Tag Archives: Startups

News

New research has revealed which universities have produced the most start-up businesses

University is, of course, a time of great personal and academic development, where you start to think about where you want to go in life and in your career.

It’s also where some of the most innovative and bold ideas are born, as the entrepreneurs of tomorrow hone their business acumen and collaborate with like-minded peers.

In fact, some of the biggest companies in the world were started from college dorms, including Facebook, Google and Snapchat.

But which UK higher education (HE) providers are the best for fostering that entrepreneurial spirit and seeing their graduates go on to start their own businesses? Here are the universities that have produced the most graduate start-ups, including sole traders, since 2014/15.

 

 

 

1. Royal College of Art – 1,665

Interestingly, it wasn’t a Russell Group university or a business school that produced the most start-ups, but actually, the Royal College of Art, which has seen graduates start over 1,600 businesses since 2014/15.

The fact that the Royal College and other arts universities produced so many businesses is likely due to the fact that a large number of artists and people in creative industries are self-employed.

The London-based university focuses on art and design degrees but has produced businesses in a wide range of sectors such as agriculture and healthcare tech, construction, and more through its InnovationRCA enterprise centre.

2. Kingston University – 1,630

Another London university was close behind in second, with Kingston University producing 1,630 start-ups since 2014/15.

The university specialises in arts, design, fashion, science, engineering, and business and among the businesses to be born within its halls are grocery delivery app Grocemania and design and architecture company 121.Collective, with start-ups from Kingston benefiting from investment from a partnership with Santander.

3. Falmouth University – 1,135

The university with the most grad start-ups outside of London is Falmouth, located in Cornwall, which saw 1,135 businesses started by its alumni since 2014/15.

As with the other two most entrepreneurial universities, Falmouth is primarily a creative university and provides support via its Launchpad programme, which has a specific focus on helping students to bring their ideas into the market.

 

 

 

 

We also wanted to take a look at which universities have seen their graduates’ ideas turn into the greatest financial success, through the income generated from their intellectual property.

1. The University of Oxford – £213m

The university with the greatest income from the intellectual property of its students was the University of Oxford, standing at an incredible £213 million in just the last five years.

Oxford is, of course, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world and has been educating the business leaders of the world for almost a thousand years, with a particular reputation for producing innovative digital and tech start-ups, including software firm Cocotec and a number of healthcare tech startups such as BreatheOx (trading as Albus Health) and gaitQ.

2. The Institute of Cancer Research – £208m

While not a university, the Institute of Cancer Research is classified as a higher education provider as it teaches both postgraduate and research degree programmes.

The Institute has been responsible for a number of breakthroughs in the fight against cancer, including establishing that the basic cause of cancer is damage to DNA, and the intellectual property of graduates in the last five years has generated income of over £200 million.

3. The University of Sheffield – £64m

The university with the third-highest income from the ideas of its students is Sheffield, at £64 million.

Sheffield University runs a ‘pre-accelerator’ programme to help students develop their business ideas, and alongside the Universities of Leeds and Manchester, recently formed the ‘Northern Gritstone’ start-up investment group.

 

 

 

 

Finally, we decided to take a look at the HE providers that have seen their graduates secure the most patents, meaning that their intellectual property is protected.

1. The University of Oxford – 3,086

Once again it was the University of Oxford that came out on top, with Oxford students having had over 3,000 patents granted in the last five years, which is over twice as many as their great rivals, Cambridge.

2. The University of Cambridge – 1,377

Students from the University of Cambridge have been responsible for 1,377 patents that have been granted in the last five years, placing it in second place, behind Oxford.

Cambridge is the country’s second-oldest university, founded in 1209.

3. University College London – 835

The university outside of the Oxbridge pairing that had the highest number of patents granted was University College London, with 835.

UCL is a member of the wider University of London and is the second-largest university in the country (and largest for postgraduate students).

News

New research reveals the best countries in the world to be a freelancer.

As The Great Resignation spreads around the globe, Tide, has identified the best countries in the world to be a freelancer.
To conduct the study, countries were given a normalised score out of 10 for each factor, including broadband speed, cost of living, strength of workers’ legal rights, happiness index and availability of co-working spaces.

Top 10 freelancer hotspots

 

 

 

According to the data, these are the best countries to live and work in as a freelance professional. They offer the best quality of life combined with great accessibility to the internet and working spaces, as well as robust legal protections.

 

 

  1. Singapore – Freelancer Score: 7.35

 

 

Singapore takes the top spot as the best place to work as a freelancer in 2021, with a score of 7.35. Singapore benefits from excellent broadband that’s both affordable and super fast, as well as having a very high number of co-working spaces available per head. The country performs strongly across the board, although it’s not the cheapest place to live and there’s still room for improvement in terms of its Happiness Index score.

 

 

  1. New Zealand – Freelancer Score: 7.20

 

 

New Zealand takes second place with a Freelancer Score of 7.20, just missing out on the top spot. New Zealand’s slightly higher cost of broadband is offset by its excellent performance on the Happiness and Global Gender Gap indices, as well as having very strong legal protections for workers.

