Softbank urges Wework to halt float amid investor doubts September 10, 2019 Wework’s largest shareholder Softbank is said to be urging the shared office space provider to shelve its initial public offering (IPO) due to a frosty reception from potential investors. The Japanese conglomerate has put pressure on Wework bosses to postpone the eagerly-anticipated listing following criticism of the firm’s governance, executive pay and complicated structure, the [...]
Just what the doctor ordered: The tech that is freeing NHS staff from pagers, landlines and WhatsApp September 10, 2019 When Lydia Yarlott started working as a junior doctor in 2015, she was handed a pager. With this retro piece of technology, she was expected to communicate with her colleagues in the hospital. For anyone unfamiliar with (or too young to know) how a pager works, the device beeps when someone wants to contact you, [...]
While MPs argue, fintech must take the lead on driving growth September 10, 2019 Political discord, uncertainty, rapid change to the country’s prospects every day – this is the present state of Britain. To top it all off, the latest survey from IHS Markit suggests that a new recession is possible, with economic growth slipping over the recent period. The UK is at a crucial point. How we respond [...]
Ignore Elon Musk’s doom-mongering – AI will strengthen our society, not break it September 10, 2019 In Elon Musk’s mind, the dystopian thriller Ex Machina is forecast, not fiction. Debating Alibaba’s Jack Ma at the World AI Conference at the end of August, Musk claimed that humanity was directly threatened by the development of artificial intelligence, and that human beings were simply a “biological boot loader for digital super-intelligence”. The billionaire [...]
Internal auditors name cybersecurity as the top risk faced by their businesses September 10, 2019 A survey of internal auditors published today has found cybersecurity, regulatory change and digitalisation are the top three risks faced by businesses across Europe. The survey of 528 chief internal auditors found 78 per cent named cybersecurity and data security as a top five threat threat facing their businesses, 59 per cent cited regulatory change [...]
US states launch antitrust probe into Google September 9, 2019 A group of US state attorneys general have opened a probe into Google, the top law enforcement officer for Texas, Ken Paxton said today. The antitrust investigation is led by Paxton and will look into big technology firms, with a focus on Google’s advertising arm. Read more: New York attorney general launches antitrust probe at [...]
London VC 4BIO raises first tranche of new $150m advanced therapies fund September 9, 2019 London-based venture capital firm 4BIO has completed the first round of fundraising for a new fund focused on the advanced therapies sector, which uses stem cells, genes and tissues to treat chronic medical conditions. 4BIO said the first tranche had attracted over $50m (£40.4m) of capital. The firm is hoping to raise $150m of capital [...]
Back to school: Spend on or swerve these office gadgets? September 9, 2019 For kids up and down the country, the start of the school term means shiny new pencil cases and stationery. But for today’s modern office worker, what’s the equivalent in terms of the new kit that employees need? If you’re back from holiday, here’s what to spend on, and what to swerve. To 5g or [...]
AI investment in UK reaches record high September 9, 2019 Investors poured a record level of money into the UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector during the first half of 2019. Trailing behind only China and the US, the UK is currently third in the world for raising investment in AI after hitting an all-time high in the six months to June this year. Investment in [...]
US charges Chinese professor with fraud in latest Huawei clash September 9, 2019 US prosecutors have filed charges against a Chinese professor who allegedly stole technology from a Silicon Valley firm to give to Huawei. According to the complaint, Bo Mao entered into an agreement with an unnamed California tech company to obtain its circuit board, claiming it was for academic research. Read more: Huawei accuses US of [...]