Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1386758
24.6.2021 6 NEWS BUSINESS First (B1st), Mal- ta Enterprise's one-stop-shop for business, is to extend its support services to the busi- ness community, through an agreement it has reached with the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER). Via this agreement DIER will, initially, be of- fering one to one customer care services from B1st every other week, starting Tuesday 22nd June 2021. The DIER will inform clients on the rights, and obligations, pertinent to employers, as well as the Conditions of Em- ployment in various sectors of the Maltese economy. The material presented is expected to be of particular use to startups, who, in all likelihood, will be first-time employers, and therefore un- acquainted with the rights, and obligations, associated with being employers. This fruitful synergy be- tween B1st, and DIER, will be another positive step for- ward for the further protec- tion of workers' rights, which provides for a more cohesive workforce, and a stronger economy for all. Startups can now benefit from a holistic service at B1st, ranging from registering as self-employed, (VAT, Inland Revenue and Jobsplus), and applying for required licens- es and/or permits issued by MTA and the Environment Health Directorate. All businesses can visit B1st to avail of the services and ob- tain information on taxation (VAT and Inland Revenue), licenses and government in- centives including those of- fered by Malta Enterprise. Clients should activate their e-ID before visiting B1st as most services are carried out in a paperless format. The process to activate your e-ID can be found on https://sub- scribedser vices .gov.mt/por- tal/webforms/howdoigetac- c e s s t o s u b s c r i b e d s e r v i c e s . aspx. Further information about the services at B1st can be ob- tained by calling 144 or email on info@businessfirst.com.mt. Business 1st is the one stop shop for businesses and self-employed and is part of Malta Enterprise. It is run jointly with the Chamber of SMEs. Business 1st extends its services to include conditions of employment support A Berlin blockchain start- up that's seeking to transform the inter- net of things into the economy of things, peaq has raised €2.5 million in a round led by Scherzer & Co. AG, and Wer- ner Geissler, for- mer Vice-Chairman of Procter & Gamble. The round also saw par- ticipation from Meteoric VC. The firm reports that the funding will be used to diversify its blockchain solution. Founded in 2017 by Julia Pönitzsch, Leonard Dorlöchter, Max ake, and Till Wendler, peaq is a blockchain in- frastructure and solution development company that's leveraging the power of the 'chain to transform the internet of things into the economy of things. This funding round is part of a larger plan, as peaq now offers peaq enterprise and peaq network. Enterprise will use the funding to continue its blockchain for en- terprise, while the newly announced network will use the funding for the public network and a planned to- ken offering. "This investment will allow us to take peaq's enterprise solutions to more custom- ers, thus using our technology to cre- ate value within the Internet of Things at scale and advance the Economy of Things. We will continue to follow our mission of making our technolo- gy accessible to society and build an even stronger bridge between the real world and the blockchain ecosystem," CEO Wendler said. "Regarding the public network and token – we are certain that choosing to wait before launching our public network was not only the right de- cision from a business strategy perspective but is also rep- resentative of the eth- ical values by which we have built the company and are leading it into the future. We're ex- cited to share more information in the coming weeks, es- pecially once the ongoing peaq net- work funding round is finalised," he said. "We've been in this space for many years but chose a different strategy to most projects, opting to create real-world value for business before launching a means of exchanging that value. With Fortune 100 companies like NTT and a big German automo- tive group trusting in our technology, we believe now is the time." Maltese co-founder Max ake is still confident that his de- cision to leave home, drop out of university, and move to Berlin to es- tablish the venture with his German partners will pay off. ey have raised €3m so far, and aim to raise another €5m and although they plan to remain in Ger- many, they are now only seeking overseas investors. "The future will change [Germany]," he said. "But right now, we can't stop and wait." Berlin-based blockchain startup peaq raises €2.5 million, announces plans for token Till Wendler Max Thake