Zeller Enters UK Market to Challenge Legacy SME Payments and Save Merchants £5.2bn
Australian fintech Zeller has entered the UK market, offering an integrated payments and financial services platform to the country’s 5.7 million SMEs. The launch follows a study indicating £22.7 billion (≈$28 billion) of payments are at risk due to legacy checkout friction, and Zeller claims its solution can cut card‑processing fees by up to 35%, translating to potential annual savings of £5.2 billion (≈$6.5 billion). The company’s fully digital onboarding takes under six minutes, compared with the industry average of five days, and more than 100 UK merchants have already signed up during the pre‑launch phase. Zeller, a unicorn after a A$100 million (≈$66 million) Series B round, aims to modernise the fragmented UK payments ecosystem.
Advancing Healthcare Innovation with the Mayo Clinic–ASU Health Care Accelerator and Industry
The Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University have launched the Mayo Clinic–ASU Health Care Accelerator, a program that moves early‑stage healthcare technologies toward clinical adoption. Intel’s General Manager Alex Flores discussed the accelerator on HIMSSCast, highlighting how sustained industry engagement,...
A Founder’s Guide to B2B Sales Without a Sales Team
Founders who act as their own salespeople often face a boom‑bust revenue cycle, juggling client delivery with inconsistent prospecting. The guide recommends systematizing sales by carving out dedicated time, categorizing leads, and using low‑cost tools. It also suggests outsourcing top‑of‑funnel...
Fashion Resale Platform Culture Circle Targets US $100 Million Revenue by FY ’27
Culture Circle, an Indian luxury fashion resale marketplace, reported FY26 GMV of Rs 153 crore (≈$16.1 million), a dramatic rise from $0.36 million in FY25. The platform now lists over 2.5 million products, serves more than five million monthly active users, and works with 7,000...
Most Co-Founders Meet when They’re Not Actively Looking for Business Partners, Data Reveals
Starling Bank’s Rise survey of 500 founders reveals that 60% of co‑founders met by chance, with friends, family, school or former workplaces serving as the primary channels. Traditional networking events accounted for only 17% of matches. Respondents cite complementary skills...
Optimized Electrotech Raises ₹35 Cr To Expand Into Space Imaging
Optimized Electrotech, a deep‑tech startup focused on electro‑optical defense systems, secured ₹35 Cr ($3.7 M) in a round led by Exfinity Ventures. The capital will fund satellite development and the launch of a real‑time imaging constellation for defence and security customers. The...
Jaipur Edition Of D2CX Converge Decodes ₹100 Cr Playbooks For D2C Brands
Inc42 and logistics firm Shadowfax hosted the D2CX Converge meetup in Jaipur, gathering over 70 D2C founders to discuss scaling brands to the ₹100 cr (~$12 m) mark. The event highlighted Blue Tokai’s omnichannel growth to over ₹650 cr (~$78 m) and shared diverse...
UK Robotic Construction Company All3 Raises $25M in Seed Round Funding
All3, a UK‑based construction robotics startup, closed a $25 million seed round led by RTP Global to accelerate its AI‑driven building platform. The company combines site‑specific AI design, off‑site robotic factories, and autonomous on‑site robots—chiefly the four‑legged Mantis—to fabricate and assemble...
Seed Funding Is Bigger Than Ever — And Harder To Get
Seed funding in the United States is expanding in dollar terms, but the landscape is polarizing. In 2025, more than half of all seed capital was allocated to deals of $10 million or larger, while the total number of seed rounds...
Koho Users Can Now Buy, Hold, and Manage Crypto
Toronto‑based fintech Koho has launched an in‑app crypto offering through a partnership with regulated exchange NDAX. Users can now buy, hold, sell and manage more than 20 digital assets—including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana—directly from their Koho balance. The service features...
Kenya’s WapiPay Expands Into Jamaica to Tap $2.5 Billion Remittance Market
WapiPay, the Nairobi‑based remittance platform, secured regulatory approval from the Bank of Jamaica to operate in Jamaica through a partnership with local payments firm JN Money Services. The launch aims to tap the island’s $2.5 billion annual remittance inflows, which represent...
