In the fast-moving world of startups, momentum is key. You're constantly pitching, hiring, negotiating, and closing deals, often all in the same day. Amid the whirlwind, contracts can become just another item on the to-do list, signed and filed away with barely a second thought.

With social media, networking events, and digital tools for connection, it’s easy to forget that building connections didn’t always take place online. In fact, all business was once driven by old-fashion social networks, and there’s still immense value in that.

Founders building businesses utilising Web3 and or AI technology can now take advantage of a joint initiative from Block Dojo, an early-stage Venture Builder, and Spreckley, an independent B2B PR firm.

British Business Bank has announced a new £400 million Investor Pathways Capital initiative which will support diverse and emerging fund managers across the economy and make it easier for new entrants, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to break into venture capital. The initiative, which will capture the value of a more inclusive investment ecosystem, is expected to launch in 2026.  

Cyberattacks are no longer limited to large corporations, in fact 42% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reported experiencing a cybersecurity breach or attack last year. For SMBs, a single breach can lead to severe consequences. In fact, six in 10 (60%) small companies go out of business within six months of a cyber-attack. From ransomware and phishing to leaked credentials sold on the dark web, today’s attacks are more frequent, more sophisticated, and more damaging. 

Recent research from Vodafone revealed that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK are losing a total of £3.4 billion annually to cyber attacks, with phishing being the dominant form of attack against small businesses. At a time when an ever-growing number of cyber criminals are taking advantage of artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) capabilities to improve the success of their attacks, the threat to SMEs is exacerbated.

Belgian biosurfactants developer AmphiStar has been awarded €12.5 million in funding following the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) latest evaluation round.

Data from the skill profiles of 23,000 professionals across 3,600 AI startups reveals that Europe’s top AI innovators combine tech expertise with sector-specific and ‘soft’ multidisciplinary skills – outperforming those reliant only on general tech and computing skills.

Research by Towergate Employee Benefits among UK companies with overseas employees shows that only 36% of companies offer different health and wellbeing support depending upon the country in which their employees are based.

After her personal experience with the condition, a former Ernst Young (EY) corporate lawyer and founder of the successful French PCOS blog Les Natives, has raised €1.6 million in seed funding to help women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

As economic development efforts like those of StartUpNV continue to support the growth of the Nevada’s startup ecosystem, a new $10 million venture capital fund called the 1864 Fund has launched to invest primarily in highly scalable startups with at least $500,000 in sales in the western region of the United States.

Weavr has announced their Associate Membership with Visa. As a Visa Associate Member and one of its embedded finance partners in Europe, Weavr is now empowering SaaS companies to integrate Visa-powered financial products into their platforms, focusing initially on the rapidly growing sector of employee benefits.

The percentage of UK small businesses predicting growth has fallen for the fourth consecutive quarter, plummeting to the low levels seen during the lockdown era of 2020, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

My moment of clarity in knowing that I wanted to build businesses for a living came in an unusual place: a US Open qualifier.

A new survey has revealed that sexual harassment remains widespread and underreported in UK workplaces, prompting renewed pressure on employers to act as legal reforms advance.

AI-powered enterprise intelligence and automation platform Oraion has raised $3.5 million in a pre-seed funding round to support product development and accelerate expansion into the US and Latin America. The investment will also enable Oraion to expand its team, with the aim of tripling the workforce to 45 staff focused on engineering, R&D, and go-to-market by the end of 2026.

XPANCEO, a deeptech startup that is focused on redefining computing through smart contact lenses, has confirmed the close of its $250 million Series A funding round, pushing its valuation to $1.35 billion and marking its entry into unicorn territory.

Future Labs Live USA returns to Philadelphia this October, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and disruptors from across the United States and Europe for two transformative days of insight, collaboration, and discovery. As the laboratory industry continues to experience rapid development, this event serves as a critical platform for those shaping the future of lab environments across sectors.

The upcoming Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) programme features the continent’s entire carbon markets value chain in what is a compelling combination of successful early carbon market movers, climate-finance-ready projects, regulatory bodies as well as global institutional development organisations and investors. The event is taking place in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 October, with pre-conference sessions on 21 October.

Helsinki-based e-mobility tech startup, Donut Lab, continues its remarkable journey with a busy and productive first half to 2025.