Zendo Energy Secures £1.75M to Tackle Data Centre Emissions

York-based startup Zendo Energy has raised £1.75 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate its development of what it calls the first "Energy OS" designed specifically to decarbonise data centres — a pressing challenge in the age of AI and cloud computing. The round was led by Fly Ventures, an early investor in UK autonomous vehicle firm Wayve, with Octopus Ventures, Pact VC, and several industry angels also participating.

Zendo, founded by Jade Batstone (CEO) and Drew Barrett (COO), is targeting the growing instability in energy demand caused by increasingly complex AI workloads and the shift towards renewable power sources. Batstone, a former product leader at SWIFT and early UK hire at payments giant Square, leads the company alongside Barrett, who previously ran renewable procurement at Octopus Energy.

Their software aims to provide predictive, flexible energy management for data centres, allowing operators to forecast demand, secure better tariffs, and make use of so-called "stranded power" — existing capacity that often goes unused. The company claims its platform can cut energy costs by up to 25% while smoothing the transition to renewable energy integration.

With electricity usage by data centres projected to more than double by 2030 — and AI workloads expected to account for 70% of that capacity — the problem Zendo is tackling is only set to intensify. Colocation centres, which host servers for multiple tenants, are especially under pressure due to the lack of visibility into how customer applications will evolve.

“Colocation data centres are like WeWorks for servers,” said Batstone. “They’re buying energy for a mix of workloads without knowing exactly how those needs will shift over time.”

Barrett added: “Energy is the biggest cost for data centres, and managing price volatility is essential to remaining competitive. Our platform is built to align financial performance with sustainability.”

Backing from notable investors reflects growing confidence in the company’s potential to help reshape the energy footprint of digital infrastructure. Kirsten Connell, partner at Octopus Ventures, commented: “This is a global challenge that’s only becoming more urgent. Zendo’s vision, and the experience of its founders, give us confidence in their ability to lead the charge.”

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Fearless Launches Accelerator to Fuel North West Entrepreneurship

Manchester-based training provider Another Avenue, founded by the team behind Fearless Adventures, has unveiled a new initiative aimed at empowering the region’s self-employed founders and freelancers. Dubbed The Fearless Accelerator, the 12-week programme is designed to help small business owners across the North West sharpen their operational and strategic skills to scale sustainably.

Backed by the Department for Education’s Skills for Life Bootcamp initiative, the programme offers 15 fully funded places for eligible founders based in Cheshire and Warrington. Participants will benefit from expert-led sessions, hands-on mentoring, and flexible support covering essential areas like finance, marketing, and leadership.

Dominic McGregor, co-founder of both Fearless Adventures and Another Avenue (and also a co-founder of Social Chain), said the accelerator was born from consistent feedback: “I’ve spoken to hundreds of entrepreneurs, and they all ask the same thing – ‘How do I scale my business?’” He added that empowering small businesses is essential for a thriving local economy.

The launch builds on the success of Another Avenue’s award-winning digital marketing bootcamp, which has trained over 800 learners since its inception.

Rachel McDonald, Managing Director at Fearless Adventures, described the new programme as “real-world growth with real-world impact,” adding: “We’ve channelled our experience from the past two years into this next chapter – one that champions ambitious founders and helps build the businesses of tomorrow.”

With tailored support and a strong emphasis on practical outcomes, The Fearless Accelerator is set to become a key resource for early-stage entrepreneurs in the region.

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Autone Named Among VivaTech’s Top 100 Rising European Startups

Fresh off the back of a $17 million Series A raise led by General Catalyst late last year, inventory intelligence startup Autone has landed a coveted spot on VivaTech’s Top 100 Rising European Startups list. The Paris-based event, taking place June 11–14, will see Autone recognised alongside Europe’s most ambitious, high-growth tech ventures reshaping industries through innovation.

Founded by Adil Bouhdadi and Harry Glucksmann-Cheslaw, Autone is helping transform how retail operates by using AI to tackle one of the sector’s most complex pain points: inventory. While many retail leaders have an intuitive understanding of their business, they’re often hamstrung by legacy tools — particularly spreadsheets — that fall short when managing fast-moving supply chains.