Building Bharat’s Commerce Backbone: The Team Behind Shiprocket’s Rise
Shiprocket, founded by Saahil Goel, Gautam Kapoor and Akshay Ghulati, has evolved from a simple shipping‑aggregation tool into a full‑stack commerce platform that powers checkout, fulfillment, ads and cross‑border logistics for millions of Indian sellers. The leadership team, augmented by...
Leipzig’s Primogene Raises €4.1 Million to Scale Enzymatic Biomanufacturing of Complex Bioactive Molecules
Leipzig‑based biotech Primogene announced a €4.1 million (≈$4.5 million) seed round led by High‑Tech Gründerfonds to expand its enzymatic biomanufacturing platform. The funding will be used to scale production, grow the team, and broaden its IP portfolio and strategic partnerships. Primogene’s enzyme‑driven...
Avoca Closes $125M+ at $1B Valuation to Power America’s Services Economy With AI
Avoca, an AI platform for home‑service contractors, closed a Series B round that brings total funding above $125 million and lifts its valuation to $1 billion. The company’s voice‑and‑workflow automation handles inbound calls, schedules jobs, revives stale estimates and runs marketing campaigns around...
Cleo Labs Secures €1.5M to Scale AI-Driven Product Compliance Globally
Cleo Labs, a Paris‑based regtech startup, closed a €1.5 million (≈$1.6 million) funding round led by Larry Berger with participation from Kima Ventures, Financière Saint‑James and an Accel scout ticket. The capital will accelerate its AI‑driven platform that automates product regulatory compliance...
How Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre Is Driving Growth: ‘There's a Lot of Investors Tapping Into the Ecosystem’
The Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre is accelerating the city’s deep‑tech surge, with local startups raising £429 m (≈$550 m) across 34 deals in 2025, up from £417 m the year before. The centre’s Seed Fund and Catalyst Grant provide up to £100 k and...
GAMI Incubator #Finland: Six Months, Three Media-Startup Teams, Real Results
The WAN‑IFRA GAMI Incubator in Finland paired three media groups with tech startups over six months, delivering functional prototypes that are already in newsroom use. A‑lehdet and Neuwo launched the Tvink video‑recommendation app, while Sanoma and Limecraft built an AI‑driven...
China’s VOLANT Raises USD300 Million to Progress Its VE25-100 eVTOL Programme
Shanghai‑based VOLANT announced the close of a Series C round that raised over $300 million, the largest single financing event in China’s commercial passenger eVTOL sector. The round was led by UAE‑based Stone with participation from HSG, Fortera Capital, Future Capital...
Dex Lands $5.3M to Grow Its AI-Driven Talent Matching Platform
London‑based Dex, an AI‑driven recruitment platform for software engineers, closed a $5.3 million seed round led by Notion Capital with participation from Andreessen Horowitz’s Speedrun programme and other investors. The funding brings Dex’s total capital to $8.4 million and will be used...
Building Early, Building Right: Lessons From the Front Lines of Startup Technology
Startups often prioritize speed, but unchecked technical debt can balloon as they scale, leading to costly remediation during audits or market‑ready phases. Building alongside an early client grounds product decisions in real needs, creating a foundation that can be extended...
Former Sugar Execs Launch Brief
Former SugarAI leaders Larry Augustin, Clint Oram and Zac Sprackett launched Brief, a software platform that creates an Executive Intelligence Layer to keep decision‑making context alive across meetings, emails, Slack and CRM. The system records commitments, rationales and relationship history,...
Third Space Learning Raises £4.4m to Scale AI Tutoring
Third Space Learning, the Swindon‑based online education platform, has raised £4.4 million (about $5.6 million) to accelerate its AI‑driven maths tutoring service, Skye. The round was led by the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund with participation from Maven Capital Partners,...
“Our Nanofibre Coating Represents a Fundamental Shift”
Soarce, a 2021‑born materials‑innovation startup, won the Grand prize at JEC World 2026’s Startup Booster, highlighting its bio‑based nanofibre coating for composites. Backed by roughly $3.5 million in pre‑seed capital, the company converts biomass into high‑performance nanofibre additives that integrate into existing...
Applications Closing Soon for Women in Tech Accelerator Offering $10,000 Grants
Standard Chartered Foundation, together with Village Capital and the Enterprise Development Centre, is closing applications for its Women in Tech Accelerator in Nigeria on May 8, 2026. The program offers equity‑free $10,000 grants and a 12‑week hands‑on curriculum that includes mentorship, strategy...