 

 

  1. Spain – Freelancer Score: 6.53

 

 

In third place, some way behind New Zealand with a Freelancer Score of 6.53, is Spain. While Spain does relatively well across the board, its main strengths are its strong performance on the Global Gender Gap Index and the much more affordable cost of living than other top-scoring countries.

 

 

The worst countries for working as a freelancer

 

 

Having looked at the best places to live and work as a freelancer, it’s only natural that we give equal attention to the worst. These countries scored poorly in some or all of the metrics we analysed, painting them in a poor light as potential destinations for the wandering freelancer.

 

 

 

 

  1. Japan – Freelancer Score: 3.99

 

 

Japan is the worst country for freelancers, with a Freelancer Score of just 3.99/10. This is due mostly to very poor performance in terms of searches for freelance work, low strength of legal rights for workers, and a poor performance on the Global Gender Gap Index.

 

 

  1. China – Freelancer Score: 4.52

 

 

China is the second worst country for freelancers, having received a Freelancer Score of just 4.52. While China revealed itself as an affordable place to live, there is little demand for freelance work and the country scored poorly on the Happiness Index, making it a less appealing location for prospective freelancers.

 

 

  1. Italy – Freelancer Score: 4.54

 

 

Italy comes third, just beating China with a Freelancer Score of 4.54. Not scoring particularly well in any category, Italy’s biggest downfalls are the slow internet speed and weak strength of legal rights in the country.

 

 

Freelancer Hotspots

 

 

Here is the full table of all the countries we looked at for our freelancer hotspots index, ranked from the best to the worst.

 

 

 

 

The countries with the best broadband speed

 

 

If you’re working remotely, there’s nothing worse than slow broadband, as it can make meetings and communications very difficult and can disrupt the flow of work. Here you can see the countries where this is least likely to be an issue, as they typically have the fastest internet speeds.

 

 

 

 

  1. Singapore – Broadband Speed: 256.03 Mbps

 

 

Singapore is the country with the best internet speed at 256.03 Mbps. With internet this quick you’ll have no problem running your freelance gigs remotely.

 

 

  1. Thailand – Broadband Speed: 216.16 Mbps

 

 

The second-best country for fast internet is Thailand, where you can expect broadband speeds of 216.16 Mbps.

 

 

  1. Switzerland – Broadband Speed: 214.82 Mbps

 

 

In third place is Switzerland, which boasts impressive broadband speeds of 214.82 Mbps, which is more than enough to get any job done.

 

 

The best countries for affordable broadband

 

 

In addition to speed, your broadband’s affordability is just as important to make your remote working dreams a feasible possibility. We’ve highlighted the countries that offer broadband at the cheapest rates. 

 

 

 

 

  1. Russia – Broadband Cost: $7.50 per month

 

 

Russia is the country with the cheapest broadband, costing only $7.50 per month. With internet this cheap you could be dialing in from St Petersburg in no time!

 

 

  1. China – Broadband Cost: $12.26 per month

 

 

China takes second place with broadband costing only $12.26 per month. Coupled with a very low cost of living, China is one of the most affordable places to work as a freelancer.

 

 

  1. Lithuania – Broadband Cost: $13.35 per month

 

 

Lithuania comes third with internet costing $13.35 USD per month, making the Baltic country an attractive option for the traveling freelancer on a budget.

 

 

The countries with the highest demand for freelancers 

 

 

These are the countries with the highest number of freelancer-related google searches. This shows how much of a demand for freelance work there is in the area.

 

 

 

 

  1. Netherlands – Searches for Freelance Work per 100,000: 1,305

 

 

The Netherlands has the highest interest in freelancers with 1,305 searches being made per 100,000 people. This shows that the Northern European nation is a great place to pick up freelance work.

 

 

  1. United Arab Emirates – Searches for Freelance Work per 100,000: 1,196

 

 

The UAE takes second place in terms of interest in freelance work with 1,196 searches per 100,000 people. If you’re looking for sun and sand on your travels this might be a great option.

 

 

  1. Singapore – Searches for Freelance Work per 100,000: 1,058

 

 

Singapore takes third place with 1,058 searches for freelance work, showing that there’s plenty of opportunity in the single-city nation for digital nomads to set up shop.

 

 

 

 

Here we look at the strength of the legal protections for workers that each country has. The higher the rating, the better protected any freelancer would be.

 

 

 

 

  1. New Zealand – Strength of Legal Rights: 12

 

 

New Zealand has the highest rated Statutory Rights of any country in our study, making it the most secure place for freelance workers to do business.

 

 

  1. Australia and USA – Strength of Legal Rights: 11

 

 

In second place are both Australia and the USA, both of which received a rating of 11 for the strength of their Statutory Rights.

 

 

The best countries for gender equality

 

 

Another important factor when choosing a country to live, travel and work in is the values that they hold. Here we highlight the countries that performed the best on the Global Gender Gap Index, making them great places to work, especially for women.

