Mister Loo, which operates a chain of pay toilets in Thailand, saw sales grow during 2020 on the back of increased hygiene awareness due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Swiss start-up, which aims to become the “Starbucks of toilets”, charges THB10 ($0.33) for “premium” air-conditioned facilities and THB5 ($0.17) for regular ones. Other pay toilets cost around THB3 ($0.09). Attendants clean and disinfect the toilets after every use. Premium toilets also feature sensor-operated equipment, so users don't have to touch anything. Additionally, some facilities include relaxation areas where users can check health indicators, including blood pressure and body fat. (Nikkei Asia)
01.03.2021
We can’t quit fossil fuels completely until we work out how to store renewable energy – and therefore supply it on demand. Maddyness looks to companies at the venture stage for answers.
01.03.2021
Maddyness is collaborating with environmental publication Ours to Save to bring readers fresh perspectives on sustainability. Today - in line with BrewDog's announcing its B Corp status – we look into whether the B Corp certification sets a good standard for green business or merely facilitates greenwashing.
25.02.2021
Every week, Maddyness brings you the latest investment news from the UK startup ecosystem. Here's a recap of this week's investments.
19.02.2021
Over a month into 2021 and it is shaping up to be an interesting year. NOTWICS have spent the start of the year consulting with leading VCs and Angels in the UK to understand and report on the sentiment around the early stage tech scene in the UK. Unlike the doom and gloom of the previous reports compiled during lockdown, there are now some very clear and bright signs emerging in the seed, Series A and bridge stages.
16.02.2021
Combining Oxford University research, corporate expertise and seed funding, it’s set to launch up to 20 climate startups within two years. Meet the Oxford GAV Conservation Venture Studio.
16.02.2021
Every week, Maddyness brings you the latest investment news from the UK startup ecosystem. Here's a recap of this week's investments.
12.02.2021
Maddyness is collaborating with environmental publication Ours to Save to bring readers fresh perspectives on sustainability. In this piece, we speak to Adapt - a startup using design to communicate climate issues in a new way - about the role of humour in climate activism.
12.02.2021
Electric scooters are now legal in the UK providing certain conditions are met. Companies like Voi and Zwings are growing their teams rapidly, in an otherwise bleak jobs climate, as part of a greener recovery for UK mobility.
10.02.2021
Mentorship has traditionally been defined as a formal, reciprocal relationship between an advance-career and an early-career professional in a work setting. Many Fortune 500 companies offer mentoring programs (Boeing, Caterpillar and Bain and Company are just a few, according to Together); many medium and smaller-sized companies still do not have access to any such initiatives, even today.
10.02.2021
According to reports from small business support services, we will see record numbers of new startups in 2021. But as we enter a post-COVID-19 era, how will these new businesses differ from startups that launched two years ago?
04.02.2021
2020 will be remembered as a gloomy year. As fate would have it, the world suffered the worst viral and cyber pandemics in history simultaneously. As the new COVID-19 started to kill millions of people across the world, a breach on IT firm SolarWinds (also known as Solorigate) started a supply-chain attack of an unprecedented magnitude, affecting thousands of organisations, including the Pentagon, the White House, the US army, US departments of Treasury, Commerce and Energy, IT giants like Microsoft, Cisco, Deloitte, Intel…
03.02.2021
Buoyed up by investment, UK Oil & Gas is seeking planning permission to drill for oil on the Isle of Wight. But what is the company behind the ‘Gatwick Gusher’ really looking for, and will its shareholders ever cash in?
03.02.2021
This story has been reported to death, and has received attention from various commentators, mainstream publications, meme sites and, of course, Elon Musk. If, however, you’ve missed the hoo-ha around GameStop’s stock, this is a decent summary.
01.02.2021