Global investors flock to London in ‘golden age’ for tech January 14, 2021 London has cemented its role as Europe’s leading tech hub after a near-record year of investment as overseas investors circle in on the capital’s best firms. Global tech investors are piling into the capital with a total $10.5bn (£7.7bn) investment recorded in 2020, a quarter of Europe’s whole VC investment for the year. The amount [...]
Grocery delivery app Weezy raises $20m for London expansion January 14, 2021 Grocery delivery platform Weezy has raised $20m (£14.6m) to fund its expansion in London and across the UK as it cashes in on bumper demand during the pandemic. Weezy, which offers local grocery deliveries in 15 minutes, said it will use the funding to add 50 employees to its London-based team over the next four [...]
Deliveroo picks banks as it gears up for blockbuster float January 13, 2021 Deliveroo is said to have tapped four investment banks as it prepares for a blockbuster float on the London Stock Exchange this year. The food delivery app has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citi, Jefferies and Numis to work on an initial public offering that could value it at more than £5bn, Sky News [...]
Intel shares rise as chipmaker replaces chief executive January 13, 2021 Shares in Intel pushed higher this afternoon after the tech giant said it was replacing chief executive Bob Swan following a string of manufacturing missteps. Swan, who has held the top job for just two years, will step down on 15 February and will be replaced with Pat Gelsinger, currently chief executive of software group [...]
Airbnb cancels all Washington bookings during Biden inauguration January 13, 2021 Airbnb is cancelling all reservations in the Washington DC area during the week of Joe Biden’s inauguration amid concerns about further violence. The holiday rental site said all existing reservations will be cancelled, including those made on its Hotel Tonight subsidiary, and any new bookings will be blocked. Airbnb said guests and hosts will be [...]
UK vaccine rollout was ‘lumpy’ at first, minister admits January 13, 2021 The UK’s vaccine tsar has admitted the nation’s largest ever vaccination programme was “lumpy at the outset” as he faced a grilling in the Commons. Nadhim Zahawi told the Science and Technology Committee: “I now have line of sight of deliveries all the way through to the end of February and [am] getting more confident [...]
Covid: UK trials new drug that could cut risk of severe illness by 80 per cent January 13, 2021 The UK has launched large-scale trials of a new drug that could cut the risk of Covid patients developing severe illness by as much as 80 per cent. Thirty-four-year-old Alexandra Constantin became the first patient to receive the drug, produced by London-listed biotech firm Synairgen, after receiving the dose at Hull Royal Infirmary yesterday afternoon. [...]
Tiktok tightens privacy features as online harm laws loom January 13, 2021 Tiktok has tightened its privacy features for young users as the government prepares to roll out tough new rules to improve safety on social media. The hit video-sharing app today said that all users under the age of 16 will have their accounts set to private by default, meaning only approved followers can view their [...]
Telegram user numbers surge after Whatsapp privacy update January 12, 2021 Messaging app Telegram has seen its user numbers balloon amid a backlash over changes to Whatsapp’s privacy policy. Telegram, which offers encrypted chat services, today said 25m new users had signed up in the last 72 hours alone. This is compared to the 1.5m daily additions it averaged last year, while the app’s total user [...]
Trump brands social media ban ‘catastrophic mistake’ and defends pre-riot speech January 12, 2021 Donald Trump has branded his social media ban a “catastrophic mistake” as he refused to take responsibility for inciting riots at the Capitol last week. The outgoing president, who has been accused of inciting violence and is facing a second impeachment, today played down his role in the riots and attempted to blame Silicon Valley. [...]