On Thursday, 7th November, 2024, Playfair will host a remote office hours event, bringing together over 300 female founders from across Europe with 200 of the world’s top venture capital firms.

BGF, one of the UK and Ireland’s growth capital investors, recently surveyed the CEOs and founders from its 400-strong investment portfolio ahead of the Government’s October Budget. The findings shed light on the concerns and outlooks of business leaders across various sectors.

Digital analytics has become an essential tool for businesses, but it remains notoriously difficult for many to implement and use effectively. While larger organisations with ample resources can overcome the hurdles of setting up and managing analytics systems, smaller companies and startups often find themselves struggling.

Kore.ai, a generative and conversational AI, has introduced RecruitAssist, an advanced AI recruitment platform aimed at helping organisations streamline their hiring processes. The solution is designed to enable hiring teams to make smarter, faster, and more equitable decisions, addressing several key challenges recruiters face today.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) has kicked off its annual ‘Ready Steady Grow’ roadshow, aiming to raise awareness about the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) throughout the UK.

UP Ventures has announced the launch of the Kids UP HealthTech Accelerator, a pioneering programme aimed at revolutionising paediatric healthcare through innovative medical technologies. Created in collaboration with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, the accelerator seeks to drive advances in children's healthcare by fostering innovation with direct input from children and young people.

Zapp Electric Vehicles Group Limited, the British brand committed to transforming personal urban mobility, has announced that its operating subsidiaries have successfully completed homologation with Thailand’s Department of Land Transportation.

A group of former Pfizer employees have launched their own businesses, now thriving within the life sciences hub of Discovery Park in Kent. The newly established companies – Biowaived, Matheus Engineering, and Particology – are contract research organisations, each benefitting from initial support and contracts from Pfizer’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Small Molecule (PSSM) division.

Osmos has launched an AI-powered platform that facilitates meaningful, one-on-one connections, specifically designed for professionals seeking deep and purposeful communication.

Opportuna has officially launched, unveiling its first investment strategy, with a target of $30 million. The fund will focus on direct venture secondaries and late-stage primaries, seeking to meet the rising demand for liquidity in the venture capital market.

Starting a business is exciting, but it comes with its fair share of responsibilities. One of those is something that is easy to overlook, which is premises liability.

Desia, an AI-driven intelligence and productivity platform for investment professionals, has secured $3.3 million in pre-seed funding, led by Dig Ventures. This funding will accelerate the development and scaling of Desia’s platform, with the goal of reshaping how the financial investment sector operates.

The goal of the newly established Tech Happy Hours technology event is to put Prague on the European startup map and create a flagship event based on Finland's SLUSH or Estonia's Tartu. Up to 400 participants from the CEE region consisting of startup enthusiasts, venture capital investors, leading corporations, and young people from technology universities, will gather in one place.

A recent study by claims automation firm, Sprout.ai, highlighted that 65% of insurance claims handlers have observed a rise in fraudulent claims since the onset of the cost of living crisis. Of those surveyed, 19% estimated that up to one in four claims now include fake or altered documentation, generated through AI and digital tools.

Before I start, I want to make one thing very clear, the rise of women is never about the fall of men. For me, this statement encapsulates the essence of equality, it’s not a zero-sum game.

Switchee, a UK-based tech company focused on improving social housing, has developed an approach to measuring home efficiency at scale using real-world data. Its Smart Meter Insights technology enables housing providers to accurately assess the thermal performance of homes, including metrics like Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC), Heat Loss Parameter (HLP), Space Heat Demand (SHD), and running costs.

AI Expo Europe 2024, the continent's leading artificial intelligence conference, is set to bring together over 3,000 industry leaders, innovators, and AI enthusiasts on October 6-7, 2024. This landmark event, organised by the founders of Crypto Expo Europe, will feature 100+ international speakers, 30+ exhibitors, and 50+ workshops and seminars, making it the largest and most comprehensive AI gathering in Europe this year.

The American poet Emily Dickinson wrote that “the truth must dazzle gradually, or every man be blind.” When it comes to startups harnessing technology and the future of work, however, there is no time for gradual discovery.

AxonJay, a deeptech AI company and multi-award winner, has secured €1.5 million in seed funding to scale its AI-assistants globally. Known for its Self-Machine-Learning Platform, AxonJay's AI tools empower business leaders to make real-time decisions with 80% greater accuracy.

Last year was a record year for new business. According to NatWest’s New StartUp Index, more than 900,000 new companies were incorporated in the UK in 2023, representing 12% year-on-year growth.