by essentially transporting the ice bath to you, which turns out can be lifesaving.

Nottingham-based electronics design and software engineering consultancy, Ignys recently celebrated their 3rd anniversary after moving into their new premises on Nottingham Science Park. East Midlands entrepreneur, Richard Fletcher set up Ignys in 2017 to provide the product development industry with an extra resource.

Xero has ​announced the acquisition of Waddle, a cloud based lending platform that helps small businesses access capital through invoice financing. The acquisition aligns with Xero’s strategy to grow the small business platform and to address critical small business financial needs. Waddle’s cloud lending platform, combined with small businesses’ invoice data, will enable the delivery of tailored invoice financing solutions.

It's no secret that the fintech sector is booming. Here, Startups Magazine speaks to David Nicol, CEO and Co-founder of fintech startup, LedgerEdge, which is providing a new ecosystem for the exchange of data and assets in the corporate bond market, on the challenges of launching a new firm in this sector.

According to the World Allergy Organisation (WAO), 2.5% of the general population is allergic to one of more foods, while up to 10% can manifest adverse drug reactions. This is just one example of why in highly regulated industries, such as food or pharmaceutical manufacturing, it is particularly important to protect consumers by ensuring that items are properly packaged and labelled.

Remote working has been in the technology ecosystem for many years. I have personally been doing partial remote work for the last ten to twenty years and what I have found is surprising. Most individuals are not used to this style of work which is accelerating a nationwide transformation of company culture.

In a world filled with incredible innovative technology that everyday enables people to do what they otherwise could not, it seems nonsensical that there is still such an outrageous employment gap for disabled people, and Paralympic champion Elizabeth Johnson, agrees.

COVID-19 has drastically changed the landscape for businesses across all industries, forcing immediate changes - but ones that will have long term consequences. In the newest report by Lux Research, 'The Impact of COVID-19 on Tech Innovation', Lux outlines five key trends that will define how the world beyond the pandemic will be different.

An online game developed by a startup business in response to the recent COVID-19 lockdown is now being used to train the Artificial Intelligence (AI) component of its new legal contract management system.

A few years ago, journalists at The Daily Telegraph arrived at their London office on a Monday morning to discover that ‘Occupeye’ sensors had been installed over the weekend on the underside of each of their desks. The management team defended the installation ‘…as part of the Telegraph's commitment to green energy measures,’ claiming they were simply conducting a four-week study aimed at optimising the building’s use of lighting, heating and air conditioning. The study’s subjects were not impressed.

Ask anyone which location they’d associate with startups, and my money would be on “Silicon Valley” being their answer. But in the past few years, global investors have been shifting their collective gaze to Europe. Forbes reports that the first half of 2019 broke the record for tech investment in Europe: £17.2bn was invested in the continent’s tech startups. Similarly, Europe was pretty much on par with the United States when it came to the existence of startups backed by venture capitalists. 

Many startups would have been forgiven for spending the last three months focusing purely on survival. Yet, as lockdown restrictions lift, an alternative story is beginning to emerge.

Startups Magazine recently spoke to Nicky Pasquier, CEO Virtuoso Assistant, the digital marketing for entrepreneurs and small business. 

Launching a new business is not for the faint hearted even when market conditions are ‘perfect’. Doing that in the midst of the worst global pandemic in over a century is, by any standards, rather bold.

Bagboard, the creation of former credit trader Ben Ayres, advertising executive Ashleigh Bishop, and startup specialist Charlie Ayres, has hit over 100% funded with 13 days remaining. Bagboard marries major brand advertising campaigns and environmental impact, with a mission to empower consumers to use their collective spending power as a force for good.

Neuroscience-based people development company, Sesh has announced that it has secured $1.6m in pre-seed funding. The funding will enable Sesh to accelerate the development of its human comprehension AI, ​Empath​, that identifies states of mind and emotional mood of people in any video source.

Technology has come a long way in the past decade, and the telecoms industry is no exception. Since 2010, this sector has seen incredible advancements and the worldwide revenue of telecoms services is estimated to be £1,026bn.

Online investment platform, Seedrs has announced record-breaking activity levels on its Secondary Market, following the introduction of variable pricing in the August trading window. The introduction of variable pricing offered sellers the opportunity to list their shares at either a premium or a discount of 10%, 20% or 30%, relative to the mark-to-market share price and was developed in consultation with Seedrs entrepreneur and investor communities.

The Women On Top Podcast has announced its exciting brand expansion. This new direction will see the podcast evolve into a multimedia digital platform including online magazine, email newsletter, podcast and virtual events later in the year.

Nova, the Liverpool-based tech cofoundery have provided us with another great startup to speak to. This time we chat to Georgia Wheadon, Founder of Umii, the app designed to tackle lonliness at uni.

Right now, your customers are likely continuing to be bombarded with emails about COVID-19 — from their local supermarket, pet store, doctor, restaurant, gym, the list goes on — particularly as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.  

The startup bootcamp Renegade Academy from Huckletree is back this September. It’s a 6-day (evenings only) interactive bootcamp for people with a business idea or concept, to help them get it off the ground.

A London-based business growth agency is offering free coaching and mentoring sessions for aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to launch their own startup.

Investment syndicate, Equity Gap is celebrating 10 years as one of Scotland’s most successful angel investment groups with record investment figures and a healthy pipeline of new deals. Meeting the challenge of COVID-19 head on, the syndicate completed 22 investments in the first half of 2020, with total member funds invested since inception topping £20m.

Crowdcube has launched a new flagship secondary product, the Direct Community Offer (DCO). The DCO gives later-stage businesses a way of offering early investors a return on their investment while simultaneously giving new investors a chance to buy a stake in a business they believe in.

Taking single use plastics out of circulation is no easy feat, but the answer might lie closer than we think.

Coronavirus has caused businesses around the world to face the most impactful shake up in traditional operations many of us have ever experienced, one person who knows a lot about businesses is Business Development Director at The Translation People, Alan White, so Startups Magazine spoke to him about the current climate.