 

 

 

 

  1. Norway – Global Gender Gap Index Score: 0.842

 

 

The country that scored the highest in the Global Gender Gap Index was Norway, having received a score of 0.842. This singles out Norway as a champion of equality, and a great place for women to live and work.

 

 

  1. Sweden – Global Gender Gap Index Score: 0.820

 

 

Another Scandinavian country, Sweden takes second place with a Global Gender Gap Index Score of 0.820. This shows that Norway isn’t the only Nordic country to offer a fantastic environment for people of all genders to live and work without discrimination.

 

 

  1. New Zealand – Global Gender Gap Index Score: 0.799

 

 

New Zealand takes third place having scored 0.799 on the Global Gender Gap Index, adding yet another string to its bow in the race to be the best destination for freelancers.

 

 

The cheapest countries to live in 

 

 

While there are many factors that can make a country a good or bad place for freelancers to thrive, the cost of living is one of the most important. Here we can see the countries that recorded the lowest monthly cost of living for a single person.

 

 

 

 

  1. India – Monthly Cost of Living: $326.30

 

 

India is the cheapest country to live in on our list, with monthly costs reaching only $326.30. With costs this low, you’ll be able to survive any quiet period between clients much more easily.

 

 

  1. Brazil – Monthly Cost of Living: $459.46

 

 

Brazil is the second least expensive country to live in, with average monthly costs coming to $459.46.

 

 

  1. Mexico – Monthly Cost of Living: $483.09

 

 

The third most affordable country to live in is Mexico, where you’ll be able to live for a whole month on as little as $483.09.

 

 

The countries where co-working spaces are most common 

 

 

Here you can see which countries offer the most co-working spaces per head. These spaces are great for freelancers as they allow them to use an office space that would otherwise have been too expensive to set up for a single worker.

 

 

 

 

  1. Switzerland – Co-Working Spaces per 100,000: 2.50

 

 

Switzerland has the most co-working spaces available per head of any country in our study, with 2.50 spaces per 100,000 people. This makes Switzerland a great place for freelancers who want the feel of a professional setting to work in.

 

 

  1. Singapore – Co-Working Spaces per 100,000: 2.32

 

 

Singapore came second for co-working spaces, with 3.32 spaces available per 100,000 people.

 

 

  1. Portugal – Co-Working Spaces per 100,000: 2.31

 

 

Portugal takes third place with 2.31 co-working spaces being available per 100,000.

 

 

The 10 happiest countries 

 

 

We also looked at the happiness levels in each country to gauge whether they would be good places for a freelancer to live and work. By using the standardised scores of the Happiness Index, we are able to compare these countries in a fair and equal manner.

 

 

 

 

  1. Denmark – Happiness Index Score: 7.65

 

 

Denmark is the happiest country on our list, with a Happiness Index Score of 7.65. Living in such a happy environment would be great for any prospective travelling freelancer.

 

 

  1. Switzerland – Happiness Index Score: 7.56

 

 

Switzerland is the second happiest place in our study, having scored 7.56 on the Happiness Index. Perhaps it’s the breathtaking views or the clean mountain air, but whatever the reason this makes it an attractive place to live and work.

 

 

  1. Norway – Happiness Index Score: 7.49

 

 

The third happiest country is Norway, which scored an impressive 7.49 on the Happiness Index. If you love mountains and cold, crisp weather, Norway is bound to put a smile on your face.

News

Expert tips on how small businesses can join in on Black Friday

Black Friday originated in America and follows on from Thanksgiving, marking the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Black Friday has now turned into an international sales frenzy that lasts days, with research revealing that Brits will spend £275, on average, this year¹.

Joining in the Black Friday buzz has become crucial for businesses everywhere, but it isn’t just the big retailers that are able to cash in. After the pandemic, small businesses and local retailers are likely to benefit from a permanent change in shopping habits. With more consumers trying to shop small in an effort to support their local businesses, Oliver Prill, Tide CEO has revealed his top tips for how small businesses can join in the Black Friday hype. 

 

  • Understand your objectives

Preparation is key. Understand what you want to achieve, for some this will be increasing sales, for others, it will be aiming to increase their profits or simply gaining new customers. By understanding your objectives, you can align your offerings and marketing across your communication channels. 

 

  • Online presence

Research¹ suggests that 44% of UK adults are going to be shopping exclusively online this Black Friday, compared to just 17% who shop exclusively online outside of the festive period, so it is important your website is up and running effectively.²  Oliver suggests “do a virtual walkthrough of your website, make a purchase and explore how you can make the experience as easy as possible to minimise people abandoning their cart.”

 

  • Mailing lists

If you have a mailing list, consider sending out your Black Friday deals ahead of time. Oliver explains: “This allows your loyal customers to be prepared and get what they want from the sale. It also increases customer loyalty, as telling them your deals ahead of time makes people feel valued.”

 

  • Social media listening

Consumers are on social media days, even weeks before Black Friday, searching for deals and talking about what they’re looking for in the sales. Oliver suggests: “Consider setting up a social listening centre for people in your local area to see what they’re posting about. This will give you insight into the types of products people want to see. You can also get involved in the conversation and talk about what you have on offer.”

