Rachel Reeves told to ‘get out of the way’ ahead of Autumn Budget August 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to “let businesses get on with it and get out of the way” ahead of delivering her second Autumn Budget in the coming months. A group of 1,500 private business leaders surveyed by KPMG said the Chancellor should focus on promoting higher wages and lower costs for companies. They [...]
UK VC investment storms ahead of Europe as AI dominates July 3, 2025 UK venture capital funding stormed ahead of its European peers in the first half of 2025 as the country’s innovation economy remained resilient in the face of wider geopolitical tensions. Total investment topped $8bn (£5.9bn), edging up three per cent from the final six months of 2024. This gave the UK a 30 per share [...]
After angels, before VCs: UK consumer startups are stranded in £1m-£5m no man’s land May 14, 2025 Britain's brilliant consumer startups are finding themselves stranded in a funding no man’s land, writes Joe Benn.
UK scale-ups face crisis as growth capital hits seven-year low May 6, 2025 Growth capital has hit a seven-year low on both volume and value with the UK start-up to scale-up pipeline “broken”, a fresh report has warned. Figures seen by Morning Wire revealed Series A funding – investments of £2m to £10m for startups looking to grow – had slumped to £2.4bn in the 12 months to [...]
Vinted launches venture capital arm with eye on UK start-ups April 29, 2025 Vinted, the Lithuanian-founded secondhand marketplace, has launched its own venture capital (VC) arm and is eyeing UK start-ups. The move adds new competition to the UK’s fast expanding, re-commerce and resale market, now worth already £7bn, as major platforms look to capitalise on shifting consumer habits driven by inflation and sustainability concerns. Vinted Ventures will [...]
Pembroke VCT boss Andrew Wolfson: ‘New founders aren’t blaming Brexit’ January 30, 2025 Pembroke VCT boss Andrew Wolfson has backed brands like TALA and Pasta Evangelists. He tells us the wisdom he's picked up along his career.
UK funding for AI startups surges but still lags behind US January 6, 2025 AI startups captured 25 per cent of all UK venture capital funding in 2024, totalling $15.9bn (£12.8bn) – a sharp rise from $3.1bn (£2.5bn) four years ago. Balderton Capital’s latest data shows that 2024 was the second best year on record for AI investment in the UK. The sector’s value has more than doubled in [...]
AI investor FOMO: Has AI supply outstripped demand? December 8, 2024 Investors are pouring billions into AI, but has supply now outstripped demand? Mike Smeed looks at how AI funding has become misbalanced.