London investor Tej Kohli on chasing the ‘second wave’ of CRISPR-Cas9 April 13, 2021 | City Talk “The only thing worse than losing money on an investment is having to watch the value of something that you didn’t back grow beyond all expectations” says London-based technologist and investor Tej Kohli. Kohli is talking into a laptop with the team of experts that he has assembled to spearhead a new initiative for his [...]
China issues warning to tech firms after record Alibaba fine April 13, 2021 Chinese authorities have issued a stark ultimatum to more than three dozen tech companies, warning them to stop engaging in any practices that fall foul of new regulations. The country’s market regulator, which last week slapped Alibaba with a $2.8bn fine, said it summoned 34 companies including Tencent, JD.com and Tiktok owner Bytedance. The State [...]
Grab finalises $40bn US listing through largest ever Spac deal April 13, 2021 Ride hailing and food delivery firm Grab today finalised a merger with Altimeter Growth to go public in the US at a valuation of just under $40bn (£29bn). The tie-up represents the largest ever Spac (special purpose acquisition company) deal ever made amid a frenzy of blank cheque deals on Wall Street. The Singapore-based startup, [...]
Tracking tech firm Buddi homes in on £500m London float April 13, 2021 A British tech firm that makes trackable wristbands is gearing up for a £500m stock market float in London. Buddi, which was founded by serial entrepreneur Sara Murray, has appointed Zeus Capital to oversee a listing later this year. The company produces wristbands that can be worn by vulnerable people. The bands can be connected [...]
UK urged to use new telecoms suppliers after Huawei ban April 13, 2021 The UK must ensure smaller telecoms suppliers play a major role in the country’s 5G network following the decision to ban Chinese tech firm Huawei, according to a new report. The vendor diversity task force, which was set up last year to lead the search for a replacement to Huawei, said smaller equipment makers should [...]
Shares in biotech firm C4X Discovery fizz on €414m Sanofi deal April 12, 2021 Shares in C4X discovery jumped today after the biotech company unveiled a €414m (£360m) licensing deal with Sanofi to develop an oral therapy to treat inflammatory diseases. Under the terms of the deal, the London-listed giant will receive an upfront payment of €7m and could receive up to a further €407m in potential development and [...]
Microsoft buys AI firm Nuance for $19.7bn in healthcare push April 12, 2021 Microsoft today said it will buy AI health firm Nuance Communications in a $19.7bn (£14.3bn) deal as it looks to bolster its healthcare offering. Massachusetts-based Nuance offers artificial intelligence and speech technology services designed to automate clinical administrative work and reduce the burden of paperwork on doctors. Microsoft said its offer of $56 per share [...]
Jack Ma’s Ant Group forced to restructure after China crackdown April 12, 2021 Ant Group will be restructured as a financial holding company as part of a crackdown by Beijing on billionaire Jack Ma’s Alibaba empire. China’s central bank today said Ant Group had laid out a “comprehensive and feasible restructuring plan” following pressure from regulators. The agreement will mean the fintech firm cuts “improper” links between its [...]
Pensionbee targets £384m valuation as it gears up for London float April 12, 2021 Pensionbee is targeting a valuation of up to £384m as it prepares to list on the London Stock Exchange later this month. In a filing today the fintech firm priced its initial public offering at between 155p and 175p per share, giving a market capitalisation of between £346m and £384m. It plans to raise £55m [...]
Google accused of insider trading over secret digital ads programme April 12, 2021 Google has been accused of insider trading in the digital advertising market through its use of a secret programme that allegedly gave it an unfair advantage over rivals. Court documents filed in a Texas lawsuit state the scheme, dubbed Project Bernanke, used access to data about past bids in Google’s advertising exchange to give it [...]