Startup Sniffs Out the Future: Dot Raises £4.2m to Turn Scent into Scientific Intelligence

A British technology company is proving that the future of detection may lie right under our noses.

Dot, a digital odour intelligence company, has secured £4.2 million in new funding to accelerate its global expansion and develop next-generation scent-analysis technologies capable of detecting biological change long before traditional systems notice anything is wrong.

The funding round was oversubscribed, signalling strong investor confidence in Dot’s unusual but highly promising approach to monitoring health, agriculture and environmental systems.

Key investors include Blackfinch Ventures, Pihl Family Office, long-standing supporter Luke Ding, and a new strategic investor.

Turning Scent into Data

For over a decade, Dot’s scientists have been studying the subtle chemical signals emitted by living systems. Humans, animals, plants and ecosystems all release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), microscopic airborne signatures revealing presence, health status and emerging biological risks.

Dot’s proprietary platform, dot.core™, captures these scent signatures, converting them into structured data. The result is a form of predictive biological intelligence capable of identifying problems earlier than conventional monitoring methods.

What began as academic research has now evolved into a scalable infrastructure designed to detect and interpret biological change across multiple sectors.

Four Sectors, One Platform

Dot’s technology operates across four interconnected areas:

Human health

Animal health

Plant health

Environmental monitoring

By translating scent into actionable data, organisations can move from reactive response to proactive protection, spotting pest outbreaks, disease risks or environmental changes before they escalate.

The company blends expertise from chemical ecology, insect behaviour, public health and data science, alongside laboratory testing and field research, to create early-warning solutions that are both targeted and sustainable.

Investment Fuels Global Expansion

The fresh funding will support Dot’s next stage of growth as it moves from scientific breakthrough to global deployment.

Key priorities include:

Expanding international partnerships for products such as BugScents™

Scaling scientific services across industries

Accelerating development of AI-powered odour intelligence technologies

Increasing manufacturing capacity

Strengthening validation and regulatory evidence

Professor James Logan, founder and CEO of Dot, described the investment as a strong endorsement of the company’s direction.

He told That's Busin ess: “This funding reflects confidence in our team, our platform and our ability to translate world-class science into real-world solutions. It allows us to accelerate growth, deepen partnerships and deliver earlier, smarter detection where it matters most.”

A New Frontier in Detection

Investors believe digital odour technology could transform how biological threats are identified and managed.

Backed by a growing patent portfolio and a strong scientific team, Dot aims to position scent-based intelligence as a global infrastructure for early detection across health, agriculture and environmental protection.

In a world increasingly focused on prevention rather than reaction, Dot is betting that the smallest airborne signals could provide the earliest warnings of the biggest problems.

http://www.digitalodourtechnologies.com

Regulatory upheaval drives surge in strategic communications turnover across Financial Services

Financial Services employers are experiencing the highest risk of strategic communications turnover of any sector in the UK, as the pressure around regulatory changes and increased scrutiny causes a talent exodus. 

This is according to the latest Strategic Communications Report from Murray McIntosh.

The study revealed 62% of communications professionals in Financial Services plan to change roles within the next six months and 69% have already interviewed for a new pos
ition. This level of instability is emerging as UK Financial Services regulation enters a particularly active period.

According to Bloomberg’s UK Regulatory Outlook, 2026 is a pivotal year, with authorities advancing reforms across digital finance, trading and markets, risk and financial stability, and sustainable finance, as regulators push to modernise market infrastructure while maintaining competitiveness and investor confidence.

Skills requirements changing

According to Murray McIntosh, the exodus of talent isn't the only challenge facing Financial Services businesses, as the need for top communications talent grows. Skills expectations are also shifting. Alongside core policy knowledge and stakeholder management, the firm’s report revealed that demand is rising for technical capabilities such as AI literacy and data science.