Murata has announced the launch of its Open Innovation website to create collaborative relationships with startups to develop solutions in the mobility, energy, healthcare, and wireless markets.

The coronavirus crisis and the impact it has had on businesses and financial resources has made the prospect of growing a business seem like a distant reality for some organisations. But for British small and medium-sized B2B organisations, Brexit is an opportunity to look beyond the EU to new geographies.

As part of its increasing investment in digital technologies, global motor and industrial equipment manufacturer, WEG has acquired control of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) business. Mvisiais a Brazil-based machine vision startup that specialises in applying AI tools in industry.

Otter.ai announced today the launch of Otter for Events - a new collaboration service that completely changes the virtual and offline events experience for organisers and audiences alike. With Otter Live Notes’ AI technology fully capturing event conversations and turning them into highly accurate interactive, collaborative transcripts in real-time, this offering provides a wealth of previously untapped benefits and value. It is targeted at any organisation hosting a virtual, live, or in-person event - no matter the audience size.

Action on Blood is a social startup that aims to pool together a global community of blood donors and help people who are interested in giving blood to do so by providing resources, training and funding.

Funding has increased by a staggering 940% for UK cyber security startups since the beginning of lockdown - with £496m being raised in the first half of 2020, almost outstripping the 2019 total of £521m. Investors have been quick to put their money towards startups specialising in cyber risk management, as the pandemic forced CEO’s to look beyond just financial or regulatory risk.

A tech entrepreneur who created the world’s first truly wireless earbuds with live voice translation has pivoted during lockdown and used his global manufacturing connection to create a brand new organisation tasked with making and distributing high quality, certified PPE at affordable prices to the healthcare sector and local businesses.

Collaboration between the third sector and startups can benefit both sides. For third sector organisations, tapping into startups’ innovative ideas and ways of working can lead to increased impact. For startups, it can make the difference between failing and scaling.

Launched in late 2018, Nu Quantum recently became an Associate Member of the EU-funded Graphene Flagship project. The startup, a spin off from the Cavendish Laboratory at Graphene Flagship partner the University of Cambridge, UK, specialises in single-photon quantum technology that is set to create unbreakable encryption keys.

Two leading mental health organisations have banded together to host Good Mental Health 2020 which will take place on the eve of World Mental Health Day on Friday 9th October at 10am to 4pm. 

The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) has published the results of its fifth ‘Coronavirus - The Impact on Business’ survey revealing the first signs of recovery. about job retention. But despite these early indications, concerns about difficult staffing decisions in the coming months also see a significant increase.

A new interactive map reveals the percentage in which cyber crime is increasing in your area - an issue more important now than ever before with the world working from home and security flaws potentially being opened.

EMV Capital led a £2.3m pre-series A syndicated round with Edinburgh-based, 5G and Satcom antenna developer, Sofant Technologies, with participation by Kelvin Capital Ltd, Old College Capital, Wealth Club and Scottish Investment Bank.

Samsung Electronics has announced that the new Samsung Pay Card, powered by Curve, and in conjunction with global payments technology company, Mastercard will be available from 18th August. With ONE simple to use digital-first card, Samsung Pay Card gives users complete control over their spending, without the fuss of having to change banks.

Research has revealed that 47% of managers believe their employees may be at risk of burnout, following a change in work pattern or behaviour bought on by COVID-19. Over a third (36%) of British employees stated that their mental health and wellbeing has suffered as result of working longer hours during COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has sent shockwaves through the global economy. Businesses of all sizes are reeling from a crunch on both supply and demand. Staff members off sick or having to look after small children, disruption to supply chains, a significant drop in revenue due to lockdowns and a reduction in consumer spending have presented challenge after challenge.

A lot of people say they couldn’t work with their significant other, but imagine founding a whole company together! Well that is exactly what Lottie Whyte and husband, Joe Gray, a professional rugby player currently plying his trade at the Harlequins, did. And after speaking to the pair a few times, the business and co-founding seems to be working perfectly!

Arieli Capital, which operates innovation centres in Israel and around the world, and Ramat Hanegev Regional Council, are conducting discussions with officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about advancing desert agriculture projects. Discussions began before Israel and the UAE announced a normalisation agreement between the two counties on 16th August.

As the pandemic swept across the country earlier this year, crowdfunding campaigns were soaring on course to raise record amounts, according to new data. New findings show that for the period of January - July 2020, the average total of the amount raised by crowdfunding campaigns was up by 1,006% vs 2019, with the average number of supporters per campaign also up year-on-year by 769% over the seven months.

New research reveals that nearly half (49%) of UK adults have not installed or didn't know whether their mobile phone has security software. So keeping personal data safe from hackers has never been more important.

In 1944, as the WWII was drawing to a close, a gentleman called Harold Samuel decided to start buying houses which had basically been demolished due to the bombing. The idea, seen crazy by many (after all, what is the value of a pile of rubble?), did work, as his company - Land Securities - went on to become the UK’s leading property company: a position it still holds today.

As with everything about starting a business, different people do it for different reasons, and they have different levels of ambition. Some people want it to remain a side hustle or a very modest lifestyle business whilst others have plans from day one to scale and grow it into a multi-million GBP international operation.

Businesses are being given access to a fully-funded suite of AI and automation tools to help them cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Free to access at GoSmarter.ai, the project is funded by the UK Governments Research & Innovation department, Innovate UK, and has been developed by Artificial intelligence (AI) company Nightingale HQ.

In today’s connected world, it’s hard to imagine a time when the term ‘Internet of Things’ didn’t exist, or when flying cars were only featured in the musical fantasy film - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Technology has changed our world in so many ways, (and arguably not always for the best) but one of the positive benefits that it has had on modern society is the way it’s revolutionising the education sector. Most will agree that it has countless benefits for teachers and students, such as providing extra help, communication, organisation, and virtual experiences.

The AIWAYS U5 all-electric SUV will be available from €37,990 when European sales start in Germany this summer. With a 410km range (WLTP) from its DC fast-charging compatible 63kWh battery, according to the company, the AIWAYS U5 offers the best price-to-range ratio in the European all-electric SUV market.

