Remy Blaire welcomes Polly Jean Harrison, the Features Editor of the FinTech Times, to discuss the latest headlines from Europe and the Middle East. The conversation begins with an exciting partnership between Starling Bank and Small Business Britain, aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs across the UK. Polly explains that this year-long initiative will feature events, research, and a new free online training program called “Female Founder Fundamentals,” set to launch in early 2026. The program is designed to provide female founders with the skills, network, and confidence needed to grow their businesses, especially in light of recent statistics showing a decline in women-led SMEs in the UK.
Polly highlights that recent UK government research indicates that women lead only 14% of SME employers, despite making up around 30% of solo entrepreneurs. This partnership seeks to address the need for greater support for female founders, with the goal of increasing the number of women leading SMEs to 30% by 2030. Polly expresses her excitement about the initiative, which will include online masterclasses and peer learning opportunities focused on building confidence, growth, and financial skills.
The discussion then shifts to a report from PXP, revealing a high level of consumer caution regarding AI shopping tools. Polly shares that about 37% of consumers are hesitant to use AI technologies, particularly as the holiday shopping season approaches. She notes that consumer willingness to engage with AI varies significantly depending on the application, with shoppers being selective about surrendering control to automated systems. While some consumers are open to features like personalized product recommendations and price prediction tools, interest in advanced in-store technologies, such as AI chat assistants and virtual try-on kiosks, is notably lower.