Compliance is becoming a complex issue for organisations. As businesses engage in more remote and digital work practices due to COVID-19, governments globally are implementing a growing number of data privacy regulations for organisations to abide by.

30 early-stage businesses have been selected to take part in the second intake of a startup support programme, establishing the next generation of Manchester’s trailblazing tech firms.

The Business Travel Show Europe Innovation Faceoff finalists represent the most cutting edge products, tech and services developed by startups to address big challenges facing the business travel industry. With the show well underway, the Innovation Faceoff takes place online and will be streamed live to visitors attending the in person event at ExCeL London. 

Grapevine has won the Business Travel Innovation Faceoff at this year’s Business Travel Show Europe. The hybrid event took place at ExCeL London and online on 30th September and 1st October. It returns as a fully in person event at ExCeL for 2022, running 28-29 June alongside TravelTech Show and The Meetings Show.

With the furlough scheme set to come to an end on 30th September, there are widespread fears that business owners still unable to welcome back their pre-pandemic workforces will be forced to make mass redundancies leaving millions more out of work.

The past few decades have been all about the myriad physical benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise. We all know about the improvements in our cardiovascular health, not to mention decreased blood pressure and much lesser risks of developing various diseases. 

You may have thought that the return to ‘normality’ would be a good thing for business. With most people now off furlough, some back in the office and others working permanently from home, there are mixed feelings from employees who are now having to adapt to the ‘new normal’. In fact, it has been estimated that over 40% of people globally plan to leave their jobs this year! 

How can you shop ethically, but within your means? Sustainable brands and products are on the rise, but they can often cost double what you’d pay for single-use items which are mass-produced or animal-tested. Maddie Booth, Founder of Scrubbee, told us all about her eco-friendly and affordable cosmetic brand.

Women In Digital Business (WIDB) is an alternative membership site for women who want to launch or grow a digital business. The Founder, Natalia Nicholson is a mother of three young children and wanted to provide a viable way for women with children or other responsibilities, to start and scale a profitable digital business. Members of WIDB have access to resources and the opportunity to join the Mastermind programme. The programme runs for 3 months and members receive assistance with all the technical elements involved with launching a business in the digital space.

Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, announces the launch of two new accelerator programs in Paris and Stockholm. The launch showcases Techstars’ commitment to investing in startup talent in Europe, where it plans to invest in more than 100 startups in 2022 through its various accelerator programs in seven countries. Both programs will be fully funded by Techstars, following the recent July close of a new $150m fund, intended to support more local entrepreneurs looking for global exposure.   

Today, we all live a fast-paced life, rushing from one place to another, one task to another, one thing to another, and so on. This hasty lifestyle has introduced a lot of stress in our lives and the year 2020 further added a lot of anxiety to our already stressful lifestyle with the global spread of the pandemic. If life has turned into a challenging affair for you because of the pandemic or any other reasons and you are eager to find peace, hope, bliss, and inner joy again, it’s time for you to embrace mindfulness.

According to Creative Wellness Co, the global wellness market is valued at over $4.75 trillion. And if we think about the change in attitudes towards personal wellness over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic,  it’s no surprise that venture funding for retail health and wellness tech startups set a record in the first quarter of 2021, with $4.2bn invested across 153 deals.

When you’re growing your startup, your to-do list can be never ending. From developing products and services through to building your team and securing those all-important first customers.

It’s true what they say, timing is everything. For some businesses, the pandemic will go down in history as one of the biggest challenges to their supply chain management, human resources, and overall bottom line. But many of the businesses that started up during or post-pandemic will note the last 18 months as the foundation of their success.

Monolith AI, an Artificial Intelligence Engineering (AIE) software, has announced £8.5m in Series A funding, taking its total capital raised to £10.6m. The round was led by New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners, with existing investors Pentech and Touchstone supporting the round. Also joining the round is the founder of Formula E and Extreme E, Alejandro Agag, Apex Black and the Stanford Angels of the UK.

PixelMax, a Manchester-based tech startup, has launched an immersive 3D platform to solve the hybrid working challenge.

As many move back to the offices, whether full-time or hybrid, there’s a palpable sense that our lives are starting to return to normal. However, a change that must be seen in this ‘new normal’ is more open discussions at work around mental health.

UK healthtech company Vagus has developed a 30-second electrocardiogram test performed with a smartwatch app. The technology is a massive boost for preventive healthcare.

OVHcloud have announced its partnership with SETsquared to offer its cloud solutions and Startup Program benefits to their member startups.

While some countries still refrain from even admitting problems are here, human environmental impact is becoming so obvious that the world’s greatest companies are taking action.