When it comes to tapping into the entrepreneurial mindset to mine some golden nuggets of inspiration for business growth, who better to speak to than a winner of the BBC’s Apprentice. Therefore, when we had the opportunity to speak to 2014 champion Mark Wright, founder of Climb Online and the CLIMBCON business event, we jumped at the chance.

A customer service provider has challenged businesses in the UK to change the way they think about customer interaction, amid rising levels of consumer dissatisfaction. Woven is a contact centre, customer management and BPO service provider, operating from offices in Bristol, Swindon and Ipswich and working with brands across a range of industries, including Toyota and Kärcher.

Semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies has always been keen to work with startups and entrepreneurs and has done for many years. However, a year ago the company took the decision to make this collaboration more structured and more visible to the outside world, and so introduced its startup cooperation programme, Inno.Wafer. We spoke to the man heading up that programme in EMEA, Lamin Ben Hamdane, to find out more.

Even with the help of price comparison sites, finding the insurance that is right for you can prove to be the proverbial needle and haystack conundrum. However, Startups Magazine speaks to Johnny Stubbs, Head of UK Insurance and Business Development at digital insurer Getsafe, who are using technology and AI to enable customers to learn about, buy, and manage insurance conveniently from their smartphone, all without any paperwork, and within just a few clicks.

Israeli blockchain cyber startup, GK8, which provides a high security custody solution for safeguarding and managing digital assets, has identified inherent vulnerabilities in Multi-Party-Computation networks (MPC), which serve as the foundation for safeguarding blockchain assets such as Bitcoin and any cryptocurrencies by banks and exchanges.

Research from Workthere has revealed five top tips to keep employees happy at work. Workthere’s 'What Co-workers Want' report found that 59% of coworkers in the UK say they are happy with their current workplace, but what can providers do to improve happiness within their offices? Workthere asked 1,874 European office workers about 48 different office features in order to determine how satisfied they are with them and identify the areas offices should look to improve to provide an overall happier place to work.

The fleet management software for small and medium-sized companies, Vimcar has announced its official launch into the UK market with new research into the challenges that businesses are facing to get on the road. As the latest figures from the Department for Transport reveal that light commercial vehicle traffic in the UK has returned to pre-lockdown levels, Vimcar's survey of German SMEs provides a useful steer as to what these businesses can expect.

New data looking into 6,273 employees, commissioned by Perkbox, the employee experience platform, has revealed the considerable impacts of the furlough scheme and the prospect of returning to work to wellbeing.

The UK Government needs to do more to encourage startup businesses in the wake of COVID-19, according to Dr Keith Arundale at Henley Business School.

The finalists of the 2020 Lloyds Bank National Business Awards were unveiled this morning as the programme’s organisers praised British businesses for their resilience, agility and innovation over the last 12 months, despite being faced with untold economic and logistical challenges as a result of COVID-19.

Following the global sports hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic many sports have now returned to action, much to the delight of fans worldwide. We’ve recently seen the likes of Europe’s top football leagues finish up the remaining games of their seasons and now eyes are well and truly stateside with the NBA, MLB and NHL returning over the past few weeks.

Lysander Bickham, Founder and CEO of Loving Earth’s Oceans (or Leo’s Box for short), shares his story of setting up an eco-friendly subscription startup while still at school, and offers five simple steps any business can take to improve its sustainable practice.

International business performance consultancy Ayming, has launched its new Sprint Claims service, which completes R&D tax credit incentive applications for SMEs in less than one week.

The Founder and CEO of a UK-based EV charging port provider has been awarded a prime position on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 (Europe) list for the Manufacturing and Industry sectors.

To celebrate Startups Magazine's latest issue release (this week), which is focused on AI and emerging technologies, here at Tractable, recent winner of Best UK startup in the Hustle Awards, we decided to explain a bit about how we're bringing AI to the world on a commercial basis. Accidents and disasters affect millions of people every year. And the recovery process always starts the same way - assessors inspect the damage, approve an insurance claim, and unlock the funds to begin the rebuild. 

Attitudes towards sharing are always intriguing to observe. What we will and won’t share with others has changed continuously over the years and in line with broader consumer trends.

EMV Capital led a £2.3m pre-series A syndicated round in the Edinburgh-based 5G and Satcom antenna developer Sofant Technologies, with participation by Kelvin Capital, Old College Capital, Wealth Club and Scottish Investment Bank.

ORB, a London-based startup, previously featured by Startups Magazine, is a real-time performance, wellness & health AI data platform, who specialises in the capture, analysis and presentation of human physiological data (Biotelemetry). The platform enables non-invasive, continuous, real-time monitoring in non-controlled environments (e.g. at home or on a sports field), offering accurate deep insights into physiology no other product is able to.

Having recently visited the CRL workspace in Hayes to meet this year’s cohort, sponsored by Mouser, I was overwhelmed with some incredible startup founders and the ideas that had inspired them. One of which was a pair of friends Pete Barr and Eli Heath, who together have created a social enterprise startup to enable people with disabilities to draw, through adding tools to a wheelchair.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics have revealed that during the height of the coronavirus lockdown period, employment in the UK fell by the largest amount in over ten years, since the height of the 2009 financial crisis. This situation could worsen in the coming months as the Government furlough scheme draws to and end.

Community Fibre, London’s fastest 100% full-fibre broadband provider, recently announced new research findings from a survey conducted with market research specialist 3Gem. Results reveal that while SMEs based in London are more reliant on broadband access than ever before, inadequate internet access is costing them money and opportunity. The results come at a poignant time, as the UK celebrates 20 years since the first person had broadband installed into their home and more Londoners are working from home than ever before, needing fast and affordable broadband.

The startup ecosystem is going through some big tests right now. This time has forced us all to discover just how efficient and productive we really can be working from our kitchen tables. It’s tested the limits of our patience (‘when will it ever end?’) and resilience (‘when can we go outside?’) and ability to stay focused (‘how do I ignore the distractions of home and get my work done?’).