SUNeVision Concludes Third Startup Program Cohort
SUNeVision Holdings, Hong Kong's largest data‑centre operator, completed the third edition of its Startup Programme, selecting four AI‑driven startups for awards. The cohort attracted nearly 100 high‑calibre applications spanning smart‑city, green tech, digital assets, EdTech and immersive entertainment. Winners—including maritime...
Former Startmate Boss Michael Batko Is Back in Founder Mode Building with Hourglass AI
Former Startmate CEO Michael Batko has launched Hourglass AI, an Australian firm that builds production‑ready AI systems on a fixed‑fee basis. The startup, co‑founded with 22‑year‑old Finlay Ekins, emerged from stealth in February and already serves clients such as a...
US Battery Startup Builds Factory in China After Nixing Kentucky Plant
EnerVenue, a Silicon Valley battery startup, abandoned a planned $264 million Kentucky factory and redirected $300 million of new funding to build a manufacturing line in Changzhou, China. The company claims its nickel‑hydrogen batteries can deliver 30,000 cycles, superior fire safety, and...
Form Founders Discuss the Secrets Behind Their US$42m Activewear Brand
Form began as a free digital workout platform in 2020, then leveraged its tightly‑knit community to launch a vertically integrated activewear line in 2023‑24. The brand’s community‑first approach helped it sell out drops within hours, driving revenue past US$43 million by...
University of Queensland Opens Facility to Fast-Track Food Innovation
The University of Queensland has inaugurated the Faba MakerSpace, a purpose‑built facility aimed at accelerating product development in the food and beverage sector. Operated under Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (Faba), the hub provides rapid‑prototyping capabilities, specialised equipment and access...
SPREAD AI Raises $30M Series B for Industrial AI
Spread AI announced a $30 million Series B round to accelerate its global expansion and enhance its AI‑driven product data platform. New investors include DTCP Growth, IQT, OTB Ventures, Salesforce and Thesiger Capital, alongside existing backers HV Capital and Nauta Capital. The...
T4 Capital Founders: Success Is Rarely a Linear Process
T4 Capital’s founders, Tim Stingelin and Fabio Cavelti, discuss how their friendship‑driven startup navigates the volatile world of crypto investing. Their flagship strategy mixes Bitcoin, altcoins and crypto equities while they forge a third partnership with a Swiss asset manager....
Is The India AI Startup Story Souring?
India’s AI startup wave is entering a stress‑test phase as a surge of early‑stage closures reveals a market correction rather than a collapse. While high‑profile failures like Builder.ai and Ola Krutrim’s chatbot highlight weak fundamentals, capital inflows remain robust, with...
The Startup World Cup Is Your Chance to Pitch in Silicon Valley and Win $1.4 Million
Australia’s Startup World Cup returns in 2026, offering founders a fast‑track to Silicon Valley. Backed by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a $2 billion venture fund, the competition culminates in a Grand Finale in San Francisco where the winner can secure up to US$1 million...
How PowerLabs Is Helping Nigerian Businesses Cut Energy Bills
PowerLabs, a Lagos‑based startup, has launched Pai, an intelligent orchestration layer that links diesel generators, solar panels, inverters and grid connections for Nigerian businesses. By analysing real‑time usage data, Pai can automatically shift loads to the cheapest or most reliable...
After Mass Production, Agibot Shifts Focus to Architecture and Ecosystem
Agibot announced that it has rolled out its 10,000th robot and is pivoting from pure hardware to a full AI‑driven ecosystem called AIMA, which unites motion, interaction and task intelligence. The company unveiled six AI models, including the GO‑2 and...
The World's Smallest Wellness Wearable, Smart Earrings, Just Launched on Kickstarter
Lumia Health launched its Lumia 2 smart earrings on Kickstarter, raising over $800,000—about 80 times the $10,000 goal. The coffee‑bean‑sized wearables embed a second‑generation PreciseLight sensor and track more than 20 health metrics, including blood flow, heart‑rate variability and sleep. Swappable...
From VW to Nissan, Automakers Bet on “in China, for Global” Strategies
Foreign automakers are shifting to an “in China, for global” model, debuting China‑developed EVs and software at the Beijing Auto Show. Volkswagen, with a 5% stake in Xpeng and a joint venture with Horizon Robotics, unveiled four new models and...
