
PopSockets turned phone backs into a $169 million business
PopSockets began as a garage prototype in 2011, converting the unused back of smartphones into a grip accessory. By 2017 the company generated $169 million in revenue, driven by word‑of‑mouth growth, celebrity endorsements, and embedding the product into daily phone use.

The Irish government and the EU have injected €34.3 million into a new ARC Hub for HealthTech, officially launched at the University of Galway. The hub, part of Research Ireland’s Accelerating Research to Commercialisation programme, brings together University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University and RCSI to fast‑track 23 projects focused on chronic disease management, smart implants, wearables and AI‑driven modelling. Early showcases include fall‑prevention sensors for the elderly and intelligent blood‑pressure devices. Applications are now open for additional ventures seeking commercialisation support.
StormHarvester, a Belfast‑based startup, leverages machine learning and hyper‑local rainfall forecasting to give wastewater utilities real‑time insight into sewer levels, blockages and inflow. The company now works with 11 UK utilities, has deployed over 270,000 sensors worldwide and offers a...

The UK Government has launched a new campaign urging small‑ and medium‑size enterprises to adopt the Cyber Essentials framework after research showed that 50% of SMEs suffered a cyber attack in the past year. The study also revealed that cyber...
On a previous #TeawithGaryVee I was asked how someone could take advantage of the opportunity presented by live shopping on platforms like WhatNot, since India is "not in yet" If you have a question for me, drop it here https://t.co/QjOodl7fTy so...
In this episode of Founder Firesides, @harjtaggar talks to the founders of @usepylon - @marty_kausas, @advith_c, and @rengrenghello - who recently raised a $51M Series B. Pylon is an AI-native customer support platform built for B2B companies. It helps support, success,...
Kilo has launched KiloClaw, a fully managed service that provisions a production‑ready OpenClaw agent in under 60 seconds, removing the need for SSH, Docker, or YAML setup. The platform runs on multi‑tenant VMs hosted by Fly.io, providing enterprise‑grade isolation, security...

Prenew, an Espoo‑based marketplace for refurbished gaming PCs, has raised €1.8 million in a round led by Antler, with participation from several European VCs and operator syndicates. The funding will finance expansion into new European markets and a hiring surge of...
Handmade marketplace Goimagine announced it will shut down on March 23, 2026, with its website and seller dashboard disabled shortly after. The platform never achieved the traffic needed to compete with dominant players like Etsy, leading to unsustainable scale. Sellers are instructed...
Finnish sport‑tech firm Zenniz secured a $6 million financing round to accelerate its global rollout of all‑in‑one smart tennis courts. The round, led by Butterfly Ventures with participation from Superhero Capital, Seventure Partners, Bromélia Capital and angel investor Miki Kuusi, will fund...

To all developers, Solopreneurs and indie hackers: How do you follow trends in your particular niche? How do you know what is demanding and what to build next?

HRLocker’s Irish SME HR Report reveals that a majority of Irish small and medium‑size enterprises are at risk of GDPR and Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) violations due to chaotic HR document storage. Sixty‑six percent of respondents keep employee records in...

Stephen Kelly, chief executive of data‑management firm Cirata, warned that UK businesses face a perfect storm of AI‑driven disruption, geopolitical tension and reliance on overseas data infrastructure. He argued that data sovereignty and robust disaster‑recovery planning are now essential to...

In this episode, Julian interviews Reto Bolliger, co‑founder and CEO of Chase, an online marketplace that lets consumers compare and purchase extended car warranties at prices up to 40% lower than dealership offers. Reto shares his eclectic entrepreneurial journey—from classical...

The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies (ACDC) launched today as a coalition of emerging defence technology firms seeking a unified voice in Ottawa. Co‑chairs Eliot Pence and Paul Ziadé argue that Canada’s ambitious procurement targets require clear representation from Canadian‑owned...

CBS News contributor David Begnaud has founded an independent media company called Do Good Crew, which will produce a weekly newsletter, a podcast, and live events spotlighting everyday heroes. The venture’s inaugural podcast episode features an interview with Oprah Winfrey....

