Small Business (SMB) stories

New Zealand AI startup Contented raises AUD $4.1m seed round to speed UK and US expansion and triple headcount in coming months.

Virtual Spotter makes US its biggest market as lean direct debit model cuts gym admin by 65 hours and AUD $1.4k a month per client.

Xero is axing its app store billing by June 2026, forcing developers onto new API-based tiers and their own subscription systems.

While most slept through Christmas dawn, SonicSentry analysts foiled a 3am brute-force cyber attack on a French client’s firewall.

Digital ordering and payment options are influencing behaviour, with more people using QR codes to avoid awkward money conversations with friends.

Christchurch AI startup Contented raises NZD $4.1m seed round to grow its meeting-minutes platform and push into Australia, UK and US.

Trans-Tasman small firms are upbeat and boosting tech and marketing, yet consumers report patchy service and missing digital basics.

Spark and Icehouse will run free nationwide AI and productivity workshops to help New Zealand SMEs lift performance and overcome tech barriers.

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

Belfast tech firm SciLeads will create 60 fully remote roles over three years as it scales its life sciences market intelligence platform.

UK firms ramp up travel and AI investment in 2025, even as advertising spend plunges 28%, signalling a sharper focus on productivity.

Object First posts 183% bookings surge as demand soars for immutable on-premises backup storage to combat escalating ransomware threats.

UK firms are bullish on quantum computing, but a talent squeeze and flat budgets threaten to slow progress from pilots to scale.

Square rolls out free AI assistant in the UK, helping SME owners query their own sales data in plain English to speed up decisions.

European cloud providers unite to onboard 10,000 SMEs into trusted data spaces within 18 months, easing access to secure data-sharing.

Late payments now make up 37% of global pay cycles, with firms waiting 51 days on average to be paid, Sidetrade data reveals.

Xero is boosting its Analytics tool with AI cash flow forecasts, behavioural insights and operational metrics on shareable visual dashboards.

CelcomDigi’s Lunar New Year push spotlights Malaysian artisans, youth ang pow designers and festive mobile offers in one campaign.

Collage appoints co-founder Ross Durbin as chief executive to spearhead AI-driven digital asset management growth from its Denver base.

Australian hiring managers say AI-shaped CVs and overqualified applicants are making it tougher than ever to spot standout talent.