 

  • Check your stock

Once you know what your potential customers might want, ensure you can accommodate the demand and be prepared when it comes to stock. However, be careful to not over order on certain items. Black Friday is, for many businesses, a great chance to clear any unwanted stock ahead of Christmas.

 

  • Get people excited

Use your social media channels to get people excited about your Black Friday offerings. Oliver says “Give people sneak previews of your deals and build momentum ahead of the big day.”

 

  • In-store experience

While a lot of customers will be online this year, don’t forget about the in-store experience. Ensure people know you’re participating in Black Friday by transforming your storefront and window displays to showcase the deals and the products you have on offer to entice people in. 

 

Small, local businesses have the added benefit of their local community, so reach out to other small businesses in the area to see what their Black Friday plans are and work together to create a local shopping experience. This might include staying open late to give shoppers more opportunities to buy.

 

Oliver suggests “be prepared to be busy and ensure you have COVID measures in place, this might entail putting tape on the floor to navigate customers and hand sanitisers at the door and till.” As the contactless pay limit has increased, it is now easier than ever for customers to pay, reducing queues. 

 

  • Sharing

When customers make a purchase in-store or online, consider asking if they could spread the word or even share their purchase with their followers, writing a review, or geo-tagging the store. Oliver says “Since the pandemic there has been a surge in support for shopping local and supporting local businesses. Take advantage of this! People often love to share their purchases from local businesses and many customers will be more than happy to help out a small business, so it’s always worth asking.”

 

  • Stay true to your brand

Remaining true to your brand is crucial and shouldn’t be compromised, especially for a quick sale or in trying to keep up with big brands. Small businesses offer perfectly unique products, branding and customer experience, and this is key to having a successful Black Friday. Keep all communication in line with your brand values and ensure the way you communicate with your customers is authentic. In fact, a study showed that 88%³ of consumers said authenticity is important when deciding what brands they like and support.

 

  • There’s always Cyber Monday

Thankfully, if you do miss out on Black Friday this year, the sales continue through the weekend and into Monday, also known as Cyber Monday, so there are plenty of opportunities to further increase your sales. 

 

While we have shown the ways small businesses can get in on the Black Friday action, it’s important that small businesses don’t try to directly compete with larger rivals. Small business owners should be thinking about their unique offering and what they can offer consumers that big businesses can’t. It isn’t just a battle of price, in fact, shoppers are also driven by incentives such as unique products, loyalty, referral bonuses and extended returns.

 

We hope these tips help small businesses to consider getting involved in the action of Black Friday this year, as more people are looking to spend their money locally.

 

Sources:

  1. https://www.finder.com/uk/black-friday-statistics
  2. According to YouGov 2021
  3. https://stackla.com/resources/blog/consumer-behavior-stats/ 
Leadership, Mental Health, News

The Soke launches Founders Development Programme to provide knowledge & skills to company founders

Mental health and wellness clinic The Soke today announces the launch of its Founders Development Programme, a first-of-its-kind course which has been designed to provide vital knowledge, understanding and skills to founders at the helms of fast growth businesses.

Partnering with founders and investors, the programme will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, senior leadership coaches and media experts, to support founders in developing successful, sustainable leadership.

The Programme has been designed in response to research from Harvard Business School which listed the most important skills for founders of fast growth businesses. These included: choosing co-founders, appointing key talent, splitting equity, recruiting advisors, and managing a board (88 per cent), as well as setting and communicating vision, managing culture, ethical dilemmas, and cross-functional conflict (82 per cent).

The Founders Development Programme will include the following core modules, as well as others designed to teach and embed good leadership practices:

  • Psychological assessment
  • Leadership vs Management
  • Practicing emotional and social intelligence
  • Communication
  • Conflict management
  • Creating and sustaining corporate culture
  • Exerting influence
  • Training and delegation
  • The pro-active model for decision making
  • Key relationship mapping
  • Skills needed for the board and investors
  • Financial knowledge for non-financial people
  • Media training
  • Systemic psychotherapy

Maryam Meddin, founder & CEO of The Soke, comments:

“Whilst many founders may believe that they naturally possess the necessary characteristics for successful leadership, the reality is that few come to
the fundraising table with the array of skills needed to successfully lead an organisation from inception to growth and beyond. This is particularly the case when founders are required to run a company not purely to satisfy their own ambition but to meet the expectations of investors and other stakeholders.

“The conflict between a founder’s passions and creativity and their obligation to deliver on stakeholders expectations can be the cause of destabilising dilemmas and must be addressed through early training and support. We are therefore excited to launch The Founders Development Programme, a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary course to provide knowledge, understanding and skills to founders, equipping them with the tools to lead their companies to successful and sustainable growth.”

Investment News, News

SAAS investment platforms – build or buy?