Autone’s AI-powered platform bridges that gap, offering predictive insights that enable smarter inventory decisions, reduce waste, cut emissions, and mitigate delays. The company’s mission is to create a world where overproduction and inefficiencies are a thing of the past — and where AI complements, rather than replaces, human expertise.

This latest recognition at VivaTech comes with thanks to the support of key partners including Accel, Eurazeo, HV Capital, Northzone, and Partech, who back the annual list celebrating Europe's most promising startups.

For Autone, it’s another major milestone in what’s shaping up to be a breakout year — following support from Y Combinator, Speedinvest, Seedcamp, Motier, Financière Saint James, and 2100 VC, who also joined the recent funding round.

📍 See the full VivaTech 100 list here: link

ProFinda Secures £3M from Palatine to Supercharge Global Growth and Vertical Expansion

AI workforce optimisation platform ProFinda has secured a £3 million facility from Palatine’s Growth Credit Fund, part of a broader equity growth round designed to fuel its expansion across global markets and deepen its footprint in the professional services sector.

Founded in 2011, ProFinda’s AI-driven platform enables professional services firms to intelligently resource and staff projects by matching the right internal talent to the right opportunities — aligning skills, availability, and compatibility at scale. Already used by the Big 4 and other multinational organisations, ProFinda is on a mission to redefine workforce deployment in complex enterprise environments.

With a team of ~100 people and backing from investors including Notion Capital, Hansa, and Prefcap, the company will use the funds to accelerate hiring, especially across its sales and marketing functions, and invest in product development as it prepares to expand into new vertical markets beyond professional services.

“The funding from Palatine Growth Credit comes at an important and exciting time for our business,” said Roger Gorman, Founder and CEO of ProFinda. “Having now established the leading foothold in the professional services sector, we’re looking to scale at pace and invest in further market growth.”

This deal marks the fifth transaction for Palatine’s Growth Credit Fund, following investments in StorMagic, Talion (a BAE Systems spin-out), Voly Group, and Neighbourly. It follows Palatine’s recent majority acquisition of Atombit Group, a London-based experience intelligence firm.

Ryan Sorby, Partner at Palatine, added:
“ProFinda is an exceptional AI business disrupting how large organisations best meet their clients’ needs, while ensuring their own staff’s skills and expertise are matched to the most relevant project. We’re thrilled to support its continued growth as it scales its sales and marketing function to unlock the full potential of its powerful technology.”

As workforce planning becomes increasingly strategic in the age of AI, ProFinda is setting the pace — enabling businesses to unlock productivity, reduce bench time, and better align people with purpose.

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Evri and DHL to Merge UK Parcel Operations, Creating a Powerhouse in Parcel and Letter Delivery

Evri will merge with DHL's UK parcel delivery business in a strategic move to create a combined courier firm that will handle more than a billion parcels and a billion letters annually. The merger aims to offer greater choice and cost-competitive solutions across the UK, while also expanding Evri's reach internationally.

While Evri has built its reputation on handling large volumes of lower-value goods like clothing, delivered by self-employed couriers using their own vehicles, DHL has focused on faster, secure deliveries of higher-value items like electronics, using a mix of its own fleet and couriers. By combining the strengths of both operations, the merged entity aims to offer enhanced delivery services across the UK.

The new business will include a renamed DHL eCommerce network: Evri Premium, leveraging DHL's global delivery infrastructure to boost international delivery capacity. Additionally, Evri will introduce a letter service for the first time, aiming to handle smaller items alongside its typical parcel deliveries. This merger also grants Evri access to 15,000 out-of-home delivery points in shops and lockers across the UK.

Martijn de Lange, CEO of Evri, stated:

"Over the last decade, Evri has grown ten-fold, and this merger will further expand our access into the European and global e-commerce markets."

DHL will retain a minority stake in the combined entity, although its international delivery services such as DHL Express will not be part of the deal. The merger is subject to approval from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

With around a billion parcels a year, the newly formed company would position itself closer to Royal Mail's delivery volumes, which handled 1.3 billion parcels and 6.7 billion letters last year.

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