Small Business (SMB) stories

Newo raises USD $25m to grow AI voice agents that answer calls for small businesses, after revenue doubled late 2025 amid rising demand.

Stress is costing Canadian small business owners 31 workdays a year, with many losing sleep, missing events and weighing up closing shop.

Peru’s largest microfinance lender Mibanco selects Temenos SaaS on Microsoft Azure to overhaul its core banking and speed digital services.

Emburse launches AI-powered Assurance tool to spot expense errors and fraud earlier, easing audit workloads and speeding reimbursements.

AI dominates Scottish boardroom talk, yet most organisations still lack clear strategies or ownership to turn enthusiasm into action.

Asendia unveils SendNow, a plug-in shipping platform to help Australian SME online sellers export up to 500 parcels a month worldwide.

Tradesman Saver launches Professional Saver brand to target IT and digital workers as it refreshes its image and eyes growth into 2026.

Intuit launches AI-native Accountant Suite in the UK, unifying practice management and client work for accounting and bookkeeping firms.

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.