Amazon to open supermarkets across US in food business expansion March 2, 2019 Amazon is looking to open dozens of supermarkets across America as it tries to expand its food business. The online retailer is also exploring the option of buying regional chains that have at least 12 stores as it bids to strength its new supermarket brand, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read more: New York leaders beg Amazon to [...]
Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou can be extradited, Canada says March 2, 2019 Canada will allow Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to be extradited to the US but the court must make a final decision. Meng was arrested in December by Canadian officials at the request of the US. She is wanted to stand trial on charges that include fraud after allegations she violated sanctions on Iran. Read more: New [...]
New York leaders beg Amazon to reconsider scrapping proposed HQ March 1, 2019 Nearly 80 New York City leaders in public office, business, and the community have sent an open letter to Jeff Bezos asking him to reconsider building an Amazon headquarters in Queens. In a full page ad in the New York Times, a number of officials, including a former Mayor of New York City and a number [...]
Lyft files for IPO ahead of rival Uber in listing that could value it at $25bn March 1, 2019 Ride-hailing company Lyft filed its initial public offering (IPO) registration today ahead of rival Uber in the race to hit the public markets. Lyft filed with an initial offering size of $100m (£75.62m), which is usually just a placeholder amount used to calculate fees that could change. The company did not disclose the price it plans to list at [...]
Customers unable to access Revolut app after digital bank suffers outage March 1, 2019 Revolut customers were unable to use the digital bank’s app this morning after the firm suffered a technical glitch. The Revolut app was unable to process card top ups and money transfers for at least four hours today while the challenger bank attempted to fix the problem. Read more: Revolut pushes ministers for fast-track tech [...]
‘Don’t believe everything you hear,’ Huawei tells Wall Street Journal readers March 1, 2019 Huawei has taken out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal, telling readers “Don’t believe everything you hear”, in an attempt to salvage its tarnished reputation in the US. Read more: Huawei takes ground from Apple and Samsung in smartphone war Catherine Chen, a director at the Chinese telecom giant, claimed the US government [...]
London startup numbers rise in face of Brexit uncertainty March 1, 2019 The number of new startups created each year in London is higher now than it was before the EU referendum, according to public data. While 205,325 new businesses started life in 2016, the year of the Brexit vote, entrepreneurs founded 216,204 companies last year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data reveals. Read more: The [...]
Snoop Dogg-endorsed fintech Klarna issues shares in £82m fundraising round March 1, 2019 Online payments firm Klarna has issued shares in a bid to raise 1bn Swedish krona (£82m) from existing investors, and said it will launch a larger external fundraising round later in the year. The Swedish fintech company, which in January welcomed a $2.5bn from none other than rapper Snoop Dogg, acquired a Swedish banking license [...]
Strong and stable: London extends lead as Europe’s top hub for unicorn startups March 1, 2019 London has cemented its status as the home of more young billion-dollar tech companies than any other European city, taking home the crown for ten consecutive years. Read more: Female fintech leaders highlighted as sector battles gender imbalance The number of so-called unicorn startups – private businesses valued at $1bn (£752.6m) and founded after 2000 [...]
The NHS needs to act more like WeWork March 1, 2019 A&E waiting times are at their worst level for 15 years. In 2018, more junior doctors left the NHS than stayed. Doctors and nurses are facing untold pressures, with things set to get worse as European recruits dry up ahead of Brexit. The health service is facing a critical staffing crisis which could prove fatal. [...]