Manifest Raises $2 Million to Help Ad Agencies Eliminate Timesheets
Australian startup Manifest has closed a $2 million AUD pre‑seed round—about $1.3 million USD—led by Brand Fund and backed by Antler, Techstars and several ad‑industry veterans. The company’s AI‑powered platform automatically records agency workflows across tools, replacing traditional timesheets with real‑time visibility...
Avoiding a Fundraise
Convoso, a Woodland Hills SaaS dialer provider founded in 2006, has sustained profitability for two decades without any venture or private‑equity funding. The company’s bootstrapped path contrasts with the broader Southern California tech scene, where only about 47% of firms...
The Founder of Scholly Sold His Scholarship App to Sallie Mae. He Says They Fired Him for Asking Why They...
Sallie Mae bought scholarship‑matching app Scholly in 2023, gaining access to its five million users. Founder Christopher Gray has filed a Delaware lawsuit and an SEC whistleblower complaint, alleging he was fired after warning the acquirer about selling users' personal...
Cultivating Unicorns: Strategic Elements Incubates Australian Tech Breakthrough
Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) leverages Australia’s pooled development fund (PDF) – a tax‑exempt vehicle – to plug a $38 billion AUD (≈$25 billion USD) funding gap for growth‑stage SMEs. The fund incubates deep‑tech ventures such as Stealth Technologies’ EdgeiQ, which landed a $225,000 AUD...
SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Tells Commission to Improve Finders Framework
The SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) submitted recommendations to the Commission to overhaul the regulatory framework for “finders,” individuals who match private companies with accredited investors without registering as broker‑dealers. The committee argues that existing ambiguity discourages...
Business Lessons From Saysh Cofounder Allyson Felix as the Decorated Sprinter Plots Her Olympic Comeback
Five‑time Olympian Allyson Felix, co‑founder of women‑focused footwear brand Saysh, announced a comeback aimed at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, marking a hometown Olympic debut at age 40. After parting with Nike in 2019, she launched Saysh in 2021 to rewrite...
Liquid Scoops Up $18M Seed Round
Liquid announced the closing of an $18 million Series Seed round, co‑led by Neo and Left Lane Capital. The round also included Haun Ventures, K5 Global, SV Angel, AntiFund, Sunflower Capital, and returning investors Paradigm and General Catalyst. Liquid’s platform enables...
The Single Capital Stack Is a Trap for Startup Founders
Startup founders often rely on a single capital stack, but recent crises have shown that this approach is fragile. The article argues that venture capital should be used as a growth accelerator, complemented by strategic corporate partnerships, non‑dilutive financing, and...
Amazon Tried Selling Office Software and Failed. Now It Is Betting that Office Software Itself Is Obsolete.
Amazon Web Services unveiled a trio of AI‑driven business applications—Connect Decisions for supply‑chain optimization, Connect Talent for autonomous hiring, and the already‑launched Connect Health—signaling a strategic pivot from pure cloud infrastructure to enterprise software. The suite targets frontline operations and...
True Anomaly Raised $1 Billion to Build Weapons for a Programme the Pentagon Has Not Committed to Building
True Anomaly, a Colorado startup focused on autonomous spacecraft for orbital combat, closed a $650 million Series D round, bringing total capital raised to $1 billion and valuing the company at $2.2 billion. The funding arrived days after the U.S. Space Force named the...
Why We Invested in Dex
Notion Capital is leading a $6 million seed round in Dex, an AI‑powered recruitment platform that flips the traditional model by working on behalf of candidates. The $856 billion recruitment industry has seen time‑to‑hire climb to 44 days, highlighting deep inefficiencies. Dex’s voice‑agent...
E& Pumps Cash Into Sovereign Security Start-Up
UAE telecom operator e& invested $10 million through its e& capital arm in MagicCube, a software start‑up focused on sovereign‑grade post‑quantum security for AI, digital identity and payments. The round also includes payments‑technology firm Verifone and investors Bold Capital Partners and Mosaik...
Segura Raises $8M Seed Round
Brazilian insurtech startup Segura announced an $8 million seed round co‑led by Andreessen Horowitz and Kaszek. The platform consolidates quotes, policies, renewals and billing for brokers, powered by its AI assistant Helena that interprets policy data and guides renewals. Segura already...