Martin Bryant
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Articles by Martin Bryant
A Developer's Guide to ActivityPub and the Fediverse
If you keep an eye on developments in social media, you can’t have failed to notice the recent extraordinary rise of ActivityPub, a W3C protocol enabling decentralized social networking between federated servers. What was once a somewhat niche protocol and open standard for building interoperable social apps has gained real traction in the wake of Elon Musk’s purchase, and subsequent transformation, of Twitter.
Arro is using A.I. to massively scale product research
Hello there, It’s still unproven how many truly successful tech companies can be built on top of the generative A.I. revolution. Will it be like cloud computing, which powered the SaaS boom? Or will it be more like social media, where only the platform operators truly win? That’s yet to be seen, but in the meantime we have a lot of fascinating startups proving how many interesting and useful things can be built with the tech.
The most exciting startups this year... so far
Hello there, It’s time for what we’ve decided should become a quarterly tradition: our list of startups that are exciting PreSeed Now readers the most. The list is based on engagement and shares of our profiles of these startups, and we’re going to draw from a rolling 12-month period of activity to keep things interesting. So, which UK-based, early-stage B2B and deep tech startups have made the list?
Making clean electricity from dirty water
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a different B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. Hello there, Today’s startup has a fascinating approach to helping industrial plants create a self-sufficient, environmentally friendly electricity supply… …and all it takes is wastewater and their tech. Scroll down to read all about what Pipeline Organics is developing.
InvenireX's big vision to rethink science with nanotech
Hello there, Today’s startup is proper deep tech. It combines hardware, software, biotech, and nanotech; all towards a grand vision of accelerating scientific progress. Scroll down to read all about InvenireX. But first… a few things you should know about: The new version of Tech Nation has launched, initially offering three programmes. They target underrepresented founders, climate tech startups, and late-stage founders.
The Ride Home AI Fund on how startups should think about AI
Hello there, If you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ll know that we’re very much up for trying things that expand our offering at PreSeed Now. So today we’re switching things up and bit. Rather than talk to a UK-based startup, we’re talking to a pair of US-based investors who are immersed in the world in early-stage A.I. startups. Brian and Chris from the Ride Home AI Fund have lots to say about how startups should be thinking about the hype cycle around artificial intelligence.
The startup helping you get away to get it done
Hello there, Today we have a startup with an interesting twist on a familiar model. But have they identified a market, or do they need to create it first? Scroll down to read all about Ashore. First, news very much in our wheelhouse is the new role for Gerard Grech, the former head of Tech Nation (and my ultimate boss when I was at Tech North a few years ago). He’ll be heading up a new University of Cambridge programme offering accelerator programmes to seed and pre-seed companies.
Fresh thinking to tackle global medicine shortages
Hello there, Today is one of those times when we profile a startup with co-founders who seem to have ideal backgrounds to solve the problem they’re tackling. Can iethico solve the deeply tricky problem of medicine shortages around the world? They’re gearing up to try, while hopefully making your friendly local pharmacist’s life a whole lot easier.
PSN Podcast: How to hire (and keep) great talent
Welcome to something new: an occasional podcast from PreSeed Now, bringing you conversations about the UK startup ecosystem. Today, let’s talk hiring. Specifically, what to think about as you look to exit the pre-seed stage and move into seed and Series A. What will you need to plan for? What’s ahead? Let’s find out… Tap the orange button above to listen.
Lemon wants you to have it both ways with SaaS subscriptions
Hello there, Some entrepreneurs just keep returning to the ring. They learn from their experiences, rebuild, and come back for more. That’s certainly the case with Matt Bird who has been learning and iterating through a number of subscription-focused business models. We’ve actually written about the previous two in this newsletter. Now he’s back with an ambitious startup that aims to make life better for B2B SaaS software sellers and buyers alike.
CastRooms is harnessing crowd energy to reinvent live music
Hello there, I’ll always remember the day in 2011 when I wrote one of the first pieces out there about how Turntable.fm was the most exciting social app of that year. Just two hours after I hit Publish, the US startup locked its app down to American users only. I have no idea if my article, hyping it up from Europe, was part of the reason, but it was amusing timing.
Can JUST:Access accelerate the wheels of justice?
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a different B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. Hello there, Not that many years ago, the publication I worked for had no budget for transcription so we journalists had to do it ourselves. It was slow, boring, and turned writing up an interview into a dreaded, painful slog of a process. Confession: I often just paid a transcriber out of my own pocket, just so I didn’t have to do it myself.