According to the Office for National Statistics 213,285 businesses failed in the UK in the first half of 2020, a 14% increase on the same period in the previous year. Without looking much more deeply into the numbers it is not possible to say for certain how many of those that failed were due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown but we would not be far wrong to say that the 14% increase, or 26,193 businesses failures were as a result of the pandemic.

You maybe already believe that micromanagement is dangerous for you, your staff and your business. And it certainly is. But maybe not for the reasons you think.

New hiring data from LinkedIn suggests the global labour market is improving and continuing its early momentum towards hiring recovery. Progress observed in June held through July, although it did start to plateau towards the end of the month as some countries saw viral caseloads rise and shutdowns come back.

The metal additive manufacturing market will be negatively impacted by the 2020 pandemic. Despite this short-to-mid-term setback, the industry is forecast to rise and exceed $10bn within the next ten years. The emerging and established printer players grab nearly all of the headlines, but most of this forecast annual revenue will be in material sales in which there is great untapped potential.

During the Great Recession in the UK (2008/2009), 35% of tech startup founders went to the University of Cambridge and to the University of Oxford.

UK newspaper, ‘The Guardian’ reported last month that hospital trusts across England urgently need more equipment to prepare for an upcoming wave of operations and procedures deferred by COVID-19. The article highlighted that hospitals need 'staff and space to deal with a huge backlog of scans for cancer and other conditions, as more than 600,000 people await CT, MRI and other scans amid the coronavirus crisis.'

The company behind the first FDA-cleared direct-from-fingerstick Complete Blood Count (CBC) analyser, Sight Diagnostics has announced it has raised $71m in Series D funding with participation from Koch Disruptive Technologies, Longliv Ventures and OurCrowd.

Economic recoveries from crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic come in many shapes. The hope everywhere is always that they will be V-shaped, but U shapes are the next best thing. A volatile W and the dreaded L are worst-case scenarios.

A Birmingham-based serial entrepreneur has ‘pivoted’ the strategy for his fresh-produce business to the supply of high grade Protective Personal Equipment (PPE), to support the fight against COVID-19.

Global technology company, Zoho that offers the most extensive suite of business software applications, has announced BackToWork, a fully comprehensive modular solution enabling businesses and organisations to safely transition back into the workplace. Free for the remainder of 2020, BackToWork, powered by Zoho Creator, is the latest programme to be introduced as part of the company's ongoing relief efforts, which support businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Global pollution levels continue to be an issue that needs addressing. While the worldwide lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have lowered our air pollutants, before the outbreak there were seven million deaths each year due to pollution.

Business bank, Allica Bank has combined data and insight from over 1,000 UK SMEs with a multiple regression analysis to determine what factors most closely aligned with an SMEs’ chances of success and separated the highest performing businesses from their peers. These ‘rules for success’ have been compiled from the research data to support British businesses as they look to chart a course to post-COVID-19 recovery.

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, has awarded its signature FedEx Access Award to student-run company Echooo, from Belgium at the JA Europe Company of the Year Competition, hosted as a virtual event for the first time on 22nd-24th July 2020.

Of those who graduated between 2000 and 2019, the University of Oxford counts more tech founder graduates who started their business aged 35 or younger than any other university in the UK.

With productivity and profits affected, businesses might not be considering wellbeing as much as how to move fast and regain ground, from a quarter that was terrible for much of the economy. There are some under-used but patently obvious wellbeing tips that will help boost productivity, reduce employee turnover and increase engagement that are well worth looking into.

TaxScouts, the company making tax preparation effortless for the UK market, has announced a Series A investment round of £5m to further its mission to build a Pan-European Tax Service. The company is expanding into its first market outside the UK and is establishing a team in Spain, following the appointment of a Country Manager.

From the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to Eat Out to Help Out, small businesses in the UK have received a significant amount of Government support during the Coronavirus pandemic. Another important area of support has come from consumers themselves, many of whom have taken it upon themselves to seek out local small businesses instead of global entities likely to survive anyway.

As employers embrace video call tools such as Zoom and Skype for day to day work communication, recruitment is no different as recruiters turn to virtual interview processes to source out the best talent. For recruiters looking for a way to build a more engaging recruitment process video, Laura Webster, Global Marketing Manager at HAYS Talent Solutions shares tips and advice into how employers can build a seamless virtual recruitment process through video.

Between 2000 and 2019, the London School of Economics and Political Science has seen 18 female graduates found a tech company after studying at the university. That's more than any other UK university.

ClearBank and Tide have announced that they are working together again to help UK SMEs turn recovery from the coronavirus crisis into a growth opportunity. In collaboration with Tide, ClearBank has applied for two grants from Pool E of the Capability and Innovation Fund, worth £25m and £35m, that form part of the £775m RBS Alternative Remedies Package.

Innovation has never been more important, and in the current climate it is great to see six more startups join the latest CRL (Central Research Laboratory) accelerator programme, which, for the first time has attracted a major sponsor, Mouser Electronics.

As businesses worldwide begin coming out of lockdown into uncharted territory, adapting and surviving the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 is imperative as consumer behaviour, namely spending habits, continue to rapidly change. Alongside a 200% rise in 'first-time' online purchases in April, Econsultancy recently reported a 33% increase in 'online banking or use of mobile apps and payment methods'.

As the government’s furlough scheme comes to an end, many businesses are looking at their staff returning to work in the forthcoming months. This is at a time when anxiety remains high about a second wave of infection and we're seeing reports of rising infection rates across the country and globe.

So I was listening to a podcast this morning - I listened to loads of podcasts so that's not unusual - but there was something about this podcast and the messaging within the podcast that rang a moderate alarm bell. The conversation was one of those that I estimate actually holds a lot of people back.

RESOLV, a Saas platform that aims to provide seamless and remote access to Online Dispute Resolution services to commercial lawyers and mediators recently caught up with Startups Magazine and told us a bit about their journey so far...

Four Somerset District Councils have joined forces to fund and launch a new scheme to give startups and early stage businesses the best chance of success. Called Somerset Catalyst, it is part of a wider business support programme that is rolling out across the county. Applications for the programme commencing in September 2020 are now invited.

