Within their accelerator, there is the Future Fifty, a program that powers 50 of the UK’s fastest growing and most disruptive digital tech companies by providing expert-led classes and workshops, networking opportunities, visibility, private partnerships, and direct links to the UK government. Since 2014, Future Fifty has graduated 77 companies through the program. They’ve had five IPOs on the London Stock Exchange, raising $1.5 billion, as well as 17 mergers and acquisitions of which 11 in the last year, including SwiftKey (Microsoft), Housetrip (TripAdvisor), One Fine Stay (Accor Group) and Skyscanner (Ctrip)....

Thanks to their Premium Insights data, along with a little help from CB Insights, LinkedIn ranked 50 startups based on their “employee growth, job seeker interest via views and applications, member engagement with the company and its employees — and how well these startups pulled talent from LinkedIn’s flagship Top Companies list.” Companies that qualified as startups had to “be 10 years old or younger, have at least 100 employees, remain independent and privately held, and have at least one round of venture-backed funding....

In fact, technological options that were conveyed as impossible, such as optical character recognition, are, presently, run-of-the-mill. While other technologies are yet to be mastered, such as autonomous cars, AI is an excellent tool that can be used in the business realm. In fact, it has already started. Whether we’re discussing direct or indirect AI adaptations, this promising technology is bound to change everything we do. That being said, let’s have a look at what is expected to happen....

If you’re in need of few apps that can make life easier for your life in the business world, take a look at these nine apps and download them today to lighten the load: Duolingo For busy entrepreneurs who work overseas, Duolingo is a must-have. Simply put, Duolingo helps you to learn new languages. It provides lessons that are easy to follow and even easier to complete. It currently has 10 languages and provides the easiest way to be fluent in any of them....

That’s right, Ameren Accelerator, in partnership with the University of Missouri System, UMSL Accelerate and Capital Innovators, has just announced the first cohort of startups that will go through their program. After receiving 200 applications from 31 countries and 23 states, they’ve finally whittled it down to seven. Each of the seven startups will be provided with $100,000 in seed funding from the startup accelerator, along with mentoring, facilities, technical assistance, and networking opportunities....

Experiential marketing is the process of creating an experience for consumers which results in a sensory connection to a brand or company and its products or services and leaves a lasting positive impression. An example of a recent successful experiential campaign involved MOOLAGRAM, a new app that is a community where people and businesses connect on their terms. ICE Factor (the experiential marketing agency where I work) was hired and given the objective of engaging consumers and encouraging them to download, register, and actively use the app, all while developing brand awareness....

Since its emergence, crowdfunding seemed as if it was the panacea for all early stage startups seeking funds. Although it has undoubtedly changed the capital landscape, crowdfunding poses some downsides that entrepreneurs often overlook. What are these drawbacks that you should be aware of? We solicited the advice of our friends at the YEC to share the nine biggest risks associated with crowdfunding. They are below. Enjoy. 9 Things to Consider Before Crowdfunding (Tweet this article)...

You know it is true, and that mindset is ingrained in the startup culture. It’s not easy adapting to the workflow and emotional fluctuation of being part of a startup, but there is a way to find balance. The reason why entrepreneurs should stay healthy is because lack of sleep has a direct effect on your decision-making abilities. The worst part of being burnt out is that it doesn’t happen suddenly....

Who should read this: Investors who are interested in opportunities in the Middle East, as well as entrepreneurs who are looking to build global companies. Elevator pitch: The vision Americans have of the Middle East is too often clouded by issues of violence and religion. This book takes a look at a different part of the Middle East – the startup scene – and exposes the possibilities and challenges in store for this emerging region, and why we might want to pay more attention to it....

That is exactly what Castar did. This tech startup aims to improve the entertainment talent casting industry, and Hollywood is the perfect location for them to thrive, which they are managing to do. It works in order to provide the industry with talented actors and models, using the app they developed for iOS, Windows Mobile and Android. This is app-based community brings creatives, talent, artists, entrepreneurs and other people together....

Well, the folks at Airtable have been busy and recently made some pretty big announcements. About a month ago they released their iOS app, and even more recently they brought the app to iPad. Now people can use the Airtable database to create customized software from their iPads and iPhones. If you’ve ever wanted to build a database powered app from your phone or tablet (or maybe you haven’t because you didn’t know it was even a possibility), now here’s your chance....

A study conducted by Scott Shane and wide range of professors at King’s College London, a professor of entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University and author of the new book Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders: How Your Genes Affect Your Work Life, indicated that entrepreneurship has as much do with nature is it does with nurture. While the study began as a chance to prove something everyone knew to be true, it became all the more apparent that entrepreneurship is engrained in some more than others....

Last month, Zirtual made major headlines after it abruptly paused all its virtual assistance services. A couple of days later, it was announced that Startups.co would be acquiring the company. Despite having raised more than $5 million in overall funding over the last three years, Zirtual eventually found itself in a position not uncommon for other startups: it ran out of cash. Similarly, in June, Circa announced that it would shutting down after failing to raise enough Series A funding to keep the company afloat....

Since the inception of social media, the default business model has been selling user insights to third-party companies for advert targeting. And, frankly, that model has proven wildly successful. Twitter, for example, was launched back in 2006 but managed to generate $3.7 billion of revenue last year. But, with Google and Apple tightening the screws on access to user data, might the modus operandi for social media services — and the internet as a whole — be changing?...

The global shift to remote work has made digital resources like project management software more essential than ever. Fortunately, most platforms like Asana have done a great job of adding new features quickly and efficiently to streamline the process, as remote work appears to be here to stay. These new workflow tools are in service of that, allowing users a much easier and collaborative platform. The goal of these features, as are most software updates in the project management industry, is to save time, and Asana’s data shows that workers and managers believe it can help....

VPNs have played a major role in a number of modern conflicts thanks to their privacy-preserving properties, but with cyber warfare now an important mode of attack and defense for Russia and Ukraine respectively, the technology has never been more important. Atlas VPN also revealed that VPN usage has spiked in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine, a country with an already heavily censored internet that is now enforcing a number of additional restrictions....

This year has been a big one for phones, with the iPhone XS, Samsung S9 and Google Pixel 3 XL all grabbing the headlines and impressing with their tech. However, there’s a chance that 2019 could well surpass it in every way. 2019 marks the ten-year anniversary of Samsung’s S series of phones, and the S10 is shaping up to be a real revolution, if all the rumors are to be believed....

But not everyone is so fortunate to have such a supportive community. For those launching a new product, service, or business and haven’t spent (see: wasted) quite so much time socializing online, where can they turn to find others willing to help work out the bugs? Enter, BetaBait. In their own words, BetaBait is “a place for startups to connect with early adopters who love new apps.” A daily e-mail is sent to those who’ve signed up as interested beta testers....

But the billboards and digital displays of today are evolving. The days of simple signage are long gone, and so are previous technological limitations. A post by Four Winds Interactive, the Denver based-visual communications company, explains the need for engaging digital signage: Displays have a vast number of practicalities today, including use for entertainment and menu display, as well as for wayfinding, advertising, and much more. As signage and marketing efforts evolve, they more regularly include digital interfaces....

Let’s be honest, virtual reality is still trying to find a firm footing in the market. While tech enthusiasts and rich people are more than happy try out the innovative devices here and there, widespread adoption has been hard to come by for virtual reality. Niche uses like immersive therapy and professional training have been the main selling point so far, and it looks like one more unique means of utilizing the technology could found on your next international flight....