By Chantelle Arneaud, Envestors

Always-on, digital investment platforms allow companies to easily promote their investment opportunities to investors who, from the comfort of their home, can discover and evaluate deals. For those networks ready to adopt a digital platform and offer an enhanced experience for both their companies and their investors, the question looms: should you build your own platform or buy one? Here’s why buying is your best bet.

1.     When technology is not your speciality

If you’re an investment firm or an accelerator, how many hours will it take you to be good at technology development? As you need an array of skills and resources to design, build and run an investment platform, the answer is too many.

While you may have an idea of your requirements, turning that into a high-functioning product is a difficult task. There are myriad decisions to be made – all of which require subject matter expertise. For example, how much of your budget should you spend on design versus build versus testing? How can you ensure data security? What language should you build the platform in? How can you future-proof it? These are all questions technology businesses have the answer to but, starting out, you’ll have to learn as you go and that will be both expensive and time consuming.

2.     Building a technology platform is expensive

Building a technology platform is an expensive endeavour. If it weren’t, surely Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) wouldn’t be a multi-billion-pound industry? But perhaps you feel the level of control you’ll get from creating your own system is worth the cost. But how much will it cost? That, of course, depends.

You’ll need an expert team of software designers, developers, and QA analysts to turn your concept into a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Depending on the emphasis you wish to put on user interface design, you may also need to bolster that team with Ux (user experience) designers.

On top of this, you need to consider system maintenance. This cost can be considerable. Nothing exists in a vacuum and you’ll need a tech resource on call to assist with bugs, outages, security threats and software updates.

3.     SaaS provides more than just software

Working with an expert software provider, you will get much more value than just the technology itself. Depending on the partner, you’ll get additional support in a number of areas which can benefit your business.

Regulatory cover

Promoting and brokering deals are activities regulated under the Financial Conduct Authority. While there are some exemptions, it is a good idea to follow the baseline rules where possible to protect your organisation.

A good off-the-shelf investment platform will have this built in. Typically, this includes investor self-certification, appropriate risk warnings and audit trails.

You also need to comply with GDPR, KYC (Know Your Client) and AML (Anti Money Laundering) requirements. Again, off the shelf products, will include this and ensure the system stays current with changing regulatory requirements.

4.     Deal sharing and distribution

Many of the SaaS investment platform providers include options to share your deals with other networks on the platform. This offers myriad benefits in terms of increasing the number of investors who have access to your deals – and thus your chances of closing a round of investment. You also have the option of accepting deals from other networks to share with your investors. This can reduce the burden of sourcing deals and provide a mechanism to keep investors engaged.

5.     A community of peers

Being part of a connected digital network allows for shared learning and resources. In addition to guidance on how to launch your digital platform and on engaging investors, you can benefit from shared knowledge. Whether that be on deal marketing, setting valuation or investor relations.

On top of this, many providers provide community events. Again, this allows you increase investor engagement and eyes on deals.

6.     New features, regularly

SaaS providers regularly roll out new features. For most this is monthly, while some will do so less frequently. This is a huge benefit to subscribing to such a service. For no additional cost or effort, you will find your platform getting richer and richer with new features. Many will also allow customers to request features and good providers will dedicate a percentage of all development time to implementing customer requests. Of course, your specific requests are not guaranteed, but if your ideas gain traction with other users there is a good chance they will be added to the roadmap.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chantelle Arneaud is from Envestors. Envestors’ digital investment platform brings together entrepreneurs and investors across geographies, communities and sectors – creating the single marketplace for early stage investment in the UK.

Envestors partners with accelerators, incubators and angel networks to provide a white-label platform empowering them to promote deals, engage investors and connect to other networks.

Founded in 2004, Envestors has helped more than 200 high growth businesses raise more than £100m through its own private investment club.

Envestors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Web: https://www.envestors.co.uk/

News

Nottingham University alumni co-founds Butlr, next-generation wireless sensing technology set to transform built environments

* Raised $7.9 million in seed round funding to apply its real-time people-sensing technology beyond commercial real estate and retail uses to monitor falls and other movements for active seniors who are aging in place.
* Hyperplane led the round, with Founder Collective, Union Labs, 500 Startups, SOSV, E14 Fund, Tectonic Ventures, Scott Belsky, Chad Laurans and Sunny Vu participating.

A Nottingham University alumni (Jiani Zeng) and award-winning designer and engineer has co-founded launched Butlr, a technology company that captures and analyses human dynamics.

A spin-off from the MIT Media Lab, Butlr uses a mix of wireless, battery-powered hardware and artificial intelligence to provide real time data on an individual’s movement and motion trajectory, body temperature and behaviour without violating privacy.

Butlr’s heatic network of passive sensors are able to detect an individual’s biometric heat signature, to track movement and posture, and predict an individual’s behaviour. The system enables seamless automation of architectural elements and allows the built environment to be truly contextual.

Honghao Deng, co-founder of Butlr, said: “Current methods of controlling our built environment are static and binary. However, in nature, our environment is rich and dynamic. The Butlr sensors are able to recognise an individual’s heat signature, which is unique, and modify room temperatures and lighting for optimal comfort based on a particular users’ preferences. Unlike cameras that track and record faces, the Butlr system relies on body heat and cannot be used to trace your identity.”