Ukrainian company Jooble creates an IT product that defeated Western companies with investments worth millions in the competition. At the same time, the company has already created more than 400 jobs and continues to expand its staff to help people around the globe find jobs more effectively.

Research has shown that UK small and medium businesses are owed as much as £50bn in late payments at any one time, with the situation only likely to get worse in the current climate. In response to this late payment epidemic, today sees the launch of itsettled, an automated, proven and legally compliant process for SME’s to chase their outstanding invoices.

Schneider Electric and Sustainable Ventures have named the finalists of their Net Zero Home Programme. The joint venture aims to find the most innovative net zero home solutions to help accelerate the net zero home market.

Israeli startup Rise.ai, which offers AI-driven customer re-engagement solutions, has been selected by Google to help businesses offer digital gift cards through their public listing on Google My Business (GMB). The agreement with Google is Rise.ai’s strategy to enable small and medium businesses to survive and even thrive during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

Growing up in a small seaside town, one of my earliest memories is sitting on the sea wall with my dad, eagerly tucking into a pot of cockles, all the while watching the comings, goings, and general hubbub of the fishing boats coming in and out of the harbour.

Sterling Networks was founded in 2014 facilitating networking events for businesses across the Midlands, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and the South West. Over 300 members attend its fortnightly breakfast and lunchtime meetings, and the company has also undertaken the very important role of providing emotional support to business owners at a very challenging time. Startups Magazine caught up with founders Neil and Tracey Davis to find out more.

If you have purchased a new computer within the last few years, you likely lack something - ports. You know, places to plug in your stuff. With streamlining and consolidation, many modern computers (including the entire MacBook family) have shifted to utilising only USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. Because of this, a dock or hub is essential when you Work From Home.

Provider of smart technology solutions for the manufacturing industry, ThingTrax has announced the close of a $1m seed round led by SuperSeed, investing alongside industrial specialist Sumaria.

Online multimedia sales acceleration platform, Crikle has announced full availability of its browser-based application set to transform the guided selling experience in the age of distance selling. Crikle offers a secure online sales consultation and conversion platform that organisations can white label to deliver an optimised, branded digital buying and selling experience for clients.

REACH has opened applications for the inaugural class from its newest region, REACH UK. The technology scale up programme was created by Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors®.

Can personal data from the EU being transferred on the basis of Privacy Shield to the US, guarantee an adequate level of data protection as per the GDPR? Head of Marketing for SmartSurvey, Neil Stone, offers some thoughts and guidance around this issue, while looking at the potential impact of the Privacy Shield’s invalidation for the technology sector and prospective customers.

It was recently reported by manufacturer lobby group, Make UL and Santander UK that the effects from COVID-19 could cost the sector a potential £35.7bn in Gross Added Value this year alone, as output has fallen to an all-time low-leading to implications that the UK’s manufacturing growth will suffer from these effects until 2022.

A new digital platform is empowering utilities field teams and managers to make data-driven decisions in real time, leading to greater safety, productivity and quality assurance.

New research from Superscript, the British business insurance challenger which recently re-branded from Digital Risks, has revealed the true extent to which UK SMEs have been affected by COVID-19.

With the furlough scheme drawing to a close in October, a surge in unemployment is on the cards. Only a third of businesses said that they would definitely retain all of their furloughed staff, while nearly one in five (18%) indicated that they would not be doing so.

The Government has now confirmed that the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF), the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF) and the Discretionary Grant Fund allocated to Local Authorities to pay businesses suffering from the impact of COVID-19 should close by Friday 28th August 2020.

Online learning platform, Coursera has partnered with Digital Boost UK, a partnership with BCG Digital Ventures and Founders4Schools, to offer organisations and charities affected by the pandemic access to digital skills. The partnership is made possible by Coursera’s Workforce Recovery Initiative, where any state and country can provide unemployed workers with free access to online learning.

Each generation handles money in a different way. Afterall, people have grown up in different eras, they place value on different commodities, and some are busy saving for retirement while some are squirreling away their pennies in order to see the world one day. Attitudes towards saving money are most certainly generational, and there are plenty of assumptions people tend to jump to about these attitudes.

Global small business platform, Xero has announced it will host a free to watch content series called Xero On Air in September, designed to connect, inspire and share information with its accountant and bookkeeper partners and small business customers around the world.

AIWAYS, the Shanghai-based personal mobility provider, has arrived in Europe following delivery of the first batch of U5 all-electric SUVs in Corsica. The cars join the rental fleet at Hertz Corsica, operated by local company Filippi Auto, and are now available for residents and tourists to rent.

The Coronavirus lockdown has had a huge impact on Britain’s workforce, resulting a the majority of the working population finding themselves homebound, either working from home or furloughed. It was recently reported that 7 in 10 UK businesses have furloughed staff, resulting in millions of people across the country stuck at home with nothing but time on their hands.

Sure Valley Ventures, the venture capital firm that invests in early stage software companies, has announced that it has led a new €1.5m investment round for Volograms. Atlantic Bridge University Fund and Enterprise Ireland have also made follow-on investments as part of this round.

The saving and investing app, Moneybox has raised £4m in just four hours on Crowdcube, the investment crowdfunding platform - smashing the 2020 record for largest number of investors in a single campaign. Over 10,000 investors have taken part in the fundraise so far, which saw Moneybox reach its original target of £1,000,000 in just 20 minutes.

The banking platform that consolidates multiple cards and accounts into one smart card and app, Curve has announced it has partnered with Onfido, the global identity verification and authentication company, to speed up, simplify, and unify its Digital Identity and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.

University of Bristol led technology incubator, SETsquared Bristol, is re-launching its Breakthrough Bursary for the second year, continuing its commitment to promote inclusion and equal opportunities in tech. 

As firms look to re-launch projects and resuscitate their business beyond COVID-19, the importance and value of freelancers as a critical requirement to retain skill at an affordable rate is essential for recovery. Someone only too aware of the importance of this is the CEO of The Future Strategy Club (The FSC), Justin Small; this is a benefit he has been aware of for a long time.

