European VC funds are raising a record amount of capital in recent years - $13B in 2018 with over 40% going into funds greater than €250M. Venture is not only a vital source for startup companies to achieve growth and create value through innovation - it is key for the overall economy. In essence, it is a two-sided business, where exceptional founders are matched with capital. While a lot has been said and written about the ‘front’ facing side of the venture industry, how do venture capital firms emerge and raise their funds?

Businesses, whether they’re established, starting up or looking to grow, all have one thing in common. The need to be agile and aware.  And, if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that businesses can adapt to a changing market and they can do it very quickly.

UK startup, Flare Bright has announced that it has won a UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) contract to rapidly innovate it's SnapShot product.   

Technology startup inploi has launched a string of new features adding tens of thousands of job opportunities to their platform and positioning it squarely as the professional community to connect the New Collar Workforce with companies that want to engage and hire from this demographic. inploi notes that 82% of their user base does not have a LinkedIn profile.

Online investment platform, Seedrs has announced the next evolution of its secondary offering. Opening up its popular secondary market platform to all private businesses, allowing founders, employees and early investors to realise secondary liquidity without having to wait for an IPO or exit event.

Global small business platform, Xero has released new metrics on the health of the UK’s small business community in July from its Xero Small Business Insights (SBI) program, in partnership with research firm AlphaBeta (part of Accenture).

Just as small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, cash is the beating heart of every SME. But getting cash flow wrong can have devastating consequences, so how can businesses use the fintech industry to protect themselves and create stability in the most uncertain of times?

The use of digital gift cards has grown dramatically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis in the US, according to a new survey by Rise.ai, a startup that offers AI-driven customer re-engagement solutions.

OVHcloud have announced a brand-new Hosted Private Cloud range, with the release of the first product in the suite: Hosted Private Cloud Premier. The new product addresses the strategic needs of large organisations for performance, security and isolation and location of their data, while at the same time offering competitive pricing.

Tech Nation, the growth platform for tech companies and leaders, has launched its Unlocking Global Tech report, assessing the value of UK digital tech exports and exploring the opportunities and challenges for digital tech companies to expand and scale in different regions around the world post COVID-19. 

If you have come up with a catchy and distinctive brand name for your product or service and/or put in place a logo and design packaging, you may be wondering which specific branding elements you can protect as a trade mark.

We are in the year 2020, which means a lot of things. However, one major transition more people are turning to is sustainability and a meat-free world. Not just giving up meat as a food, but all animal based products, however, this can prove difficult when it comes to clothing and the fashion industry.

London Tech Week 2020 launches today showcasing the best of global tech and how it will play a crucial role in helping us navigate the challenges facing our changing world.

The ‘commute’ was falling out of favour prior to the pandemic, as an increasing number of office workers started to embrace flexible working.

On 1st September, Electronic Specifier will be bringing the latest products and technology trends together at the ‘Electronic Specifier Expo’. Attendees of this virtual event will have the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of industry experts who will be sharing the latest products, technologies and solutions in the industry, as well as contributing to an informative programme of webinars and motivating talks.

UK fintech R8 is rebranding as Mode in order to bring together the Group’s separate businesses under one common identity. Mode has also announced the appointment of ex-Alipay executive, Rita Liu, to the leadership team. Rita will help advance the Group’s vision of transitioning the world to a truly digital financial system that reduces friction and costs for consumers and merchants, and that gives digital assets the place they deserve in today’s modern economy.

A London-based entrepreneur has launched a startup to target the industry of high-cost lending.

A new resource for anyone who runs their own business - or is thinking of doing so - has been launched by one of the UK’s most prolific supporters of micro businesses. The Happipreneur - Why #MicroBizMatters? is 2020’s ultimate guide for enterprising people, dedicated to helping ambitious entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to achieve happiness and success by controlling their own destiny.

Phos, the fintech behind the first-ever software Point of Sale (POS), has today announced the extension of its partnership with Mastercard to introduce their innovative mobile payment solution. 12,000 small businesses across 12 European countries will now be able to accept contactless payments using their Android mobile devices, with this number set to increase over the coming months. This will allow merchants to digitalise their payment processes and offer more payment options to their customers, with the potential to drive sales and grow their businesses.

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank has looked to quantify exactly how much UK small businesses should be re-investing to succeed post-COVID-19. The study analysed data from over 1,000 companies and ranked their success on a scale that evaluated factors including productivity, growth, consistency and outlook.