Women exit from their businesses for 25% less than their male peers on average, wealth management firm Evelyn Partners has revealed.

Once an afterthought in most transactions – except in pure technology acquisitions – intellectual property (IP) is moving to the centre of deal-making. Software, data, and AI shape nearly every product and service, and the know-how, data sets, and IP rights behind them increasingly determine whether a deal delivers its growth story.

Running a small business is rewarding, but demanding. From serving customers to managing cashflow and dealing with economic uncertainty, you are constantly juggling different demands and roles. The daily grind can also make it easy to forget about your accomplishments, and our latest research shows fewer than half (43%) of small businesses regularly get the opportunity to pause and celebrate their wins.

Omnea, an AI-native procurement intake and orchestration platform, has raised a $50 million Series B funding round to accelerate its shift to a new era of AI-powered supplier relationship management. The round was led by Insight Partners and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Accel, Point Nine, First Round Capital, and Prosus, bringing total funding to over $75 million.

Time pressures are limiting the ability of small businesses to focus on growth, according to new American Express research, with over two-fifths (43%) of small businesses looking to AI to help tackle this challenge.  

Over my career I’ve worked with countless startups – some of which have gone on to become household names. The ones that stand out offer more than great products or clever marketing. They have a beating heart. They create moments that make people feel – joy, excitement, pride, nostalgia.

Venture debt financing is an increasingly popular source of funding for growth companies in Europe, reaching record highs in 2024 with a deal value of €25.4 billion, according to PitchBook. With this growing interest, we are seeing a broader range of providers in the market, from established financial institutions to a wide range of funds.  

MicroFactory has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from a set of visionary backers, including Clement Delangue, the founder of Hugging Face, and Naval Ravikant, early investor in Uber and Twitter, giving the company a post-money cap of $30 million.

The Pharma Partnering Summit, a global premier conference series dedicated to strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry. This high-impact conference brings together top executives from pharma, biotech, investment firms, and advisory groups for two dynamic days of deal-making, networking, and thought leadership.

Amazon is expanding its commitment to climate-focused innovation by welcoming 11 startups and scaleups into the latest ClimateTech cohort of its Sustainability Accelerator.

Small businesses are grappling with significant hurdles when it comes to hiring, new data has revealed.

UK SMEs and micro businesses continue to be dissatisfied with the level of proactive advice and personal service they receive from their main bank, according to new research from RFI Global.

360Learning has launched its L&D Performance Academy – a free, ATD-accredited, interactive online Academy built to help learning and development professionals future-proof their careers and drive measurable business impact in the age of AI.

OX Delivers, the UK-based electric vehicle startup, and Wahu Mobility, Ghana’s manufacturer of durable and connected electric bikes, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to enhance electric mobility solutions that boost business, create jobs, and make a positive sustainable impact in Ghana.

Research from Towergate Employee Benefits reveals that only 14% of employers strongly agree that they have a good understanding of their employees’ needs across all four pillars of health and wellbeing: physical, mental, social, and financial.

Anthemis, an early-stage investment firm, and Cambridge AI Venture Partners (CAIVP), a team comprised of industry experts Sir Andy Hopper, Prof. Rob Mullins, Dr Gavin Ferris, and Mike Halsall, announce the launch of CommonAI, a collaborative engineering and computing platform for AI-enabled startups, enterprises, engineers, academics, and investors. 

BIOWEG, a German biotechnology company developing high-performance, biodegradable ingredients to replace intentionally added acrylic polymer based microplastics, has closed a €16 million Series A round.

Clarity, an AI-powered customer-experience and voice-of-customer (VoC) platform for highly regulated industries, has raised $12 million in new funding. The round is led by Prosus Ventures with participation from STV Al Fund (backed by Google), Sukna Ventures, Wamda Capital, Neo, Oraseya Capital, Phaze Ventures, Propeller, Tech Invest Com, and angels from OpenAI and Google.

There is a growing disconnect between employee expectations and what organisations are delivering, putting pressure on HR leaders to rethink hiring, leadership development, and retention strategies.

Aberdeen’s ONE Tech Hub has welcomed two ambitious tenants, energy tech company Energy Insider and AI startup VetAI, further cementing the hub’s role as the home of the region’s digital tech sector, one of the UK’s fastest growing.