Fifty percent of people currently employed are planning on looking for a new job after COVID-19, according to new research released from Hooray Health & Protection. Nearly a quarter (24%) of employees questioned said they were somewhat likely to seek a new job, 13% said they were very likely and twelve percent were pretty positive when they said they were extremely likely to look for a new job post COVID-19.  

SAVORTEX has announced the launch of its ‘Smart’ Hand Sanitiser, a revolutionary hygiene product designed to help restart the office economy in a post-COVID-19 environment. The innovative product uses smart technology to deliver the exact amount of sanitiser required without touching the device, and to ensure maximum use, providing companies with peace of mind as workplaces re-open.

IW Capital has announced the completion of a £10m investment round for Transcend Packaging, providing a boost to the company in its goal to reduce consumer and industry reliance on single-use plastic by providing paper-based alternatives. 

Shanghai-based personal mobility provider, AIWAYS has unveiled the U6 ion electric crossover coupe concept ‘in the metal’ for the first time at the Chengdu Auto Show in China. With a focus on aerodynamics, intelligent technology and lightweight design, the U6 ion investigates the exciting future of the AIWAYS brand. The production version will be AIWAYS’ second all-electric SUV set to go on sale in China and Europe, with a direct-to-customer sales model in Europe in 2021.

The Entrepreneurial Sales Institute (ESI), whose mission is to support the professionalisation of the sales function through better sales education, has developed a new Entrepreneurial Sales microcredential, endorsed by Verizon Connect, to help those working in sales navigate today’s complex marketplace and gain in-demand skills.

One of the few positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic had been the renewed focus of the climate agenda. Over the past few months we have seen companies like BP begin to divest from their traditional oil and gas business and set aggressive net zero targets. For startups this represents a huge opportunity.

The Czech marketing startup for home product testing, Testuj.to, for brands and e-shops has proven to be a new way of reaching customers, even during the coronavirus period. Testuj.to not only addresses customers directly, it also acquires valuable reviews for a given product or brand. B2C will never be the same again.

While car MOTs were scrapped during lockdown, taking the same approach with a business could be a mistake that leads to catastrophic consequences. Just as leaving unchecked, unroadworthy vehicles on the road is potentially dangerous, by not taking control of a business and leaving success to chance is a gamble at the best of times, but right now that approach could be the beginning of the end.

Over the course of the last three months, the private sector has undergone a seismic shift with an anticipated 531,000 businesses in the US set to go under in 2020 and a fifth of all small businesses in the UK to fail during the COVID-19 period.

Some founders come up with their business ideas alone, whilst others do so with friends or associates. Some founders wish to stay as sole founders, whilst others prefer to work with co-founders to share the tasks, decision making, and risks, as well as adding often complementary skills or knowledge to their own.

The automated driving technology company, AImotive has announced a new investment round of $20m led by Lead Ventures, a Budapest based scale-up investor. With the fresh capital AImotive has become the largest VC-backed company developing automated driving technology in Europe, with total funding of $75m.

A startup who in my opinion is a very deserved winner, and one of the best UK Startups we have come across. If you have read the last issue you may be familiar with Tractable, a company that uses AI for accident and recovery, and although it focuses primarily on car accidents, there is potential for that to grow to cover natural disasters too.

An organisation supporting underrepresented Founders in London and connecting them with opportunities in tech called OneTech has launched a new Founders stories campaign to show the face of startups, and has shared an update on the work achieved by the programme since it began. 

Performance marketing agency, Journey Further, has teamed up with Europe’s first revenue-based finance provider, Uncapped, to offer performance marketing support to entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups across the continent.

Global financial services provider, iBanFirst which delivers solutions across banking borders, has announced that it will continue to expand with the help of venture capital funds Elaia and Bpifrance, through its growth capital fund Large Venture.

British Patient Capital has announced its participation in Quantexa’s series C funding round as Quantexa announces the close of the round at $64.7m (£51.2m).

Online toolkit for surviving modern alcohol-free society, One Year No Beer, has launched a £1.4m funding round on Seedrs. Already attracting £1.1m investment in the private stages of the round, One Year No Beer now opens its campaign to the wider public. The funding will be used to further develop the technology infrastructure of the business, allowing them to scale their lifestyle support system which facilitates sustained behavioural changes, through the power of community and connection.

It’s a tough time for all businesses, but Manchester once again proves to be a hotspot for emerging new talent. Ambitious startup, The Shirt Society, has secured a substantial six figure investment from one of the city’s top tech investors: Scott Fletcher MBE.

Physical-digital payment platform, Thyngs has evolved its touch-free technology to deliver an instant order, pay and marketing solution that will help the retail and hospitality sector welcome customers back safely, and tackle the estimated £4bn loss expected across Europe, as a direct result of the global pandemic.

Emerging from several years of academic research, BeFC is the inventor of bioenzymatic fuel cells based on papers and enzymes. The fuel cells offered by BeFC are naturally part of the renewable energy sector and have a low environmental impact.

Starting a company and being a founder is stressful - especially in the current COVID-19 environment. Last year, 19% of all European founders said starting a company had a negative impact on their wellbeing, and a global pandemic will not bring that number down. However, mental health issues are not widely discussed in the startup ecosystem and beyond.

‘Homepreneurs’ are emerging across Britain during lockdown, as time at home and changing employment conditions have encouraged many to consider new opportunities and think creatively about the future.

A new survey by global consultancy, Brandpie has uncovered that the number one challenge CEOs expect to face over the next five years is finding the right talent. Furthermore, Brandpie reports that 98% of CEOs surveyed agree that the new generation of talent have different expectations from previous generations - with emotional considerations such as alignment of a company's culture and values trumping benefits like flexible working, training, and access to technology for the majority of millennials.

Fintech companies offer innovative and much-needed financial services and products; however, they have not been heard and seen at the political level sufficiently. EFA aims to become the united voice of the Fintech companies in Europe.