Killing the password, for real this time?
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a different B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. Hello there, Another edition of PreSeed Now, another interesting startup. Plenty of startups have promised to kill the password for good over the years. So what does Zally have to offer to make the dream come true? And does it have a place in a world where initiatives like passkeys are increasingly popular? Scroll down to find out.
Swallow turns pricing software convention on its head
Hello there, Here at PreSeed Now, we usually cover startups around the stage when they’re raising their first funding round. But occasionally the timing works out that they’ve just raised by the time a piece goes out. That’s the case with today’s startup, which has just raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to try a fresh approach at serving the market for pricing professionals - and they’re taking a leaf out of Slack’s growth story. Scroll down to read all about Swallow.
Cambridge Future Tech is helping to nurture UK deep tech
Hello there, We’ve got a different kind of profile for you today. Cambridge Future Tech is a venture builder behind some of the deep tech startups we’ve covered in the past here at PreSeed Now. It’s preparing to scale up its operations now, so we figured it was a good time to check in and hear the story behind how this company works - and why. As usual, our paying subscribers get the full story, with much more on their funding, vision, competition, and challenges.
Psyrin and the mental health secrets hidden in your voice
Hello there, One thing I love about writing PreSeed Now is how it gives me opportunities to learn about areas of tech that aren’t generating tons of hype but that are still packed with potential. Today’s startup is a good example of that, coming as it does from the emerging field of vocal biomarker tech. Scroll down to read all about Psyrin.
Spitting to fight cancer is a cunning gambit
Hello there, We’re still a long way from a world without cancer, but there are a bunch of startups working hard to take us closer to that dream. Today’s featured startup has learned lessons from teams that have come before it, as it works towards an affordable home-testing kit for prostate cancer, using just a quick spit of saliva. Scroll down to read all about GambitBio.
Can ultrasound give IoT an adoption boost?
Hello there, Welcome back! PreSeed Now took a short break during the second half of August. But now that September is here and early-stage tech investment is kicking into gear again, we’re back into the groove of bringing you a profile of a different UK-based B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday.
Investor shenanigans
Hello there, This August we’re shining a light on parts of the early-stage UK startup ecosystem that often don’t get written about. So far we’ve looked at dealmakers and pre-seed due diligence. Today, we look at a sensitive topic. How founders feel about investors and the fundraising experience. If you’re an investor (and there are plenty who read PreSeed Now!) you might find today’s edition painful reading.
What does due diligence look like at pre-seed?
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a B2B or deep tech startup from around the UK every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it in your inbox. Hello there, As we continue our break from the usual startup profiles this August, let’s take a look at due diligence. There’s plenty written about how founders can attract investors. But it’s what happens after an investor is interested that’s often just as important to a startup’s future.
The UK’s hottest early-stage AI startups
Hello Everyone, This is a guest post about early stage A.I. startups from the U.K. I have a lot of readers in the United Kingdom, and especially based in London so I thought this might be apt. I’m a huge follower of the latest A.I. startups and cover a few on my “Prospectus” section of A.I. Supremacy. However during the Generative A.I. hype cycle, there are a ton of new startups coming out of stealth in their pre-seed phase of fundraising that deserve watching.
What is a startup dealmaker, and what do they do?
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a B2B or deep tech startup from around the UK every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it in your inbox. Hello there, Now we’re into August when many founders pause their fundraising efforts, we’re pausing our startup profiles too and bringing you some different kinds of pieces focusing on the early-stage startup space.
The startups getting you most excited this year
Hello there, We cover a lot of early-stage startups in depth here at PreSeed Now. Every now and then it’s worth pausing to take a breath and taking a look at which are creating the biggest stir among our readers. As we slide into summer, when investment activity tends to take a natural pause, let’s do just that. Today I’ve collected the 10 startups that have attracted the most views and shares from the more than 50 we’ve covered this year so far.
Autopickr's robot makes light work of a gruelling task
Hello there, There has been a lot of fear over the years about technology taking people’s jobs. But if there are no people available that want to do a job in the first place, tech should have a wide-open opportunity, right? That’s what today’s startup is aiming at. Scroll down to read all about Autopickr. But first: Tromero has raised £1.5 million in a round led by BlueYard Capital as they work to bring together machine learning and web3.
