Businesses in the North of Tyne area, Gateshead, and Sunderland with ambitions to grow can apply to a brand-new funding scheme, the Business Growth Fund which aims to support businesses on their unique journeys to success.

Pragmatic Semiconductor, a manufacturer of flexible integrated circuits, has recently announced the completion of the first close of its Series D funding round, securing an investment of £162 million.

Harriet, the groundbreaking full-stack AI solution designed to ready companies' internal data for the AI revolution, relieve People teams of their daily administrative burdens, and provide personalised HR assistance to every staff member, has successfully raised a £1.2 million pre-seed funding round.

Welcome to the International Franchise Show, host to the UK’s biggest selection of the most exciting franchise opportunities from around the world! Returning on the 12th & 13th of April at the ExCeL in London, thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners will get FREE access to over 250 exhibitors, 60 seminars, 1-2-1 personal advice, interactive features, expert guidance and more. This show promises to be the biggest and busiest yet, boasting limitless choices to start, develop, or invest in a franchise.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced the official lineup for CES 2024 Media Days, an exclusive, media-only event that takes place in Las Vegas before CES opens to the tech industry. Kicking off major tech announcements, Media Days gives registered media access to news-breaking press conferences and CES Unveiled Las Vegas, a first-hand preview of the products launching at CES 2024. 

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced Best Buy CEO Corie Barry will be the CES 2024 Leaders in Technology (LIT) dinner headline speaker. This invitation-only event on January 10, brings together policymakers, technologists, media, and entrepreneurs.

The Consumer Technology Association announced that Qualcomm, a global leader enabling intelligent computing everywhere, will keynote at CES 2024. President and CEO Cristiano Amon will join Emmy Award-winning FOX Business Network anchor Liz Claman for a keynote conversation on January 10.

Berlin-based food technology company Milano Vice has raised a $9 million Series A round to expand its innovative, new restaurant model.

Sunsave, a UK solar subscription service, has raised £5.4 million in a seed funding round to support its goal of making solar power widely accessible to UK households.

Foretellix, a company specialising in verification and validation (V&V) solutions for Automated Driving Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), recently announced the closure of its Series C funding round at $85 million.

UP Catalyst has successfully completed a €4 million seed investment round to further develop its innovative technology.

36 percent of workers are concerned about the impact of technological advancements on their jobs, prompting Virgin Media O2 Business to conduct a comprehensive study on the future of work.

Rotor Technologies, a player in autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, has announced the launch and commencement of production for the R550X, the market's largest uncrewed civilian helicopter.

Discovery Park Ventures (DPV) has recently announced an increase in its early-stage life science fund from £1 million to £3 million.

Toqio, a configurable embedded finance platform, recently underwent a transformation, evolving from a SaaS financial service development portal to a comprehensive embedded finance orchestration platform.

In 2023 the business world has undergone significant changes compared to the pre-pandemic era, with inflation, hybrid working models, complex communication systems and finding new and innovative ways to manage workforces proving difficult to balance.  

Klarytee, a software platform dedicated to embedding security within data for large organisations handling sensitive information, has successfully completed a £700,000 pre-Seed funding round.

Accessibility. It’s a word with a meaning that is special to my heart. I am passionate about creating a more equal world where people and businesses within emerging markets can participate, grow, and thrive on a global scale. The pool of untapped entrepreneurial talent in those regions needs the opportunity to flourish.

The Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre (SBREC) is the City of London Corporation's small business startup support service, open to all pre-startups, small businesses, and SMEs in the City, London, and UK.

This series of Technology Briefings for Startups Magazine will review critical and influential trends, aiming to help business leaders identify opportunities to leverage in their own business development plans. Following the opening feature, on the capabilities and importance of sensors, we will examine how AI is raising both computing performance and efficiency.