For employers, this combination of high anticipated movement, fast‑moving regulatory change, and evolving skills requirements raises the stakes for retaining and developing strategic communications capability. Continuity of insight and consistent messaging can be difficult to maintain when teams are in flux, yet they become more important as regulatory reform accelerates and expectations around transparency and resilience rise.

Lauren Maddocks, Associate Director, Policy and Public Affairs at Murray McIntosh, told That's Business: “The scale of change facing Financial Services this year cannot be overstated. Major reforms across digital finance, market structure and reporting standards are reshaping expectations at pace, and this creates a premium on communications professionals who can navigate complexity with accuracy and authority.

"At the same time, rising mobility means employers risk losing the very people who interpret, translate and contextualise regulatory change for internal and external stakeholders. 

"Stability of insight and messaging is not a luxury in this environment. It is a strategic requirement, and those who invest in developing and retaining this capability will be better prepared to manage the demands of an increasingly scrutinised sector.”

That's Business is sharing the full report here:- https://www.murraymcintosh.com/downloadable-content/strategic-communications-salary-labour-report

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Humanscale Brings Global Design Leaders to Clerkenwell Design Week

Celebrating ergonomics, movement and material intelligence through product, people and place, Humanscale returns to Clerkenwell Design Week from 19–21 May 2026 with an immersive showroom experience centred around ergonomic design and expert insight.

At the heart of the programme will be a series of informal drop-in sessions hosted by two of Humanscale's global design leaders: Sergio Silva, VP Design and Innovation and Mark Consolla, VP Product Management.

Taking place across all three days of the festival, the sessions invite architects, interior designers and workplace specialists to engage directly with the team behind some of Humanscale's most influential & exciting new products.

Visitors will have the chance to explore the thinking behind Humanscale's approach to ergonomics, from early concept development and material intelligence to engineering, sustainability and long-term product performance. 

The conversations will offer rare insight into how ergonomics, movement and human wellbeing are translated into design solutions for contemporary workspaces. 

Drawing on decades of global experience, the pair will share guidance on designing healthier work environments, improving posture and movement at work, and applying ergonomic thinking to modern workplace design.

These sessions will offer a rare opportunity for the design community attending Clerkenwell Design Week to converse directly with two leading experts and explore how ergonomics can support the future of work.

An Immersive Showroom Experience

Humanscale's Clerkenwell showroom will transform into a relaxed yet purposeful environment. The space will invite visitors to experience the brand's philosophy through informal hospitality, interactive moments and conversations around ergonomics, sustainability and product longevity.

Movement will be a key theme throughout the showroom experience, reflected in a curated selection of Humanscale's latest seating and workplace innovations.

Diffrient Lounge

Among the highlights is the Diffrient Lounge, a refined evolution of a concept originally envisioned over two decades ago by legendary designer Niels Diffrient. Reimagined by the Humanscale Design Studio for today's hybrid environments, the Diffrient Lounge sets a new benchmark for lounge seating. Balancing residential comfort with workplace performance, the chair intuitively responds to the body, encouraging natural movement while supporting work, relaxation and social interaction across a range of interior contexts.

eFloat Quattro Also on display is the eFloat Quattro, Humanscale's premium four-leg height-adjustable desk engineered to support wellbeing through ergonomic precision and smooth, seamless movement. Clean lines and carefully selected materials give the desk a refined architectural presence, while its environmental credentials set a new benchmark for responsible manufacturing. 

The award-winning table range is being extended to include eFloat Quattro Meeting Tables that enable fast, frictionless collaboration for today's hybrid workplace. Whether it's a huddle in the open office, a hybrid meeting room, or an executive workspace, eFloat Quattro Meeting Tables give you a turnkey meeting space that just works.

eFloat Quattro tables are 99% recyclable and use non-toxic, PVC-free polyurethane cabling, demonstrating Humanscale's ongoing commitment to sustainable product development.