Confronting what most mental health apps won't
Hello there, Today’s startup is busy tackling a highly sensitive topic, and one that most mental health tech won’t address at all. By beginning from a psychological, rather than a tech, perspective, can Cam AI intervene to save young people when they need help the most? Scroll down to read more. Meanwhile, we’re almost into the summer lull for fundraising, where investors are on holiday and startups want to hold off talking to us until the autumn.
A new way to end worker abuse in supply chains
Hello there, Keeping their supply chains clean of human rights abuses is an increasingly important concern for a wide range of businesses. New laws around the world have made them more than just a PR risk. Today’s startup believes it has a scalable solution to the problem. It collects regular data from those who should know about any problems the most–the workers themselves–in an interesting way. Scroll down to read all about ES3G.
BravelyCultured's brave plan to scale up farm-free food
Hello there, Are you familiar with the world of precision fermentation and how it could be a huge opportunity for the world, by transforming how we make food? You will be, when you’ve read about what Cambridge-based BravelyCultured is working on in today’s newsletter. A couple of things before we dive in: 👋 A big hello to everyone who discovered us via a mention in the Sunday Times at the weekend. We had a really good day for new signups.
A sizeable problem... all sewn up?
Hello there, One thing I love about writing PreSeed Now (and I know some of you love about reading it too) is it’s a chance to dive into topics that would otherwise pass you by. They’re usually more interesting than you might otherwise assume. For example, today we explore the world of garment sizing and meet a founder who is obsessed with it. Scroll down to read all about Tailr. But first, a heads up that GMG Ventures has rebranded as Mercuri and closed a new £50 million fund.
Fluento picks you up where Duolingo drops you off
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a different B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. Hello there, Is there room in the language-learning space for a newcomer to stand alongside the mighty Duolingo? Today’s startup believes so, and they’ve got a completely different approach to that of the big green owl, and they see big potential in a B2B offering. Scroll down to read all about Fluento.
Boosting trade with the power of networks
Hello there, Supply chain software startups aren’t exactly in short, er, supply. But today’s startup wants to go further than a SaaS dashboard product, harnessing the power of networks to open up new markets and opportunities for businesses around the world. Scroll down to read all about Valuechain. But first! A few things you should know about… 🚀 Versori,the startup that took part in Y Combinator after we covered them last summer, has raised $3.5 million in a round led by Stage 2 Capital.
Fidesium wants a safer web. And to sell you insurance for it
Hello there, With so much attention on A.I. these days, what becomes of that once much-hyped field of web3 and crypto? Today we explore that question in a profile of a new startup co-founded by Bookingbug co-founder Greg Bock. Scroll down to read all about Fidesium.
Defying gravity: This UK-based startup is unlocking the potential of the space economy
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Defying gravity: This UK-based startup is unlocking the potential of the space economy
This story is syndicated from the premium edition of PreSeed Now, a newsletter that digs into the product, market, and founder story of UK-founded startups so you can understand how they fit into what’s happening in the wider world and startup ecosystem. The space race is back on, with a growing number of commercial operators keen to follow in SpaceX’s exhaust trail. This means there’s real demand to accelerate the timelines for testing a wide range of devices and materials for use up in space.
Blend is like TikTok for training deskless workers
Hello there, Today we have a first: a startup with the same name as one we’ve previously covered. It was probably going to happen eventually, but the other Blend was only a week ago! While the other Blend is rethinking fashion discovery, today’s has a strong offer for the hospitality industry looking to train deskless workers in an efficient way. Full details below.
Sentr forward! A fresh take on team sports
Hello there, Today’s startup has a really interesting offer to sports brands and amateur teams as it builds what it hopes will become the ‘Strava for team sports’. Scroll down to read all about Sentr. But first, I’m pleased to say that I’ll be in Newcastle on 5 July as a judge for the 10th annual Thinking Digital Startup Competition.
Blend promises better fashion ideas and juicier data
Hello there, Experienced startup watchers will tell you that some ideas just keep coming around again because no-one ever quite does them in a way that sticks. ‘Personalised fashion discovery’ is one such idea, and today’s startup has a fresh take on the problem. Scroll down to read all about Blend. Meanwhile, we had a nice boost in subscriber numbers yesterday, so a special hello if you’ve signed up recently.
BOW wants developers to unleash the potential of robotics
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a different B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. Hello there, Today we bring you a startup with a compelling vision for the future of robotics. Can they pull it off? Scroll down to read all about BOW. But first, a few interesting bits of news worth knowing about: Andreessen Horowitz is to open its first international office, here in the UK.
