Anna Wood

UK AI investment hit a record £8.3 billion in 2025, rebounding sharply from a downturn two years previously, as a report from Barclays Eagle Labs attempts to map where the nation’s most promising AI companies are heading next.

Searchable, a platform that helps businesses optimise their presence in AI-driven search, has raised $14 million in a funding round led by Headline, valuing the company at $85 million. The raise follows a $4 million round led by Freestyle in December 2025 and brings total funding to $18 million. The investment comes at a moment…

The Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs hosted the Entrepreneurs’ Award in Social Innovation (EASI) Final at The Skyline Rooms in London on 19th May. Launched in 2022, EASI offers a £10,000 grant to its winner, alongside a broader business support package funded by freemen and friends of the organisation. Finalists also receive the package, which includes…

Every major AI model currently in commercial use fails to comply with European law in the majority of tested scenarios, according to research published by Aithos, a European AI research non-profit.

WeRoad, the Milan-founded travel company that organises group trips for solo travellers, has closed a $58 million Series C round led by Airbnb. The raise beings WeRoad’s total funding to $100 million and will support its first major expansion beyond Europe, as the company pushes into the United States. The investment is a notable vote…

Anna Wood, Editor at Electronic Specifier, picks her top 5 power products released in May 2026.

The Hustle Awards 2026 shortlist spans startups and scaleups, deeptech and bold ideas, seasoned innovators and first-time founders

British quantum computing company Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has raised an oversubscribed £260 million Series C funding round, Europe’s largest ever private funding round for a quantum computing company. This funding reflects the growing confidence in the commercialisation of quantum technologies, and the UK’s ability to scale globally competitive deeptech companies. Gerald Mullally, CEO, OQC,…

Wassist, the startup that wants to make WhatsApp the default storefront for online retailers, has raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Playfair, who was joined by a roster of investors, including Meta board member, Charlie Songhurst, co-founder of jobs giant Indeed, Paul Forster, and Barney Hussey-Yeo, Founder of fintech app…

Camphouse, the enterprise media operations platform, has successfully closed its Series A funding round, bringing its funding total to $17 million. The round was backed by longstanding investors Fairpoint, eEquity, Newion, Frol41, and J12 Ventures. This latest funding boost comes at a time of rapid commercial growth and enterprise momentum for Camphouse. This growth is…