With more than 266,000 small businesses having reopened since the end of April, kitchen worktop businesses and Instagram marketplaces have seen an entire new generation of entrepreneurs to be able to get their products lifted off the ground. However, for many individuals and micro-businesses, the prohibitive costs associated with the rapid and accurate production and manufacture of their creations often prevents them from scaling up and making considerable profits.

Startups Magazine caught up with Flavius Plesu, Founder and CEO of OutThink, the world’s first Predictive Human Risk Intelligence platform (SaaS), aimed at revolutionising security awareness and giving security teams the power that comes with identifying high risk users – fully understanding who is not behaving securely and why. 

Capita plc (‘Capita’) today announces the launch of Retain Cloud, a software-as-a-service workforce planning and management solution, for small and medium-sized (SME) companies.

The Dutch Fintech that already checks over 90% of Dutch payments with the IBAN-Name Check, SurePay, has announced the successful implementation of its UK Confirmation of Payee solution. NatWest Group chose SurePay as a vendor and partner to implement Confirmation of Payee. The service is already checking 25% of UK online Payments.

What do startups need to know to ensure that their website is secure and safe against cyber attacks? Innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs, launching startup companies have hundreds of issues to deal with. Often setting up their website and internal communications drops in the list of priorities. And usually, at the bottom of that list, is ensuring that the company’s communications and website are secure.

UK software company TAAP is helping companies small, medium and large businesses get up and running post lockdown with the TAAP Visitor Book app.  

Remote, a self-serve platform for global employment, announced that GitLab will use Remote to employ the best talent in the world with full local legal compliance.

Having formed new habits around remote work, many of us have settled into new routines and habits, adjusting to the shift and integrating this new way of working into our lives. But, bigger organisational processes might have been missed in the scramble to equip teams with the day-to-day tools needed to maintain business continuity.

YHANGRY is a London-based startup providing private chefs for social get-togethers at home. We launched our beta website in May 2019, when Siddhi Mittal and I were still working on the trading floor at Barclays in Canary Wharf. We were 10 months into our startup journey when COVD-19 brought our business to a grinding halt.

In this day and age, building the right content marketing strategy can either make or break a business. Content marketing has the power to shape the way audiences perceive and engage with your organisation.

International Supply Chain (ISC) platform transforming the global supply chain by connecting global supply with global demand, Mercado Labs has closed a $2.5m funding round led by Ironspring Ventures and joined by new investor Supply Chain Ventures.

Many businesses in the UK are both getting paid - and paying - later, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a surge in late payments. According to the latest independent research from Close Brothers Asset Finance, three in five UK SMEs have experienced delays in receiving payments, while a significant number of business owners have admitted to being forced into delaying paying invoices.

In light of the business loan scheme statistics out today, Stephen Kelly, Chair of Tech Nation has shared his thoughts.

New research from Santander UK reveals that a third (32%) of the UK’s SMEs who implemented changes plan to make their COVID-19 adaptations a permanent feature post-pandemic as almost half found they not only survived, but actually grew their customer base during COVID-19. The study – which polled 2,050 senior leaders in UK SMEs – suggests that the pandemic has driven long-term change to the way businesses operate.

With the acquisition of eSoftThings, an expert in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), based in Cesson-Sevigne (Rennes metropolitan area, France), LACROIX Group has consolidated its R&D division already present in Brittany in the area and strengthened its positioning in the industrial IoT and AI, particularly in the field of connected vehicles.

Israeli medical startup, NanoVation has been awarded a €2.5m grant as part of the European Union’s prestigious Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator program. The Haifa-based company is developing a new respiratory monitoring device, based on its proprietary nano-sensor technology.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) has significantly impacted businesses, but even more so for social entrepreneurs, BAME founders and females due to the difficulties and challenges around access to support, finance and funding as well as structural inequalities. We are on a mission to work closely with these founders to help them flourish in the face of adversity.

“I never put myself forward for awards, so this was a really nice surprise,” is what Tamsin Dewhurst, Founder at Uptree said to me when I asked how she felt about winning our Founder of the Year award in this year’s Virtual Hustle Awards.

Creator Fund, the university-focused venture capital fund, has released its “State of Student Startups” report, which gives a comprehensive national picture of what the UK’s best young minds are starting, and how to best support them. The report found that more than half of UK campus ventures have a foreign student founder.

Edinburgh-based startup, Boundary is preparing for the official launch of its smart home security system in August, and will use the funding to complete product testing and for its post-launch operations.

Ag-tech startup, Consumer Physics, is introducing SCiO Cup - according to the company it is the world’s fastest, portable, lab-grade forage dry matter analyser. The smartphone-operated device transforms feed analysis by enabling frequent dry matter analysis. SCiO Cup enables on-farm decision making ensuring consistent dry matter intake and reducing feed leftovers. In addition, SCiO Cup can be used on-field for planning silage harvest timing at optimal moisture levels.

Maskey, the brand behind the UK’s first mask vending machines, has signed a deal with leading British retailer WHSmith to stock its individual fashionable face coverings on the shelves of hundreds of outlets on high streets and in train stations, airports and hospitals.

With businesses across the world seeing the tangible benefits of a mobile workforce over the last few months, returning to the office may become temporary as working from home potentially becomes a new way of working, according to research collated by Instant Offices. 

Moneybox, the award-winning saving and investing app, today announces it has secured £30m in Series C funding earlier this year from existing investors including Eight Roads, and new investors Breega and CNP. Moneybox also reveals it now has £1bn in assets under administration, and announces plans to bring customers closer to its growth journey through an upcoming crowdfund.

When starting a business, the implementation of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system may seem like an additional and unnecessary expense, but committing to it from the outset will realise a number of benefits including the development of a clear and focused sales strategy, together with the opportunity to strengthen new client relationships.

Roundups is a new donation app that helps charities with their fundraising whilst the economy continues to battle through challenging times. The app links with users’ payment cards in order to round up their payments and donate pennies to their chosen charity as they spend.

White Castle has announced a planned pilot with Miso Robotics - creators of the autonomous grilling and frying kitchen assistant, Flippy - to accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and robotics in the restaurant industry.

