Carlyle unveils £2.6bn to pump into European technology firms November 28, 2022 US asset manager Carlyle has rallied together over €3bn (£2.6bn) for a European fund to help grow mid-market technology firms in the continent. The fund, called Carlyle European Partners and headed by two former investment bankers, has exceeded its €2.5bn (£2.2bn) target in less than a year of fundraising, the buyout firm told Reuters. The [...]
Semiconductor industry’s grip on globe to loosen next year in economic downturn November 28, 2022 The semiconductor sector is bracing for slipping demand next year, as the grip the industry had on consumer and industrial-facing businesses loosens. Global revenue generated by computer chips, crucial bits of tech used in most of today’s electronics, is expected to fall 3.6 per cent in 2023, according to tech research and consulting giant Gartner. [...]
Drug developer C4X shares fly after signing £330m AstraZeneca licensing deal November 28, 2022 Drug developer C4X Discovery has signed an exclusive licensing agreement worth up to $402m (£334m) with pharma giant AstraZeneca to develop oral therapy to treat inflammatory diseases. London-listed C4XD’s shares have rocketed this morning, up nearly 40 per cent to 28.5p so far. As part of the deal, C4XD will receive pre-clinical milestone payments worth up [...]
Software firm RM to sell Integris and Finance Business arms for £16m November 28, 2022 Education sector tech firm RM has announced the sale of its RM Integris and RM Finance Business software businesses for £16m. The London-listed firm said an initial consideration of £12m in cash would be paid on completion, adjusted to reflect a normalised working capital position of the two firms. Proceeds from the sale will go [...]
UK ‘missing out’ on semiconductor inward investment November 28, 2022 The UK is ‘missing out’ on semiconductor inward investment as international competition heats up, says a new parliamentary report. MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee singled out cooperation with the US under the CHIPS Act and engagement with Taiwan as possible areas that could yield opportunities for the booming sector. Globally, the semiconductor [...]
TikTok calls in tech start-ups to help with ecommerce push November 27, 2022 TikTok has called in tech start-ups to boost its ecommerce operations in a desperate attempt to diversify revenue streams. According to initial reports from the Financial Times, TikTok’s parent firm Bytedance has been working with YunExpress as a logistics partner to get its social commerce offering off the ground on a more global scale. It [...]
Online safety bill to criminalise encouraging self-harm November 27, 2022 The long-awaited online safety bill is set to criminalise content that encourages self-harm as it attempts to beef up protections. While encouraging suicide is already illegal, there is widespread concern about material on the internet that encourages people to harm themselves. The recent inquest into the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell found that unsafe online [...]
What3words says post-Brexit tech hiring space is ‘a lot slicker’ than expected November 25, 2022 The boss of tech firm What3words chief said that the post-Brexit recruitment landscape has been “a lot slicker” then he anticipated when building a global team in London. In an interview with City A.M., Chris Sheldrick, who heads up the global address system, said that the capital continued to be a great place to build [...]
Foxconn apologises for pay issue after iPhone factory protests November 24, 2022 Apple’s iPhone partner Foxconn has apologised for a pay-related “technical error” when hiring new staff at the Covid battered Zhengzhou plant. Protests erupted this week across the world’s biggest iPhone factory, with videos circulating on social media of workers taking action against strict lockdown measures and pay issues. Foxconn said in a statement this morning: “Our [...]
Twitter’s Brussels office exodus raises alarm bells for online safety November 24, 2022 Twitter has reportedly disbanded its entire Brussels office, as Elon Musk continues his rampage of headcount. According to initial reports from the Financial Times, Julia Mozer and Dario La Nasa, who were in charge of Twitter’s digital policy in Europe, left the company last week. The pair were reportedly instrumental to the social media company’s [...]