AI Minister: Visa reform key to keeping tech giants in Britain July 27, 2026 AI Minister Kanishka Narayan renewed calls for more visas for top engineers, arguing that the UK will need to do more to help tech companies scale at home rather than sell overseas. In his first interview since joining Andy Burnham’s cabinet, Narayan said he would use his seat at the top table to push for [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise; oil falls after Trump pauses Iran strikes July 27, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Monday and the FTSE 100 has made a positive start to the week, gaining more than 70 points on the market open after oil prices began to fall from last week’s two-month highs. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, slipped to $90.58 in early trading [...]
As it happened: Stocks slip as oil hits $100 following Houthi attacks on tankers July 23, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. Stocks slipped on Thursday morning as oil surged back to $100 per barrel for the first time since May. Brent crude barrelled up after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. The US last night launched its [...]
AI reduces founders’ need for capital, says Revolut Business July 22, 2026 AI is reducing the amount of capital startups need to build global businesses, shifting the battle for founders away from funding and towards which countries offer the best environment to scale, according to the head of Revolut Business. Speaking to City AM, James Gibson said AI had dramatically lowered the cost of building and operating [...]
AI minister: UK sets sights on global AI leadership, not Silicon Valley emulation July 15, 2026 AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the UK must build enough domestic AI capability to “shape our own destiny” rather than rely on overseas tech giants as the government accelerates its push to develop sovereign AI infrastructure. Narayan told City AM that AI had become “the defining currency” of geopolitical and economic power, arguing that the [...]
AI startup boss warns UK cannot become ‘dependent’ on overseas tech July 15, 2026 UK AI infrastructure company Valarian has raised $50m (£37m) in fresh funding as its boss said countries should focus on controlling AI infrastructure rather than competing to build their own frontier models. The Series A round, led by Silicon Valley investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA), takes the London firm’s total funding to $70m and marks [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 recovers after oil surge dampens mood; Strikes in the Strait of Hormuz July 14, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are marching higher after the latest wave of military action in the Middle East following the US reinstating its blockade on imports from Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – surged above $84 per barrel on Tuesday, bringing gains for the week [...]
From crown jewel to €180m courtroom battle: The investor revolt targeting Atos July 14, 2026 A top Whitehall tech supplier that historically managed vast swathes of critical data for the NHS is at the heart of a €180m (£153m) shareholder class action over its near-downfall two years ago. Euronext-listed Atos was once a crown jewel of the French tech sector, acting as a major partner for the French military and [...]
Monzo founder joins Anthropic as AI talent race heats up July 13, 2026 Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield has joined Anthropic, as the US AI giant steps up its recruitment drive for senior tech leaders. Blomfield announced on Monday that he is taking a leave of absence from Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator to join Anthropic’s compute team, where he will work alongside co-founder Tom Brown on the [...]
Barclays and Lloyds back calls to digitalise UK markets and unlock £33bn boost July 13, 2026 Top financial institutions have rallied behind a new report calling for the government to accelerate the digitalisation of UK markets to deliver a £33bn annaul boost to the economy. The paper, backed by a 54-strong taskforce that includes the likes of Barclays, JP Morgan and Lloyds Banking Group, says the tokenisation of markets could add [...]