Gig economy stories

Stress is surging for New Zealand’s small business owners, with nearly half considering closing as rising costs and tax shocks take their toll.

Grab Finance taps FICO data tech to automate credit checks across six Southeast Asian markets and boost eligibility by nearly 50%.

Doorly secures GBP £600,000 to accelerate its shift from barber-booking app to nationwide on-demand home services marketplace.

GoCab secures USD $45m in equity and debt to expand gig driver vehicle financing and electric mobility across Africa and emerging markets.

Canada’s lending future is going hybrid as Money Mart doubles down on both mobile apps and 420-plus branches to widen access.

TerraPay partners with MilX to speed cross-border payouts, giving YouTube creators faster local-currency access to earnings in 70+ markets.

India’s EV shift accelerates in 2026 as two and three-wheelers dominate new sales, while cars lag amid patchy charging and policy-led growth.

Delivery Hero uses Twilio automated voice calls to cut rider contact by 25%, slash escalations over 60% and lift last-mile answer rates.

Hnry and Volley launch Scan to Pay using open banking, letting sole traders take QR code payments on the spot for a 35-cent flat fee.

Online creators turn from volatile ad deals to subscriptions, affiliates and paid events, bringing bigger paydays but trickier tax demands.

Language learning platform Preply secures $150 million to boost AI tools and global growth, valuing the business at $1.2 billion.

Feijoa joins Creative HQ’s Fintech Lab to scale its round-up saving app, aiming to lift inconsistent KiwiSaver contributions nationwide.

Vorwerk will shift its Australian Thermomix head office from Perth to Melbourne as eastern and southern states drive 85% of its revenue.

By 2026, work will be more flexible and AI-driven, as tougher compliance, on-demand jobs and faster hiring reshape life for Kiwi workers.

Gen Z ‘lily padding’ is pushing UK employers to ditch rigid promotion ladders and design flexible, personalised career paths to retain staff.

Gig work platform Traxlo launches in the UK, offering grocery retailers pay-per-task staffing to tackle labour gaps and rising costs.

Traxlo launches its pay-per-task gig labour platform in the UK, targeting grocery chains with task fees from GBP £3 to GBP £50.

Money has overtaken health, time and relationships as the main driver of life satisfaction in the UK, new research from Intuit shows.

Refer A Friend launches an app that pays people commissions for referring local trades and services, charging businesses only per completed job.

AI is fuelling a boom in solo UK “Founder + AI” ventures as entrepreneurs favour lean, automated operations over hiring staff.