M/Class Monitor Arms

Completing the line-up is M/Class, the latest evolution of Humanscale's iconic monitor arm system. The M/Class series is the world's best-selling monitor arm collection, trusted by 98% of Fortune 500 companies. Designed to enhance comfort, organisation and performance, the system allows effortless adjustment of screen height, depth and orientation, helping users maintain healthy posture and reduce strain on the neck, shoulders and spine. Recently reimagined for hybrid and shared workplaces, the new generation of M/Class supports larger displays while integrating expanded cable management, connectivity and charging capabilities. And a new pure white finish introduces a lighter aesthetic that complements contemporary workplace interiors.

A Space for Conversation

By combining product innovation with direct access to its global design leadership, Humanscale's Clerkenwell showroom will become a hub for conversation throughout the festival. Through the expert sessions with Silva and Consola, architects and designers will gain deeper insight into how ergonomics, movement and human wellbeing can be meaningfully integrated into the spaces they create.

https://uk.humanscale.com

Suffer from Subscription Overload? One Platform, 59 Tools: London Startup Coda One Wants to End It

In the modern workplace, productivity tools have quietly become a monthly drain. 

Writing assistants, PDF editors, image tools, developer utilities, each with its own login, subscription, and learning curve.

A new London startup believes it has a simpler answer.

Coda One has launched a free online platform that bundles 59 AI and productivity tools into a single website, removing the need for accounts, logins, or payments for most features. 

The aim is straightforward: reduce the growing stack of digital subscriptions that many knowledge workers now juggle.

Founder Miles Wong says the idea came from a common frustration.

“Nobody wants five logins for five tools,” he explains. “One place, everything works. That’s what One means," he told That's Business.

The platform combines AI writing tools, PDF utilities, image processing, and developer functions into one browser-based workspace. While premium plans start at $9.99 per month, the majority of tools are available completely free.

One of the headline features is an AI text humaniser, designed to rewrite AI-generated content so it reads more naturally and avoids detection software. Users can choose from nine writing modes, tailoring text for contexts ranging from academic work to blog articles.

Alongside it sits a built-in AI detector, which scans text for machine-generated patterns and provides a score, also free and unlimited.

Coda One’s latest addition is an AI Resume Optimiser, aimed at jobseekers navigating automated hiring systems. Users can paste text, upload a PDF CV, or begin with one of 20 industry-specific templates covering sectors likes software engineering, marketing, finance, and healthcare.

The system strengthens weak bullet points, suggests action-led language, and quantifies achievements where possible. It also includes an ATS scoring system, grading CVs from 0 to 100 against applicant-tracking criteria and highlighting missing keywords, features that typically cost around $25 per month on specialist platforms.

Beyond writing tools, Coda One includes a full PDF and image toolkit. Users can merge or split PDFs, compress documents, convert files, remove image backgrounds, upscale pictures, and extract text via OCR. Crucially, all of this runs locally in the browser, meaning files never leave the user’s device.

For freelancers, students, and businesses concerned about privacy, that architecture removes the cloud-storage risks often associated with online tools.

The platform is already available in seven languages, including Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Indonesian, and Traditional Chinese, a deliberate move to reach markets where English-only software leaves gaps.

A Chrome extension also brings several writing tools directly into the browser. Highlight text anywhere online and users can instantly rewrite, translate, check grammar, detect AI content, or count words without opening another tab.

Based in London, Wong says the company is already seeing adoption in over 40 countries — suggesting that the appetite for fewer subscriptions and simpler workflows is very real.

If Coda One’s model proves sustainable, the days of paying separately for every productivity tool may soon start to look outdated.

https://www.codaone.ai

Nominations are open for the 2026 Queens of Halton Awards

Founded in 2019 by Fortuna Female Society, the awards have become a key date in the Halton calendar. They recognise women and girls across Widnes, Runcorn and the wider borough.

People are invited to put names forward across seven categories. Nominations close in early May. Nominees can live, work or study within the Halton Borough region.

Across Halton, women and girls are making a difference every day. The awards give people the chance to put those names forward.

