Business

UK-based AI startup Enginuity has raised £500,000 in fresh funding to accelerate its mission of unlocking the estimated $1.58 trillion in underused global intellectual property. The round was led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from Symvan Capital and a group of angel investors. Founded by innovation specialist Richard Heggie, Enginuity uses multi-agent artificial intelligence to map patents and research assets against real-time market demand signals. The platform aims to help corporates, universities, R&D teams and...

As business leaders assess the most effective ways to remain competitive and in demand within a challenging marketplace, many set goals to secure certifications from the International Organization for Standardization. The ISO does not award these, but relies on external partners. These entities conduct audits to verify that certification bodies have established management systems. The Benefits of ISO Certification for Today’s Companies Becoming an ISO-certified business has numerous associated advantages. Because this designation indicates that...

Brompton Bicycle has scaled back its US expansion and accelerated investment in China, as uncertainty over trade policy under Donald Trump reshapes its international strategy. The London-founded folding bike specialist closed its branded stores in New York and Washington last year when their leases expired. In contrast, it opened a new outlet in Shenzhen and doubled the size of its flagship Shanghai store following a major refurbishment. Will Butler-Adams, Brompton’s managing director, said the decision...

Lamborghini has abandoned plans to launch a fully electric model, shelving its much-anticipated Lanzador in favour of expanding its plug-in hybrid line-up. Chief executive Stephan Winkelmann said demand for battery-powered supercars among the brand’s wealthy clientele was “close to zero”, warning that continued investment in EV development risked becoming “an expensive hobby”. The Lanzador, unveiled as an all-electric concept in 2023, was expected to form Lamborghini’s fourth EV project. Instead, it will now be replaced...

The cost of supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is set to continue rising for much of the decade, despite a sweeping overhaul of the system unveiled in the government’s long-awaited schools white paper. Ministers have confirmed that education, health and care plans (EHCPs), the legally binding documents that guarantee tailored support, will gradually be scaled back for many pupils as a new system of specialist provision is introduced. However, while the...

The government has announced a £4bn investment package aimed at transforming support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), but sector experts have cautioned that the funding risks being swallowed by mounting backlogs and growing demand. The package includes a £1.6bn Inclusive Mainstream Fund over three years, which will go directly to early years settings, schools and colleges to strengthen in-class support. A further £1.8bn will fund a new “Experts at Hand” service...

President Donald Trump’s decision to raise US tariffs to 15 per cent has drawn sharp warnings from British business leaders, who say the move risks harming thousands of UK exporters and slowing global economic growth. In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said he was “effective immediately” raising the existing 10 per cent worldwide tariff on countries to the “fully allowed” 15 per cent level. The announcement followed a ruling by the US Supreme...

The government has named former Amazon executive Doug Gurr as its preferred candidate to become permanent chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), cementing a leadership change designed to align the regulator more closely with its pro-growth agenda. Peter Kyle confirmed that Gurr, who has held the role on an interim basis since January last year, will be put forward for a full five-year term, subject to a non-binding hearing by the Commons business...

Improved mobile connectivity could help create 49,000 new businesses across the UK and add £6.6bn a year to the economy within a decade, according to research commissioned by VodafoneThree. The modelling, carried out by consultancy WPI Strategy, suggests that stronger and more reliable mobile coverage would unlock entrepreneurship in underserved areas, driving long-term economic growth by 2036. The findings come as VodafoneThree announced it had removed 16,500 square kilometres of mobile “not spots” by deploying...

An Argyll-based manufacturing firm is targeting 20 per cent year-on-year growth in the global awards sector after investing nearly half a million pounds in new production technology. Midton, headquartered in Lochgilphead, has installed a biomass-powered autoclave as part of a £429,000 upgrade designed to increase output and improve efficiency at its foundry. The move strengthens its position as one of Europe’s leading producers of cast acrylic products and one of only a handful of specialist...