The innovative technology has extensive applications, enabling physical spaces to work more effectively and efficiently. The sensors can modify environments including lighting and temperature, detect a break-in or accidents in the home, assist businesses in understanding customer behaviour, and determine occupancy and activity intensity.

Butlr is currently expanding into physical retail, with the technology due to be introduced into 200,000 retail stores globally, which may include the United Kingdom. The sensor array is able to capture user behaviour, record foot traffic, and curate heat maps and zone counting in any retail space. The system will enable bricks and mortar businesses to optimise their operations by translating location and duration data into shopping preference through analysis in real time.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the team have also developed a number of features including maximum occupancy control, automated queues, social distance management. They launched temperature screening, enabling businesses to respond to government guidelines while maintaining the safety of customers and staff. These features also apply to schools, offices, and hospitals to help improve public health and safety.

The business is currently exploring the use of its technology in assisted living where its application will revolutionise care facilities through automation. The sensors, which reconstruct user behaviour without video or sound surveillance, will be able to determine a residents’ moving speed and calories burnt based on their indoor location and body temperature. Partnering with assisted living technology integrators IDP Santé, the data will be able to determine residents’ wellbeing and ability to live independently without metrics being manually measured on an ongoing basis.

Equipped with an extensive IoT system, Butlr is driving data-driven disruption of our built environments, enabling physical spaces to be dynamic and responsive, and entirely customisable.

Jiani Zeng, co-founder of Butlr, said: “In the age of coronavirus, our buildings and human environments are going to need to be asked to do more in order to respond to new health and safety requirements that prevent future disease outbreaks.

“For the past 2000 years, everything from the way people commute, to the way they communicate has evolved. However, architecture hasn’t changed much, with the same pillar and slabs still serving as the primary foundation today. We believe that the future of architecture is responsive and context-aware.”

News

One World Express partners with Orange Connex to deliver game-changing technology platform

Leading international courier One World Express has partnered with Orange Connex to launch a new technology platform, Ship2world.

Ship2world has been created to enable businesses to develop more efficient shipping strategies. Powered by One World Express and its innovative Smarttrack technology, Ship2world’s platform allows merchants to access hundreds of shipping options and optimise routing.

One World Express has partnered with the global digital supply chain tech company, Orange Connex, to deliver the new global shipping solution.

Orange Connex has a successful track record in providing improved international shipping services to merchants selling internationally on online marketplaces such as eBay.

The new Ship2world platform provides an outbound service for UK merchants to international markets, leveraging the global shipping infrastructure Orange Connex has established over the years.

The partnership will deliver competitive pricing to UK merchants for outbound shipping to four leading eCommerce export markets: the US, Canada, Australia and Germany. It will later expand into other countries.

Ship2world is designed for vendors ranging from sole traders to established SMEs. It quickly sorts through more than 130 leading logistics companies to find the best quote to ship their goods anywhere in the world.

The platform also provides merchants with the flexibility to adjust their courier strategy, and switch carrier providers, should a more efficient option present itself.

Ship2world’s technology also connects to vendors’ online shop, meaning sales automatically generate shipping orders. Combining competitive tariffs with cutting edge logistics tech, the new platform is supporting the UK’s eCommerce SMEs by providing them with the tools to increase sales and in turn profits by accessing cost effective shipping solutions worldwide.

Atul Bhakta, CEO of One World Express, said: “This is a really exciting new partnership. By combining One World Express’ plethora of experience and knowledge within the logistics sector with Orange Connex’s outstanding standardised international shipping services and strong technology capabilities, we can empower merchants to take their products to new international markets.

“The timing couldn’t be better. The pandemic has resulted in a huge eCommerce boom – but it has also raised logistical challenges, which have been compounded by Brexit. Ship2world will help vendors overcome this issue, connecting them to cost-effective, efficient solutions. This tech platform is perfectly positioned to nurture the international ambitions of businesses of any size.”

Andrew Yang, CEO of Orange Connex, added: “Orange Connex is committed to providing superior 4th party logistics and supply chain services to global eCommerce players, empowering cross border trade to reach new heights. Through this partnership, we are delighted to be able to expand to the UK markets. We are eager to help merchants propel their businesses into the future with this exciting new game-changing platform.”

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University of Southampton’s latest startup talent to be unveiled at the Future Worlds Demo Day

Eight of the University of Southampton’s most promising startups will unveil technologies to make the world smarter, safer and more sustainable at the Future Worlds Demo Day this month (10th June).

The highly innovative and ambitious startups include an audio mixing and processing platform that brings an immersive audience experience to live audiences, award-winning chemistry research that closes the carbon loop in industrial chemicals, a student-led ‘data passport’ that gives users control over their personal data, and specialist health-tech to improve chronic disease management.

The group of the University’s most impressive talent has been working closely together through the Future Worlds Founders Cohort, an intensive programme accelerating startups from February until June.

