Retail giant John Lewis are clearly a company that understands that startups have the potential to shape the future, if the launch of their tech incubator - JLAB - last month is anything to go by. This initative was carried out in collaboration with serial tech entreperenuer and Angel Investor Stuart Marks, who was also on the panel to help pick the finalists.The finalists include Localz which allows retailers to know when their best customers are in-store, and Viewsy which allows retailers to track customer behaviour in-store in order for them to give individuals more unique and tailored services (see full list of finalists below).

It is well known that an increasingly aging population is one of Europe's social and economic challenges. For the health care industry this means that, according to the new report from Nesta Impact Investments, the current health care system will fail to meet the demands of the population, perhaps as soon as in ten years time. The need now is to build a system that will provide for the anticipated care and support needs, whilst delivering improved quality of life.

This week, in a bid to be seen as "cool" again to teens on mobile and social platforms, Facebook launched its latest app Slingshot. It was around last month too as Facebook accidentally pushed Slingshot live in Malaysia and then pulled it out again.

It was William McChesney Martin, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank in the '50s and '60s, who famously remarked that it was the job of central bankers to "take away the punch bowl just when the party gets going".

Designed to work across the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Windows, FileMaker allows you to run reports, manage your customer data and so much more. In other words, if you're looking to 'streamline you business' then FileMaker just may be your go-to tool. It would seem that London based visual effects company and Oscar winners Framestore got the memo - if their recent collaboration with the business solution is anything to go by - and on the 23rd June at the Regent Street Apple branch, you can expect to find out a whole lot more.

On the 3rd and 4th of July 2014, more than 3000 attendees from more than 60 countries will gather at the new conference centre in Luxemborg Kirchberg. This annual two-day event aims at encouraging exchange on innovation and trends, with current topics in Information and Communication Technologies in Europe. This year's edition focuses on "Innovating The Customer Experience" throughout FinTech solutions. Addressing topics such as virtual currencies, security and the value of ecommerce.

If you haven't heard of Cloudwear yet, chances are that's about to change in spectacular fashion. The innovative company are in their own words 'pioneering the application of artifical intelligence on wearable devices', and their app iwunta is a shining example of the promising and exciting future of wearable technology. The first ever messaging app designed from scratch for wearables, iwunta makes connecting with friends both easier and faster, by allowing like-minded friends to contact you virtually immediately if they are available for an activity, rather than you having to actively search yourself.

Founder of Checkatrade (a service providing consumers with access to a wide directory of pre-vetted tradesmen) Kevin Byrne, names his top tips in becoming a successful entrepreneur. With past achievements including being named Sussex Entrepreneur of the Year, coming 25th in the Sunday Times 100 Best small company to work for in 2014 and generating £1.5b a year for their trades, it's clear that this Kevin is certainly a man who knows what it takes to suceed.

An inspired hybrid of sorts between Groupon and the lottery, Your Dreams Live (YDL) has taken the meaning of treating yourself to an entirely new level. Founded by Fanch Le Bris, YDL's mantra 'stop dreaming, start living' says it all. YDL works by allowing you to suggest a 'dream' - that is, a gift of your choosing that can be anything from a new car, to a designer wardrobe or home makeover. If your 'dream' recieves enough likes, it becomes a prize to play for. You then have a chance to win dreams through buying tickets (you can buy and like your own dreams too).