Warren Buffet has waded in to the controversial battle for Cadbury claiming he would have voted ‘no’ to the acquisition and that the deal was a bad one for new parent company Kraft.

Matthew Crowe knows a sexy startup. His investment vehicle, Huckleberry Ventures, pinpoints young and innovative companies for first round funding. Here's what he finds attractive in a new business and some top tips on getting your startup off the ground – for free. 

Another entrepreneur steps forward to take a swipe at Lord Sugar. This time, it’s Julie Meyer, CEO of Ariadne Capital, founder of Entrepreneur Country and an investor on the BBC's online Dragons' Den. "Lord Sugar has forgotten the lessons of his early years as an entrepreneur," she says.

Writing exclusively for Real Business, Ariadne Capital’s Julie Meyer tells us why capital is a luxury and why the software industry is no longer the mecca for investors.

So, you want to start a business. What's the first thing you do? That's right. Draw up your business plan. It's the first step for any entrepreneur looking to launch a startup – any entrepreneur likely to succeed, that is. Check out our handy guide on how to write a business plan and give your startup the foundations it needs.

With university students facing the toughest jobs market imaginable, the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs has launched a Dragons’ Den-meets-YouTube video-pitching website to connect investors with entrepreneurial talent from UK universities.

Money management firm Kublax was one of six companies to win investment from the annual Seedcamp event for startups in 2007. Back then, Kublax was just the kernel of an idea. Two years on, chief executive Tom Symonds reflects on how the event transformed the business.

Has business funding kept pace with the quality of entrepreneurs in the UK? Which entrepreneurs do investors really rate? Venture capitalists spill the beans on raising finance.

At today’s Entrepreneur Country Forum, Sportingbet founder Mark Blandford explained his run-in with the US law, his role as a private investor and the killer sectors for 2010.

Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis on "borrowing and stealing" other people's ideas.

Being finance director of a startup can be a daunting prospect as David Walker, the FD of Gooroo Software, knows all too well.

We're sick of all this economic doom and gloom. So now for some Christmas cheer. Our private equity specialist Les Green reveals how to raise capital in a recesssion and skyrocket your growth.

Asian entrepreneur Lord Karan Bilimoria has put Cobra, the beer company he founded 18 years ago, up for sale for an estimated £200m.

Investors in charities are eligible for gift aid. Investors in SMEs can take advantage of enterprise investment scheme income tax, capital gains relief and venture capital trust income tax relief. So why on earth don't investors in social enterprises receive tax breaks too, asks Big Issue chairman Nigel Kershaw.

Divorce rates are an effective indicator of managerial capability, says private equity guru Jon Moulton

Sales 2007: £59.2m
Sales 2004: £16.7m
Annual growth: 54%

Sales 2007: £46.6m
Sales 2004: £5.9m
Annual growth: 105%

They work in the US. But will Small Business Investment Companies work here?