The Invest in Women Taskforce was established in 2024 as an industry-led, government-backed initiative with a bold mission: to tackle the gender funding gap and make the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur. Here, Hannah Bernard shares the journey so far—why this initiative matters, what has been achieved in its first year, and how it plans to reshape the investment landscape for future generations.

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Dominic Rice, cofounder and CEO of CANS about rethinking drink, international expansion and creating the non-sweet soft drinks category.

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Jarek Sygitowicz, cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer at Authologic about online ID verification, meritocracy and recent investment.

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Toby Hopkinson, cofounder of All Things Butter about building out a business from an instagram series and the importance of heritage, innovation and experimentation.

At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, a striking new installation is turning heads—and changing minds. British clean energy startup newcleo has partnered with design icon Pininfarina and shipbuilding leader Fincantieri to unveil a full-scale model of a fourth-generation nuclear reactor, designed not only for function but for beauty.

Unicorn fintech Payhawk has unveiled its boldest product yet—the AI Office of the CFO. More than just a flashy feature, this suite of intelligent, purpose-built AI agents promises to automate the grunt work of finance teams, offering speed, scale, and strategic insight without sacrificing control. In a market flooded with hollow “AI agents,” Payhawk’s elves stand apart—deeply embedded, self-improving, and ready to get to work. So, what exactly do these digital finance assistants do, and how do they fit into the company’s global growth playbook?

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Quin Wills, founder and CSO at Ochre Bio about a fascination with liver disease, the power of big human data and why you should not confuse movement with progress.

I've always considered myself self-sufficient when it comes to pressure from shareholders and teams alike at work. Having experienced family fall-outs, living on streets, going to prison, bad reputation, loneliness in its truest sense, I couldn’t see anything worse than that. As such I never thought I'd need a "shrink" to tell me how to not get pissed at a bunch of Gen-x hires unnecessarily complaining about a dysfunctioning coffee machine at the office. Then I met Shahab Sayardoust, his bald head, Patagonia jacket, in a small office located in Stockholm and my perspective completely changed.

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Martin Kassing, CEO of Upvest about empowering banks and wealth managers to offer any investment product and experience.

European Union finance ministers met recently to discuss a joint inter-governmental defence fund. The fund will be used by the bloc to purchase its own defence equipment – equipment made available to the E.U.’s member-states in return for a fee.

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Tess Reed, Founder, All Dressed Up about all natural, delicious dressings, working with a shoestring budget and creating a new kitchen staple superhero.

In this deep dive into Biscay’s under-the-radar startup ecosystem, author Juan Tomás Hermani is the CEO of Satlantis shares why his company moved its headquarters from Florida to Bilbao — and hasn’t looked back. From generous public funding to green hydrogen infrastructure, Biscay is quietly becoming one of Europe’s most compelling hubs for climate tech and innovation.

I never consciously chose to live an international lifestyle. There was no single, defining moment where I decided, “Right, I’m a digital nomad now.” It just happened, gradually. I’ve always been drawn to different places, cultures, and languages—always loved learning them. Over time, home stopped being a fixed location. It became wherever I could open my laptop and do what I love.

Every week, Maddyness brings you the latest investment news from the UK startup ecosystem. Here's a recap of this week's investments.

ChangeNOW 2025, held last week at Paris's Grand Palais, marked a pivotal moment in global sustainability efforts, promoting new technologies and new leadership models to accelerate ecological and social transition. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the summit brought together 40,000 participants from 140 countries united by the desire and willingness to make Change.