Softbank Vision Fund expands minority founder programme to Europe June 18, 2020 Softbank’s Vision Fund has today said it will be expanding its programme to uplift minority founders to Europe, after completing its first cohort in the US. Launched in partnership with Wework Labs, the Emerge programme is an eight-week intensive startup accelerator designed to help early-stage founders from underrepresented backgrounds. Each participating startup must have at [...]
Out of crisis comes opportunity… for fraudsters June 18, 2020 | City Talk ‘Out of crisis comes opportunity’ is usually said with positivity in mind. In the current context, for example, entrepreneurs discovering ways to successfully diversify their business. What is less frequently spoken of, though, is how bad practice and criminality can emerge, grow or even thrive during a crisis. Criminals see opportunities in crises, too. So, [...]
Nintendo shares level up to 12-year high June 18, 2020 Shares in Japanese gaming giant Nintendo surged today as investors took stock of the company’s successes during the coronavirus pandemic. The firm’s share price reached ¥50,180 during trading, before closing at ¥50,110. Analysts pointed to news of a new Pokemon game as piquing traders’ interests, as well as hopes that Nintendo will continue to benefit [...]
Privacy U-turn: NHS tracing app shifted to Apple and Google model June 18, 2020 The government has announced it will abandon its previous work on its coronavirus-tracing app to move towards a more privacy-focused model, based on technology developed by Apple and Google. The UK will follow in the footsteps of others such as Germany in chasing a more decentralised approach. While it has been argued to be more [...]
England’s Test and Trace system misses one in four people with coronavirus June 18, 2020 The number of contacts made by positive coronavirus cases identified by England’s NHS Test and Trace system increased to 44,895 in its second week, but it missed one in four infected patients. The Department of Health said today that 5,949 people who tested positive for coronavirus had their case transferred to the contact tracing system [...]
Advisers join forces in bid to oust Tesla chairwoman June 18, 2020 Proxy adviser Glass Lewis has joined ISS in recommending that investors vote against the re-election of Robyn Denholm as chairwoman of Tesla’s board. Glass Lewis said it was concern was related to corporate governance, due to an insurance arrangement with chief executive Elon Musk after Tesla’s decision to not renew its directors and officers’ liability [...]
UK says it still wants deal on global digital tax after US quits talks June 18, 2020 The UK will continue to push for a solution to taxing international digital companies such as Google and Facebook after the US abandoned negotiations for a global digital tax, the Treasury said. US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin pulled out of talks on digital services taxes with EU officials after they failed to make any progress, [...]
US dashes hopes of global deal on digital tax June 17, 2020 US officials have reportedly suspended talks with European countries over plans for a global digital tax framework, and continue to threaten to impose sanctions should they go ahead with individual proposals. US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin last week told four European finance ministers that discussions had reached an “impasse”, in a letter seen by the [...]
Apple’s diversity chief exits as pressure mounts on Cook to testify June 17, 2020 Apple’s head of diversity and inclusion Christie Smith has stepped away from the firm, following the launch of its $100m fund to tackle racism. Smith is said to have officially left her role this week, though her move was planned two months ago, Bloomberg reported. Apple committed $100m to a new programme dedicated to racial [...]
Q&A: How can data science help investors map the route out of lockdown? June 17, 2020 | City Talk We ask Mark Ainsworth, Head of the Data Insights Unit at Schroders, how data science can help investors navigate the next phase of the Covid-19 crisis. The Covid-19 crisis has brought data into our everyday lives like never before. Where once we might have checked our news apps for the football scores, we’re now looking [...]