A new report from MIT recently sent shockwaves through the AI world: 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots deliver zero return on investment. Companies are moving fast with AI; some argue too fast. A wave of products are rushing to bolt on generative models, often with the same pattern: “Look what it can do!” But rarely: “How is this improving customer experience?”

Clarifeye, the platform enabling organisations to build expert AI agents at scale, has announced that it has raised a €4 million pre-seed round led by EQT Ventures. The round also includes participation from Drysdale Ventures, Olivier Pomel (CEO and founder Datadog), Jean-Luc Robert (ex-CEO Kyriba), Alexandre Berriche (Fleet), and other prominent angel investors.

HyET Solaris, the Dutch innovator in ultra-lightweight solar foils, announced it has entered into agreement with UK-based investors Aequitas Carbon Ltd and Abbeydale Partners LLP to fund the company with €60 million growth capital. The investment will finance the development of a new 50megawatt modular production facility in the Netherlands, with test production set for mid-2026 and full commercial output of flexible perovskite PV modules expected by Q4 2027.

The British Business Bank’s Debt Funds programme has made a positive impact on the UK debt market and finance ecosystem, according to an independent evaluation published today.

Digital Catapult has announced a £400,000 investment in deep tech startup Immersely to scale its solution and expand across the UK’s creative industries. Immersely’s tool could redefine the creative economy and fuel a steady pipeline of compelling new content, particularly in the design and development of video games.  

Qovery, a SaaS platform that automates DevOps and makes application deployment effortless on any cloud, has raised $13 million (€11.3 million) in Series A funding.

This autumn, Vienna will once again become a global epicentre where culture and technology join forces to bring positive societal changes. From 22nd - 23rd October, the CultTech Summit returns for its highly anticipated second edition. Set in the Aula der Wissenschaften, the Summit will transform this historic venue into a high-energy hub for startups, investors, and innovators at the cutting edge of culture and technology. Following last year’s sold-out debut with over 650 attendees, the 2025 edition will host 1,000+ participants ready to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the creative industries – and how startups can lead the charge.

 This October, Vienna will once again become a global hub where culture and technology join forces to bring positive societal changes. From 22nd - 23rd October, the CultTech Summit returns for its highly anticipated second edition, building on the success of last year’s sold-out debut, which gathered over 650 pioneers from across the cultural and tech sectors. 

South Summit Industry & Energy returns to Bilbao on 26th - 27th November 2025, to celebrate its fourth edition. Co-organised by South Summit and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the event will once again bring together leading experts, corporations, investors, and startups in Industry 4.0, the Energy Transition, and Mobility sectors at the BAT – B Accelerator Tower. 

Mimica has announced a $26.2 million Series B funding round led by Paladin Capital Group, with continued backing from Khosla Ventures, LGVP, and Entrepreneurs First.

IW Capital has invested £4 million into Navigator, a fast-scaling digital advertising platform that is redefining how brands reach millions of travelling consumers in a privacy-first world.

The founder of cybersecurity giant Mimecast has invested £3 million ($4 million) in Glasgow-based global recruitment technology platform Willo as the company accelerates development of tools designed to help employers automatically verify candidate credentials amid a surge in AI-generated job applications.

GoodFit, the AI-driven data platform redefining how companies go to market, has raised a $13M Series A led by Notion Capital, with participation from Salica Investments, Inovia Capital, Robin Capital, Common Magic, and Andrena Ventures.

SageMaster, co-founded by brothers Moyn Islam, CEO, and Ehsaan Islam, CTO, has been named the winner of Best Trading Solution at the Entrepreneur Middle East Tech Innovation Awards 2025, held in Dubai last night.

Over £4 million funding has been awarded to British businesses developing next-generation aviation technology, with winners announced today (29th September 2025).

We live and work in unprecedented times. As a founder of a high-growth business that specialises in work team transformation, I see first-hand how this impacts the organisations and teams that we partner with.

Pleo recently unveiled Pleo Embedded, a new solution that empowers businesses managing large networks of SMB customers to offer real-time financial intelligence via spend and cash management capabilities directly from their own platform.

When our CMOs work within startups, one of the most common things we hear is: “We need to set a marketing budget, but don’t know where to start.” Too often, the budget becomes a rear-view mirror exercise (what was spent last year) or a guessing game (what feels affordable). Done properly, though, your marketing budget isn’t just an overhead, it’s a powerful, strategic driver for growth.

For many founders, selling a startup is the ultimate milestone – an opportunity to turn years of hard work into a well-earned reward. But while the headlines often highlight valuations and buyouts, the reality is more complex. Exiting a company is not just about numbers. It is a legal process that demands foresight, discipline, and meticulous preparation.

The UK has set ambitious goals for innovation, positioning itself as a hub for science and technology on the global stage. But while the appetite for R&D remains strong, the reality for many businesses is that their ability to claim R&D tax relief now hinges less on ambition and more on compliance.