Instacart poaches top Facebook executive as new boss July 8, 2021 US grocery delivery giant Instacart has tapped one of Facebook’s most senior executives as its new boss ahead of a potential stock market float. Instacart today announced that Fidji Simo will take over as chief executive from Apoorva Mehta, who will take on the role of executive chairman and still be involved in day-to-day activities. [...]
Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement July 8, 2021 Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has thrown his weight behind the burgeoning right-to-repair movement despite resistance from the company he helped to build. The right-to-repair movement calls for new laws guaranteeing users access to information and parts to fix their own devices. Current laws in the US and Europe limit right-to-repair rules to vehicles and appliances [...]
London home to nearly a third of all Europe’s tech unicorns July 8, 2021 London is now home to almost a third of all tech unicorns across Europe as the capital continues to attract the continent’s top talent. New data from Dealroom revealed there are 71 private tech firms valued at $1bn or more in London, a large chunk of the total 268 unicorns across Europe. It comes after [...]
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi sued by US shareholders July 8, 2021 China’s dominant ride-hailing app Didi is facing two lawsuits, filed in New York and Los Angeles. They come a week after Didi’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange. The two suits, filed on Tuesday, state that Didi failed to disclose ongoing talks it was having with Chinese authorities about its compliance with cybersecurity laws [...]
Deliveroo lifts guidance as orders soar in second quarter July 8, 2021 Deliveroo this morning raised its guidance for the first year after a quarter in which the company said that orders increased nearly 90 per cent. In a trading update, the takeaway app said that it was now on track to see gross transaction value (GTV) grow between 50 and 60 per cent this year, up [...]
Airbnb inks deal with location tech firm what3words amid staycation boom July 8, 2021 Airbnb has launched a partnership with what3words to bring the startup’s location mapping technology to its platform ahead of an expected boom in staycations. What3words has divided the world into three-metre squares each with a unique three-word name to help pinpoint specific addresses. The London-based company said its technology helps to tackle the inaccuracy of [...]
Uber under pressure as Chinese rival Didi enters UK July 7, 2021 Uber will come under pressure from yet another ride-hailing rival as China’s Didi prepares to launch in the UK in the coming weeks. Didi is said to have secured its first licences in Manchester and Sheffield and is set to begin services as soon as this month, the Daily Telegraph reported. The arrival of the [...]
Wise valued at £8bn in London’s biggest ever tech float July 7, 2021 Wise, one of Britain’s biggest fintech firms, has seen its valuation hit £8bn after listing on the London Exchange this morning, marking a major boost for the capital’s tech scene. Shares in the payments group, formerly known as Transferwise, began trading at £8 each in its eagerly-awaited stock market float. It follows an auction process [...]
Concerns grow as North America experiences warmest June on record July 7, 2021 North America experienced its warmest June to date with several cities in the U.S. and Canada recording a full 5 degree Celsius temperature rise above previous records, according to EU Earth observation program Copernicus. Despite a slew of rain and cloud in the UK last month, it was the second warmest June on record for [...]
Exclusive: London edtech firm Unibuddy raises $20m after pandemic boost July 7, 2021 London-based education technology firm Unibuddy has raised $20m (£14.5m) in fresh funding to help fuel its global expansion after a bumper pandemic year. Unibuddy, which allows prospective university applicants to chat with existing students and staff, raised the funds in a series B round led by Highland Europe, with further participation from Stride.VC. The company, [...]