Over the years we’ve seen Twitter celebrities get their accounts hacked. But this recent hack goes way beyond anything we’ve seen before. This latest security breach calls into question the security of Twitter and social media platforms and even the foundation technology they are built upon.

tripAbrood, the travel business set to reinvent the online family travel experience, has become part of the UK’s startup elite by being named a TechRound 100 Finalist alongside a host of innovative brands including Too Good To Go, Pip & Nut and lockdown favourite Zoom.   

Johnathan Bulmer, MD at Cleveland Containers here chats to Startups Magazine about how three food and drink businesses pivoted in the pandemic. As restaurants and other leisure businesses steadily start to reopen, there’s many stories of businesses which have been heavily impacted by the financial crisis the pandemic has caused. 

Startup Summit, an international festival of entrepreneurship, has announced dates for its 2020 edition and first headline speakers from globally-recognised brands including David Wilding, Director of Planning at Twitter, Irana Wasti, Regional President for GoDaddy EMEA, and Matt Davey, Chief Operation Optimist at 1Password

The startup driving intelligent automation for commercial kitchens, Miso Robotics has announced its first funding round in the UK. The services sector is seeing a new impetus for automation as it builds back better post pandemic, ensuring more resilient businesses, safer working environments and food production for staff and customers.

Deutsche Messe premiered a startup category for the HERMES AWARD, presenting Mitra Sejahtera Membangun Bangsa, a young company from HANNOVER MESSE partner country Indonesia, with the new award. The jury, chaired by Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, selected the winner for its Smart Farming 4.0 project.

What's the secret to innovation? Is it all about having work spaces peppered with chill-out zones, ping-pong tables and climbing walls? Actually, the truth is far more down to earth.

The data from Close Brothers Asset Finance’s latest research is now available on its free-to-use SME Data Hub. Conducted in late June and early July in partnership with Kantar, the research focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

European digital asset manager focused on the affluent market, LIQID has added venture capital to its growing alternative asset offer, which already includes private equity and private equity real estate.

London-based ETF Partners has closed its third Environmental Technologies Fund (ETF3) at £167m, to grow the most innovative companies in the UK and Europe that help deliver long-term and sustainable economic prosperity.

Plus X innovation hubs transform areas, adding vibrancy and productivity, helping businesses scale with innovation support and unlocking partnership potential with global corporations, education partners and local communities. Plus X innovation hubs are designed to create impact at both a global business and local economic level.  

An exciting new business growth and innovation programme called BRITE launches today to support ambitious businesses located in the Coast to Capital region. The programme is led by a dedicated team from Plus X Brighton, in partnership with the University of Brighton. BRITE will be located at the brand new Plus X Brighton innovation hub, designed to help business and communities collaborate, innovate and grow.

To find the right individual for the job will be a challenge for employers as well as hiring managers. With several companies intending to enhance their hiring efforts this year, it's necessary that you put extra effort and time into how you attract the most effective prospects feasible. With more possibilities for talent comes even more competitors for you, as well as making the ideal hire currently is crucial to strengthening your firm today as well as into the future.

To celebrate the launch of its new financial training platform, Yorkshire-based finance management specialist Mellor Financial Training is offering businesses the chance to win free access to the site worth almost £2000.

Wyld Networks has launched a new mobile mesh technology to help get the manufacturing industry back to work safely, improve operational efficiencies and re-boot the economy. The innovative mesh technology can be built into mobile apps and IoT devices and uses virtual geozones to manage access, collect data, deliver location-aware content or safety information, and monitor social distancing.   

Former Capita Travel and Events CCO, Trevor Elswood has joined meetings management platform, Wizme as non-executive director.

Beekeeper, the first communication and operations platform designed specifically for frontline workers - announced a $10m extension on their series B round today. The extension brings the round’s total to $60m.

The technology industry is growing at a massive rate, and especially within hardware startups, there is such a large number of tech products coming onto the market every year. So how do you stand out and make sure you are seen above the rest?

Sage has launched new research revealing 62% of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) have made or are planning to make redundancies following the COVID-19 pandemic. This equates to 1.4m jobs at risk if the Government fails to take decisive action now.

As Sunak prepares to announce £2bn support package to combat youth unemployment, new research has unveiled the extent to which young professionals can contribute to the economy.

It’s always refreshing when policymakers break with the status quo and do something genuinely left-field and unexpected. The current pandemic has certainly produced its fair share of bold initiatives. In the UK we’ve just had the announcement of Government-subsidised meal deals throughout August to boost the ailing hospitality sector. And, sitting slightly higher on the impact scale, earlier this month the French Government announced that it was making tax credits available to any citizen prepared to take out a subscription to a current affairs newspaper or magazine.

Fashwire is a mobile and web marketplace for discovery where you can shop directly from over 300 fashion brands from over 33 countries you know and love and discover new ones from all over the world. Fashwire is changing the way we shop on our phones. By connecting consumers directly with brands all in one app, and it also allows brands to curate, create, and control all product and content in their profiles, which is different from a traditional retail model.

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, SMEs need to look into engaging potential customers immediately in order to drive sales and awareness in the difficult months ahead. As the majority of the public continue to live and work remotely, however, companies must seek out new methods of marketing in order to attract better engagement. The online space has, thus, become crowded with brands attempting to cut through noise to truly make an impact on consumers. 

Bagboard, the creation of former credit trader Ben Ayres, and advertising executive Ashleigh Bishop, are launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the first sustainable rewards scheme that marries major brand campaigns and environmental impact, with a mission to make sustainable shopping the norm. 

A team of entrepreneurs just awarded $16.9m in Business Scholarships to help local entrepreneurs and small business owners across North America and Europe, and they’re not stopping there.

Tractive, a company which has designed a GPS tracking for cats and dogs, has announced the launch of a new activity monitoring feature, allowing pet owners to ensure that their pets stay fit, as well as safe.

Re-skilling Britain’s workforce for the economy of the future has acquired a new urgency post lockdown, as COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated long term trends towards digitalisation and distance working.