In 2024, AI unsurprisingly continued to take the business world by storm – with 72% of businesses integrating this technology into at least one business function. From AI chatbots to AI coding assistants – the possibilities of AI are endless, and businesses are grasping the opportunities it has to offer with both hands.

The healthcare system is under strain: overloaded doctors, mounting administrative burdens, and patient care pathways stretched to breaking point. As demand on services continues to grow, digital solutions are becoming more critical in transforming how healthcare is delivered. But what are the startups doing to address these real-time challenges?

January can be about resolutions, but really, it should be about goals if you want to achieve anything.

First aid charity St John Ambulance has declared 2025 the year of holistic workplace health, warning that organisations must proactively address outdated approaches to first aid in the workplace to best protect their employees.

Every year, Startups Magazine makes a list to highlight some of the incredible women in our network and 2024 was no different.

Over the past two years, rising interest rates, and inflation in the UK have forced many businesses to scale back operations. Recent tax increases outlined in the Budget have further compounded the issue, prompting almost half of businesses to plan workforce reductions and almost two-thirds scaling back hiring.

Ideas fuel innovation, leading to continual developments throughout the technological landscape and redefining what is possible in the modern world. Yet, for too long, the flow of ideas has been limited to select teams or individuals, often stifling the full potential of creativity within organisations and wider society. Democratising ideas – creating equal opportunity for idea generation, deployment, and evaluation – resolves this issue.

Sustainable packaging is becoming an increasingly important aspect of product design for any modern business. It involves using materials and methods that have a minimal impact on the environment, such as recyclable, biodegradable or renewable materials.

I never thought my ADHD would become my startup superpower. For years, I watched other entrepreneurs follow traditional business advice that didn't click with my brain. But here's the thing about founders with ADHD: we're not just managing challenges; we're sitting on a goldmine of unique strengths that can revolutionise how we build and grow companies.

For ages, founders have strived to create products so innovative that they spawn entirely new business categories. As a founder though, I believe that attempting to create new business categories from scratch is much more arduous, and potentially disastrous, than focusing on building great products that disrupt existing ones.

During lockdown, remote working was mandated, with millions of British professionals having their first taste when introduced in March 2020. To sweeten the pill, the virtues of remote working were extolled by Government and business figures, and the nation laughed sympathetically, as clips of home-based public figures having video interviews crashed by children went viral.

Customer retention is a foundation for stable business growth, and email gamification is just the right equipment. Getting customers involved and entertained forms a deeper sense of loyalty. How is that?

During October 2024, Amazon Web Services' (AWS) GenAI Loft in London became a hub of activity, sparking collaboration and experimentation to accelerate the transformative power of generative AI. Through engaging startup demos, insightful expert panels, and educational sessions, the Loft showcased how founders are harnessing cutting-edge technologies, such as large language models (LLMs), to drive innovation across industries.

Edinburgh-based investment syndicate, Archangels, led £27.3 million of investment during 2024 in some of Scotland’s best early-stage tech and life science companies.

People – whether employees, customers or stakeholders – are the only reason any business exists. After all, it’s people who create companies to fulfil human needs and desires.

Gone are the days when Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) accountability fell only on the big corporations. Today, we see increasing regulatory demands, evolving consumer preferences and intensifying climate concerns. All of these place ESG principles as not just a moral imperative, but a strategic business necessity for startups and SMEs alike, helping them drive growth, resilience and profitability.

Small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-SMEs are the backbone of the economy, driving innovation, employment, and growth. But these businesses often operate on tight margins and face numerous challenges, from economic uncertainty and rising costs to evolving risks.

IQ is undeniably a strong predictor of success, and there’s no way around that. It plays a critical role at a global level, especially in determining early career opportunities. For instance, not everyone has the IQ to complete a medical degree or excel as a computer engineer.

Given how fast-paced the world of startups is, keeping an eye on the newest market trends and staying ahead of them isn’t just smart play – it’s an essential element of success and survival. In the US alone, there are roughly 4.7 million businesses that launch every year. Globally? It’s hard to even begin counting.

Neurent Medical, the Irish MedTech company at the forefront of treatments for chronic inflammatory sino-nasal diseases, has secured funding from the Claret European Growth Capital Fund III (CEGCF III).