Toronto chef Brandon Olsen and entrepreneur Michael Held are launching As We Do Chocolate, a premium Canadian‑made chocolate manufacturer aimed at the B2B market. The venture seeks to fill a gap left by U.S. and European conglomerates by offering high‑quality,...

Toronto AI startup General Magic announced a $7.2 million financing round led by Radical Ventures with participation from a16z Speedrun and several angel investors. The company’s agentic AI texting platform automates insurance customer interactions across quoting, coverage queries, and claims, promising...

Infra.Market, the Indian B2B construction‑materials platform, is raising ₹1,250 crore (≈$137 million) in debt from Singapore‑based Ascertis Credit. The loan will be secured by the company’s assets, promoter shares and stakes in its subsidiaries such as RDC Concrete and Neptune Readymix. Proceeds...

After a funding round, many startups rush to add senior leaders, creating a layer of management that outpaces the business’s actual growth. This "management bloat" slows decision‑making, fragments culture, and dilutes execution speed. The article argues that founders should hire...

Wishlink secured $17.5 million in a Series B round led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, bringing its total funding to $27.5 million. The platform now supports over 40,000 active creators who produce more than 300,000 pieces of content each month, driving...

StorageNewsletter announced Xinnor as Startup of the Year at its inaugural 2026 awards, selected from more than 100 entries across 11 categories. The jury highlighted Xinnor’s pure‑software approach to large‑scale data protection, a segment gaining urgency as AI and high‑performance...
Entrepreneurs: NEVER give “equity” to an employee without a 4-year vesting schedule and 1-year cliff. IDGAF who it is!
Starting a digital marketing agency involves a systematic 12‑step process, from selecting the agency type and niche to establishing pricing models and building a team. The guide emphasizes defining ideal clients, investing in your own SEO, and using retainer contracts...

Climate‑tech startup Newtrace announced a Rs 28 crore pre‑Series A round, led by HDFC Bank with participation from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and existing backers. The funding, issued via 2,541 convertible preference shares, keeps the post‑money valuation flat at Rs 237 crore ($26 million). Proceeds will fund product...
Irish startup MyCelsius announced the upcoming Irish launch of its cooling bracelet, following a successful UK debut. Co‑founder and CTO Aonghus O’Donovan highlighted the device’s ultra‑compact, high‑power cooling technology designed to alleviate hot flushes and heat stress, especially for women....

Flo Mobility has introduced AI‑driven autonomous mobile robots that transport construction materials without manual labor, promising up to 45% faster delivery and 50% cost reductions. The Bengaluru startup raised a $2.5 million pre‑Series A round, bringing its total funding to roughly ₹23 crore,...
Blind technologist Kartik Sawhney leveraged his personal accessibility challenges to create Samora AI, a voice‑first platform built on OpenAI models that tackles India’s noisy, multilingual call environment. The startup combines Whisper transcription, GPT‑4/5 reasoning, and expressive TTS with custom telephony...

GIVA, the Bengaluru‑based D2C jewellery startup, posted FY25 revenue of ₹518 Cr, an 89% jump from the prior year, while its consolidated net loss widened 23% to ₹72.3 Cr. The surge was driven by rapid offline store expansion, higher material costs and...

Safaricom is piloting Shiriki Pay, a mini‑app inside the M‑PESA super app that lets a sponsor delegate up to two beneficiaries a monthly spending allowance drawn directly from the sponsor’s wallet. The feature caps usage, supports Buy Goods, Paybill, Pochi...
How to stay at $0 MRR: - Wake up with an idea - Spend 3 hours on the logo - Research competitors all day - Plan the perfect tech stack - Watch startup YouTube - Redesign the landing page - Tell yourself "next week" - Repeat. Instead: Ship something broken...

In this episode, founder Mike Kurtz recounts the origins and explosive growth of Mike's Hot Honey, from a spontaneous discovery on a Brazilian hiking trip to its adoption by major chains like Taco Bell and KFC. He details the grassroots...

Hilary Coles and Emily Boschwitz, former Hims executives, have launched Poca, a zero‑calorie sweetener syrup enriched with three grams of fiber per serving. The product combines allulose, monk fruit, and inulin, avoiding sugar alcohols and stevia, and is offered in portable sachets...

The objective for @subclip_app is to become the reference for video creators. So we just added a dedicated feature to create teasing posts, based on your video transcript Wdyt?