Teamhouse is fighting the headaches of scaling a business
Hello there, Long-time watchers of the early-stage startup scene in the UK will know Paul Smith. I remember taking a trip to Newcastle over 10 years ago to meet the teams taking part in the Ignite accelerator he ran at the time. He’s done a lot since then, but today we take a deep dive into the new startup he’s co-founded with an eye on making life a lot easier for operations and HR teams as they scale their company’s ‘people processes’.
A smarter way to keep the cupboard stocked
Hello there, If you’ve ever opened the cupboard and realised you’ve run out of something essential, you know the pain point today’s startup is looking to solve. They’re beginning with a consumer offering to help them train their A.I. model as they gear up to serve the B2B market. Scroll down to read all about Bundant.
Helping A.I. understand the world like a human
PreSeed Now brings you an in-depth profile of a different B2B or deep tech startup every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. Hello there, “Artificial intelligence could lead to extinction, experts warn,” a BBC News headline explained earlier this week. This is a topic I first wrote about nine years ago, and aside from the image of Terminators it used (sorry!) my article has only become more relevant with time.
An A.I. vision for the future of learning to code
Hello there, How does coding education change in a world where A.I. can help us code? Today’s startup is exploring that question with a product aimed at data analysts, but with the potential to expand into other verticals. Scroll down to read all about Cubode. Meanwhile, following a positive reaction to Thursday’s edition about the state of pre-seed investing in 2023, we’re collecting ideas for other feature pieces in the future.
The state of pre-seed investing in 2023
Hello there, Yesterday, PreSeed Now hosted a roundtable discussion for pre-seed investors, looking at the state of the market right now. It was a really interesting discussion, attracting investors (and a few founders who hustled their way in!) from across the UK. So today we’re breaking from our usual format to share the points the talk brought up. Read on if you want to understand how investors are thinking about pre-seed right now.
Can A.I. match a human personal assistant?
Hello there, For all the talk right now in the tech industry about A.I., we haven’t covered many A.I. startups in PreSeed Now lately. We’re going to change that over the next couple of weeks, starting today. Today’s edition is one those times where we get very close to covering a consumer tech product, but as Self has a partially B2B business model, and an interesting story, let’s dive in.
The PreSeed Now Startup Tracker
Discover and track early-stage B2B and deep tech UK startups, all in one place Introducing the PreSeed Now Startup Tracker. At PreSeed Now, we help you discover B2B and deep tech startups from inception to when they’re raising seed - the early stage that usually flies under the radar. Now we're taking that further with our new Tracker. At launch, this database tracks almost 100 hand-picked, high-potential, active startups, with more being added regularly.
Is the food wholesale market ready to go digital?
Hello there, It’s an exciting day here at PreSeed Now. The Startup Tracker is now live! Full details below… Meanwhile, the overarching aim of B2B software entrepreneurs over the past 15 years–with software eating the world and all that–has been to bring every possible business process online, no matter how niche the market. Surprisingly, there are still gaps. Looking to fill a potentially big one is Platter, which is deeply immersed in the food wholesale business. Scroll down to read all about them.
HACE helps remove child labour from business supply chains
Hello there, ‘Tech for good’ makes for a great story, but it doesn’t always attract a great amount of investment. Today’s startup should perhaps be different. They’re tackling one of the great global injustices in a way designed to appeal to the boardrooms of the world’s biggest companies. Scroll down to read all about HACE. Meanwhile, we’re ironing out the final issues before we launch the PreSeed Now Startup Tracker in the coming days.
Can the media run cleaner, cheaper, and faster?
Hello there, Startups that monitor energy and carbon consumption are not exactly in short supply in the inboxes of early-stage investors at the moment. But today’s startup has a different spin on this hot sector. Find out below how Humans Not Robots wants to help media companies optimise their working processes, save money, and help the planet too.
Getting smarter about the future of work
Hello there, No matter your views on remote work, there’s no doubt that the changes brought about by the pandemic are far from settled. Today’s startup wants to help businesses navigate this uncertain world in a way that aims to help rank-and-file employees and the C-suite alike. Scroll down to learn all about UMA. Also, we’ve had a great response so far to our Startup Tracker preview.
A human touch for ecommerce pricing
Hello there, After Tuesday’s break from normal service, we’re back with another startup profile today. Backed by Founders Factory, 60Seconds thinks ecommerce should be more human. Scroll down to find out how. Meanwhile, we’re almost ready to launch our PreSeed Now Startup Tracker on the world.
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