Talented students and researchers from across the University won support from the startup accelerator, helping them to rapidly develop toward launch. In this Virtual Demo Day on 10th June, they will pitch to a network of high impact, early stage investors ready to help launch their ideas into a global market.

Ben Clark, Director of Future Worlds at the University at Southampton, said: “The founders pitching at Demo Day are addressing some of the biggest challenges and most exciting opportunities in the world. I’ve no doubt investors will be impressed by their bold visions, dedication and rapid progress, and be enticed by the world-changing potential they will discover.”

The Future Worlds Founders Cohort supports the next generation of Britain’s university talent and is free of charge for the founders.

The eight startups that have made it through the demanding stages of the Founders Cohort, selected from over 30 startups that applied to reach Demo Day, include:

  • ViridiCO2 – A hybrid catalyst platform that efficiently and sustainably converts carbon dioxide into tailored chemical products. The novel CO2-mitigation solution can be used to more effectively produce tens of millions of tonnes of chemical products that find ubiquitous use in mattresses, clothing and building installations, while reducing CO2 emissions. Founded by Chemistry researchers Dr. Daniel Stewart and Professor Robert Raja, ViridiCO2 has been recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry as a winner of its prestigious 2020 Emerging Technologies Competition.
  • CareIQ – A chronic disease management platform that makes care for chronic health conditions faster, cheaper and more transparent for patients and GPs. The new health analytics platform helps uncover clinical optimisations and tracks patient progress over long periods using existing patient data. It was created by Computer Science graduate Janu Shan and senior GP Dr. Pratheep Suntharamoorthy.
  • Stardust – A platform that enables direct, easy and secure data handling between people and companies. Created by Mathematics undergraduate Andrius Matsenas and Computer Science undergraduate Til Jordan, the venture  gives users a better online experience while providing companies with an opportunity to access richer data and reduce data management costs. It’s aim is to give people more control over their data and privacy, helping them access richer data more securely.
  • Aquark Technologies – A breakthrough system to capture, manipulate and exploit the quantum characteristic of atoms. Founded by physicist Dr Andrei Dragomir, it promises to unlock a new generation of devices that will radically multiply our ability to sense, measure and compute on a mass-market scale.
  • ArchAI – AI software that helps large infrastructure construction companies avoid costly delays by sweeping for sites of historical interest that are hidden from the human eye, scanning thousands of satellite images for tiny hints of ancient features buried beneath the ground. It was developed by Computer Science postgraduate researcher, Iris Kramer.
  • Fourier Audio – An audio mixing and processing platform that brings an immersive audio experience to live audiences for the first time by reinventing the tools used by sound designers on live productions. Created by acoustical engineering postgraduate researcher, Henry Harrod, alongside multi-Olivier award-winning sound designer, Gareth Owen and lighting designer and software engineer, Peter Bridgman.
  • Sentient Sports – An algorithmic platform based on cutting-edge AI research that optimises the decision-making and scouting process for buying and selling football players. Founded by AI postgraduate researcher Ryan Beal, alongside Professor Gopal Ramchum and former Southampton PhD student, Tim Matthews, deployments through a leader in football analytics are providing revolutionary insights to major football teams across Europe.
  • OhmSpace – A highly innovative satellite propulsion system, characterised by extreme efficiency and production scalability, addresses an acute need in the rapidly growing small satellites market. Created by Research Fellow Dr. Federico Romei together with PhD candidates Matthew Robinson and Christopher Ogunlesi, the team is launching the next generation of satellite propulsion.

 

 

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Heritage duo launch new consultancy in the East Midlands

Two highly experienced heritage specialists have launched Irving Patrick Consulting in Lincoln – a consultancy for transformational heritage, conservation and church projects in the UK.

Co-founded by company directors Dr Anne Irving and the Revd. Canon John Patrick – who worked together for many years at Lincoln Cathedral – Irving Patrick Consulting will provide fundraising, project management, strategic planning, audience and stakeholder development, operational reviews and business planning.

On the company’s launch, John Patrick, said: “Anne and I are incredibly pleased to have formed Irving Patrick Consulting. We have a shared passion for this incredibly diverse and interesting sector, and have brought together our collective skills to offer important heritage projects support and guidance from the outset.

“With many community projects, organisations and churches hit particularly hard by the challenging events of the last twelve months, Anne and I felt it was the right time to form our new company. Our expertise and experience in heritage, conservation, fundraising and planning are incredibly valuable in helping vital projects get off the ground and achieve their aims.

“Launching a business is never easy – let alone during a global pandemic – so we are proud to have made such a positive start. We are looking forward to seeing this company grow, helping others and responding to the needs of individuals, organisations and communities.”

Dr Anne Irving continues: “It is a pleasure to now be working with John on our new venture. We believe our specialisms complement one another greatly and our joint experiences have taught us that heritage really does enrich people’s lives, and it’s vital that we work to better understand and care for it.

“It’s wonderful to be able to use my knowledge at Irving Patrick Consulting to provide a one-stop-shop for heritage sites, religious institutions and cultural organisations who require experienced leadership, support and guidance to enable their projects to flourish.”

