Welcome to Startup Weekly, our new roundup of the week’s top tech news for startups in the UK.
Every week, we will bring you the latest from the country’s startup accelerators, incubators, competitions and awards.
Tech City’s Future Fifty calls for entries
Future Fifty is now taking applications for 2018.
The programme, which is completely free, will stop accepting applications on 10th January 2018.
Future Fifty’s current cohort companies include Deliveroo, Bloom&Wild, TransferWise and Onfido, with Zoopla, Just Eat, Skyscanner, Funding Circle and Farfetch making part of its extended alumni.
Future Fifty companies have so far raised over $5.3bn of venture capital since joining the programme..
The Future Fifty programme will seek to connect you with some of the world’s leading innovators and experts.
Previous advisors to the Future Fifty programme companies have included:
- Nick Beighton, CEO of ASOS
- Linda Main, head of capital markets for KPMG
- Robin Klein, general partner at Local Globe
- Paul Harrison, CFO at Just Eat
- Nezehat Gultekin, director at Temasek
- Christian Hernandez, managing partner at White Star Capital
EDF’s Blue Innovation Lab
The Blue Lab Innovation Challenge, a 12-week accelerator, is looking for the next big thing.
Startups working to create insight and value from energy data using artificial intelligence and machine learning, or developing amazing new devices, controls or approaches to make energy better for customers are encouraged to apply.
The programme is open to early-stage or a mature startups.
Apply online here.
Landsec and True search for innovative companies
True, a retail and consumer sector specialist that operates across the entire investment vertical, has joined up with Landsec, a UK’s listed commercial property company, to launch a customer experience challenge.
Landsec and True are looking for innovative startups which have pioneering ideas on some – or all – aspects of the following areas:
- The information and services accessible to consumers before and after their visit to the physical retail environment
- The range of services available to consumers within the retail environment, including modern, technologically-enabled concierge services
- Unique dining and leisure experiences within shopping centres and retail parks
- Technologies to improve the process of arriving, navigating and leaving the retail centre, including car parks
- Personalisation of the in-venue retail and leisure experience, including initiatives that will engage all the senses
- Enhancements to the physical environment within the retail destination
Applications are now open and will close at midnight on Sunday 26th November
To apply for the True Retail Experience Challenge, applicants apply on F6S and submit a pitch deck.
ActiveLab’s FiT Tech accelerator
Startups can now apply to enter ActiveLab’s Fit Tech accelerator. Applications will close on 22nd December.
The chosen 12 participants, which will gain access to networking opportunities with investors and physical activity firms, will be announced in February.
Teams will showcase at an event in June.
Live Better With opens physical store
London-based startup Live Better With has opened a new store dedicated to helping ease the side effects of cancer at the Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital.
The store is the result of a partnership between patient wellness company Live Better With and hair loss specialists Browns More Hair Now.
Tamara Rajah, who founded Live Better With two years ago, said: “We’re so excited to join forces to develop this unique retail store for those living with cancer and their loved ones, the first of its kind. We hope to improve patient experience by helping make day-to- day life just a little bit better.”
Quantexa to join accelerator programme
Quantexa, a big data startup, will be entering a four-month accelerator programme with Microsoft.
The accelerator will involve support from Microsoft on marketing, financing, strategy building and customer acquisition.
Quantexa will use the programme to develop a SaaS model of its real-time analytics technology.
The company says it uses sophisticated entity resolution and network techniques to help businesses understand their data, and subsequently make better decisions.
David Burrows, managing director of International Organisations at Microsoft, commented: ‘We are delighted to award Quantexa the Microsoft Accelerator Award as part of the Citi Technology for Integrity Challenge. We look forward to supporting them in their growth, especially as their solution has such important applications in the world of financial crime prevention.’
Thomas Fairey, Director of Quantexa, added: ‘We are immensely proud that our technology has been recognised by Microsoft for promoting integrity and transparency. We are looking forward to working closely with Microsoft and its partners in growing our business in order to help more customers tackle such a poignant issue.’