Queens of Halton Award categories

Jo Cox Make a Difference Award

For women who make a clear, positive difference to others in their community.

Volunteer of the Year Award

For women who give their time to support local people, groups or causes.

Ray of Light Award

For women who support and lift others when it is needed most

Rising Star Award (under 18)

For girls showing potential, determination or leadership in any area of life.

Woman in Business Award

For women who run or grow a business in Halton.

Community Leader of the Year Award

For women leading charities, community interest companies, grassroots groups or not-for-profit organisations that support the local community.

Queen of Culture Award

New for 2026. Recognises women contributing to Halton through arts, creativity and cultural activity.

Laura Bevan, Founder and Chair of Fortuna Female Society, told That's Business: “We saw over 170 nominations come in last year. 

"That tells you everything about what’s happening across Halton. There are women running things, supporting others, building businesses and showing up every day. Most of them go unrecognised.

You will already have a woman in mind who deserves a crown. Put her name forward. And don’t stop at one.”

Full details and the online nomination form are available at: fortunafemale.org/queens-of-halton-awards

Photo credit: Little Wonderland Photography

Rising Gas Prices Push UK Businesses to Rethink Heating Strategy, Driving Shift Toward Infrared Solutions

Stephen Levy

UK businesses are accelerating a shift away from traditional gas heating systems as widening price disparities between gas and electricity begin to fundamentally reshape commercial energy strategies.

Recent national reporting indicates that gas prices could rise by as much as 80%, compared to electricity increases of approximately 30%, placing sustained pressure on operating costs across commercial and industrial sectors. 

This divergence is prompting businesses to reassess how heat is generated, delivered, and controlled within their premises.

Industry experts say the shift isn't simply a response to rising costs, but a structural change in how heating efficiency is understood.

“Businesses are starting to realise that heating vast volumes of air in large or poorly insulated spaces is inherently inefficient,” Stephen Levy, CEO and Founder of Shadow Industrial told That's Business.

“When energy costs rise at this scale, those inefficiencies become impossible to justify.”

Infrared heating systems, which use electricity to deliver radiant heat directly to people and surfaces rather than heating the surrounding air, are increasingly being adopted as an alternative in warehouses, factories, retail environments and heritage buildings.

Unlike conventional gas systems, infrared technology enables targeted, on-demand heating, reducing energy waste in large or intermittently occupied spaces. 

Real-world installations across commercial settings have demonstrated cost reductions of up to 50% compared to gas-based systems, with further gains expected as the gap between gas and electricity prices continues to widen.

Analysts suggest if current pricing trends persist, the relative cost advantage of infrared heating could increase significantly, potentially exceeding 70% in certain applications.

The shift is also being reinforced by broader market dynamics. The UK remains exposed to volatile global gas markets influenced by geopolitical factors and supply constraints, while electricity is expected to benefit from increasing integration of renewable energy sources, improving long-term price stability.

Alongside the energy source itself, advances in digital heat management are playing a key role in improving efficiency outcomes.

Modern infrared systems can be integrated with intelligent controls, allowing businesses to heat specific zones at precise times and only to the required output.

“Wasting money heating empty industrial space is increasingly seen as an avoidable cost,” Levy added. “The technology now exists to heat only what is needed, when it is needed and that changes the economics entirely.”

For commercial operators, the implications are becoming clearer:

- Reduced operational costs through targeted heat delivery

- Improved energy efficiency in large or high-ceiling environments

- Greater control via zoned and digitally managed systems

- Reduced reliance on fossil fuels in line with decarbonisation goals

As energy costs become a central driver of business performance, the transition away from gas heating is shifting from a long-term sustainability goal to an immediate financial priority.

Industry observers expect infrared heating technologies to play an increasingly prominent role in this transition, particularly in sectors where traditional heating systems have historically struggled to deliver efficient results.

https://www.shadowindustrial.co.uk