AI will unleash the most vibrant new market there could be. Cognition becoming cheap means we will do more with less, emphasis on doing more. https://t.co/jGKgs06jTi

Straion, a governance layer for AI‑generated code, closed a €1.1 million seed round led by Marathon VC. The startup aims to replace the “prompt‑and‑pray” development model by centralising organisational rules and validating AI‑generated plans before execution. Its platform integrates with tools...
I just published How AI-Enabled Startups Are Moving Faster — and Rewriting the VC Playbook https://t.co/q79JMDzaab

Corporate Risk Practices Are Not Applied to Small Business. Large institutions protect cash flow with layered security—collateral, personal guarantees, and cash flow analysis. Most entrepreneurs don’t think this way. The Business Fortress: https://t.co/cgIOurdGHq https://t.co/t6gGZlE72H

Arctic15 is marking its 15th anniversary with a June 11‑12, 2026 conference in Helsinki, featuring a curated showcase of 100 breakthrough startups, dedicated experience zones, and new LP‑GP and Defence Tech summits. The event emphasizes high‑quality, one‑to‑one matchmaking between founders...
How Disruption, Displacement, and Disappearing Entry-Level Roles Are Reshaping #Entrepreneurship in the US https://t.co/aTfYS7kzEg @TalInCollective #HCM #HRM #HumanResources #HRTech #CHRO #CPO #Hiring #Recruitment #PeopleManagement #Culture #Change #FutureofHR #HRCurator
Slate starts up with $130M and a headache drug from China https://t.co/6DEltQAI8s by @gwendolynawu #biotech #startups $HLUBF

Kenya’s Central Bank announced a consultancy to review the Central Bank Act and the Banking Act. The overhaul targets ambiguous provisions affecting digital banking, fintech regulation, consumer protection and cybersecurity. The current legal grey zone has delayed operating licences for...

Quidax, Nigeria’s newly licensed crypto exchange, has teamed up with Swiss blockchain platform Lisk to deliver regulated stablecoin and ether trading on Lisk’s layer‑2 network. The partnership arrives just weeks after Quidax halted its peer‑to‑peer service, signaling a shift from...
Enterprise Britain, a new movement launched by leading founders and investors, aims to create a supportive ecosystem for UK innovators and prevent startups from fleeing abroad. The initiative is overseen by an advisory board that includes Stephen Fitzpatrick of OVO...

ZeroMoblt, a student‑mobility platform founded in April 2024, announced a pre‑seed round of ₹1.5 crore co‑led by JioMart CEO Sandeep Varaganti, Ashok Agrawal and high‑net‑worth investors. The capital will accelerate its AI‑native technology, expand operations across key Indian education hubs, and...
Founders who have survived the 90% failure rate can monetize their hard‑won experience by offering paid consulting or advisory equity. The article outlines three consulting formats—hourly sessions, project work, and retainers—and stresses pricing based on impact rather than time. It...

Czech AI startup ValkaAI closed a €12 million pre‑seed round, one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe, led by Rockaway Ventures with participation from J&T Ventures, Tensor Ventures, BD Partners and Fond Naše Česko. The funding will fuel development of...
I lost $7k testing a jewellery product everyone said was a guaranteed winner. It flopped. I spent $500 on a 'boring' kitchen gadget. It's now doing $30k/month. The market doesn't care about your gut feeling. Test everything.

Bewakoof founder and CEO Prabhkiran Singh announced his resignation after 14 years at the helm. Singh will stay on through March 2026 to oversee a structured handover while prioritising his health and family. The departure coincides with TMRW’s majority‑stake acquisition...

London‑based Tewke closed a £1.5 million second‑stage round, backed by JamJar, Cur8, Energy Mix Ventures, Project Ventures and Revolut CTO Vlad Yatsenko. The company’s Tap device, engineered in the UK, retrofits without a neutral wire and can be installed in minutes,...
InnoScot Health has launched a call for early‑stage innovators—including final‑year trainees, first‑year practitioners, SMEs and student entrepreneurs—to submit ideas that improve patient care, efficiency, workforce wellbeing, or enable data‑driven remote care. Successful applicants will receive a support package covering intellectual‑property...