With more than 15 years of specialist experience in the heritage sector, Dr Anne Irving began her education at Birmingham University; completing an undergraduate degree in Ancient and Medieval History, followed by a PhD in Archaeology at the University of Nottingham.

After joining Lincoln Cathedral as fund development manager in 2011, Anne soon took on the role of programme manager for the Cathedral’s Connected project – a National Lottery Heritage Fund-backed project to improve the Cathedral’s setting and visitor experience and conserve the iconic building. This included major works, significant specialist restoration and conservation work and auditing and protecting the Cathedral’s many artefacts and treasures.

John Patrick was ordained in Chester Cathedral in 1989 before moving to Lincolnshire to serve as a priest at various locations including Boston, Navenby and Sleaford. In 2012, he was appointed as Subdean of Lincoln Cathedral.

During his time at the Cathedral, John continued as a member (and became chairman) of Lincoln Diocesan Advisory Committee for the care of Church Buildings and has worked with local charities, councils and community organisations. Whilst in Sleaford John chaired the Master-Planning Committee for the market town, working alongside colleagues at North Kesteven District Council.

Following the launch of Irving Patrick Consulting, the company has already been appointed on a number of heritage projects in Lincolnshire, Birmingham, Yorkshire and Derbyshire; providing strategic planning, fundraising support and evaluation work.

Anne and John are also working with various groups looking to secure funding from the Arts Council England Culture Recovery Fund, navigating the application procedures and guiding them through the process.

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Start-ups, scale-up businesses and Covid-19

Few sectors have escaped unscathed by the global pandemic, but there are those that have fared much worse than most, the obvious cases being leisure, hospitality, transport operators and retail.

Research firm Beauhurst track Covid-19 impact in high growth businesses, and they put eHealth and EdTech as those sectors to have benefitted most with ranked 34% ‘Potentially Positive’, from the pandemic. While the tech sector largely sat in the middle with 54% of companies experiencing a ‘low impact’, only 13% were able to capitalise on the situation.

Uncertainty has ebbed and flowed, presenting an inconstant and difficult-to-predict environment for all businesses. Things looked dire in March, by June the mood began to change with promises of normality by September, but this was short-lived with the country returning to uncertainty by mid-October as case numbers rose.

Winning sectors
COVID-19 has inevitably had an impact on where investors are choosing to channel their funds. As The Times emphasises, there has been a shift towards investment in healthcare, in part due to the disastrous impact COVID-19 has had on even the most developed nations, highlighting the importance of innovation in healthcare.

Beauhurst has identified four areas which, for private companies, have seen rising investment as a result of the pandemic, the first being video conferencing. Whilst newer services, such as Hopin (an online platform which allows hosting of live events at a large scale), have seen some investment – Hopin has recently received a $2.1 billion valuation, just 8 months since its founding – established companies such as Zoom have remained dominant in the market. eHealth and EdTech have, unsurprisingly, seen increased investment. This rise has been stronger in eHealth, which has seen 11 and 15 deals monitored by Beauhurst in Q2 and Q3 respectively.

EdTech on the other hand has not seen as large an increase as expected – possibly due to reopening of schools, resulting in less home learning – with 12 deals at a combined value of £14.4 million in Q2 and 8 at a combined value of £7.2 million in Q3, compared to 10 in Q3 2019.

Finally, companies that facilitate ‘community sharing’ have seen increased investment – Farmdrop, a business allowing consumers to buy food directly from its source, received £6 million in equity fundraising in June. This trend, according to Beauhurst, likely came as a result of stockpiling at the start of the pandemic, resulting in “calls for people to become more community-minded”.

The biggest losers
As uncertainty hit the market, investors began favouring later stage deals. A lot of investment activity was focused on follow-on funding for existing portfolio companies, in order to help see them through the impact of COVID-19. On top of that trend, weary of risk, investors shied away from earlier stage deals and backed more mature business.

This left seed-stage businesses out in the cold. Whilst the number of seed investments was steady between Q4 2019 and Q2 2020, they fell by 20% between Q2 and Q3 2020.

The number of newly registered businesses remained fairly stable up to and including Q2 2020. In Q3 2020, however, the number fell 32%.

This spells trouble for the next generation of growth businesses. Without the capital they need to move from the concept state, many great ideas will never get off the ground – and that is a shame for the UK who holds a strong international reputation for innovation.

2020 was a tumultuous year for growth businesses. The number and value of fundraisings have dropped since 2019, a decline that started in March 2020. However, while the number of deals has dropped, the average deal value has risen. And things are looking up: vaccination roll out promises change is on the horizon – good news for all private businesses; with the end of the tax year approaching, investors will be looking to take advantage of tax savings through the EIS and SEIS schemes; and the government has rolled out several programmes to help early stage businesses. But it is worth noting the shift in the direction of funds. Investors have been focusing on portfolio companies, as well as more mature companies.

So, while the sun is rising for private businesses, we may have a long wait before we can experience the full dawn.