For almost two decades, since the SaaS boom, it’s become standard for businesses to rely on patchworks of third-party platforms, apps, and tools. Either to support their own operations, offer new services, or simply keep up with the pace of tech. In the early days, such solutions were the most cost-effective way to scale. They gave quick access to features without the need for in-house development, and the costs that come with it, and could be built around legacy systems that were too expensive to replace.

More than a third (38%) of finance brokers say lower taxes are needed to boost SME growth this year, according to iwoca’s latest SME Expert Index. This is double the next choice of reforming business rates (19%).

FemTech Conference 2025, organised by Women in Tech, unites women from Belarus and beyond to explore the potential of FemTech. Is your chance to explore FemTech, join the movement, and make an impact. You will find useful formats such as networking, speed mentoring and real success stories. The main program will be held offline on March 3 at Google Campus (Warsaw), while side events will run online from March 3 to 6. 

South Summit, in collaboration with IE University, is organizing a new edition of the ‘Scaleup Series’ in London on February 27. This series of events aims to strengthen connections among leading European scaleup entrepreneurs and founders, create a space to share best practices, trends, and insights, and explore business, investment, and economic growth opportunities.

For startups and mature companies operating internationally, understanding the value added tax (VAT) registration process is essential for maintaining compliance with tax regulations.

RegNav, an AI-powered compliance management platform, and MedTech Innovator (MTI), the large accelerator of medical technology companies, have announced that RegNav has joined MTI’s Industry Partners ecosystem.

The world of work is changing faster than ever. But let’s be honest – hasn’t it always been? The industrial revolution gave us factories. The digital revolution gave us laptops. And now, we’re in the middle of something even bigger: a revolution of independence.

Ongoing discussions among industry leaders about AI, including those from this month’s Paris AI summit, have the potential to democratise AI and inspire larger enterprises to actively support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in adopting it, levelling the playing field and driving innovation.

Small business owners across the UK are facing a harsh reality – many are too overworked and financially stretched to take a much-needed holiday, potentially pushing themselves to the brink of burnout. According to new research from InsureandGo, a significant portion of the UK’s 5.51 million small business owners are missing out on holidays to keep their businesses running, highlighting the challenges of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.   

The beehive is the ultimate business case study for complex organisations and working life today. On this National Leadership Day, Philip Atkinson, leadership team expert, organisational coach, founder of Hive-Logic Coaching & Communications, and author of ‘Bee Wise - 12 Leadership Lessons from Inside a Busy Hive’ lifts the lid on what happens in a hive and explains what we can learn for creating harmony and teamwork in the fast moving world of technology startups today.

Humane’s Ai Pin has been on a journey since it was originally teased at Paris Fashion Week. Becoming one of the most talked about gadgets in recent years, to receiving scathing reviews upon launch and dropping the price of the product, to the news of Humane’s assets being acquired by tech giant HP.

New research from YuLife’s ‘Getting Workplace Wellbeing Right in 2025’ report highlights a gender gap in employee wellbeing, with financial uncertainty and job stability influencing career decisions in the coming year.

Vinita Rathi is the CEO and Founder of Systango, a digital engineering services company specialising in generative AI, Web3, blockchain, automation, and cloud solutions.

Aura Funerals, the digital end-of-life planning and funeral service, has announced a successful £750,000 funding round through Angel Investment Network, the online angel investment platform. This marks Aura's third successful raise through the network. The funds were raised as part of a larger £3.2 million growth funding round.

The year 2025 started with a shockwave for the AI community. Launched by a relatively obscure Chinese startup, DeepSeek not only challenged the rules of the AI game by sending NVIDIA's stock plummeting 17% in one day and becoming the most-downloaded app on the App Store and Play Store, but also showed the persisting security problems by accidentally exposing its database and leaking sensitive data including chat histories, API keys, and backend operational details.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has welcomed the first businesses to join its new 5G Ecosystem at Daresbury Laboratory, designed to support and accelerate innovation among businesses. 

According to GRiD, over the next 12 months, nearly a third (31%) of employers intend to increase their investment in employee benefits to provide support for staff. However, almost the same number (29%) of employers are looking to increase investment into funding support directly, which the industry body for the group risk sector believes is a concern.

We've all experienced how online shopping has transformed retail. But this digital revolution comes with an inconvenient truth: every package delivered to our doorsteps has an environmental cost.

StructureFlow, the visual modelling platform designed for navigating complex corporate structures, transactions, and processes, has acquired Blue J Diagramming, a visualisation tool widely used by accountancy and tax professionals. This move aligns with Blue J’s broader strategy to concentrate on its generative AI solution for tax research, marking a shift in its business focus.

Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD), a startup working in gallium nitride (GaN) power devices, has successfully closed a $32 million Series C funding round. The investment was led by a strategic investor with participation from British Patient Capital and supported by existing investors Parkwalk, BGF, Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), Foresight Group, and  IQ Capital.