International Women’s Day is a reminder to keep breaking down barriers March 8, 2019 As a senior woman in business, I’m often approached to speak at events about the importance of nurturing diversity, in the technology industry and beyond. It is both a privilege and a regret. I long for a world where diverse leadership is simply the norm; where senior female business leaders are just known as “business [...]
China throws weight behind Huawei as telecoms giant sues US government March 8, 2019 Mobile giant Huawei has gained the backing of the Chinese government in its bid to sue the US, in a move which threatens to deepen the countries' ongoing diplomatic rift. China’s top diplomat, state councillor Wang Yi, said on Friday that China supports Huawei Technologies’ bid for legal redress in the United States, adding that [...]
Snap to be hauled in front of MPs for grilling over Breck Bednar murder taunt March 7, 2019 A parliamentary committee has said the parent firm of Snapchat will face questions regarding the reported use of the app by a killer to taunt the family of a child he murdered. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee today invited Snapchat to provide evidence as part of its inquiry into immersive and addictive [...]
MPs launch inquiry into drone risk after Gatwick travel chaos March 7, 2019 MPs have launched an investigation into the ethical and safety implications of drones in the wake of travel chaos at UK airports. The Science and Technology Committee (STC) has launched a probe into the use of civilian drones across the UK ahead of the government’s so-called Drone Bill, which is expected this year. Read more: [...]
Draper Esprit leads £7m funding round in deep tech firm Hadean March 7, 2019 Venture capital firm Draper Esprit has led a £7m funding round in London deep tech firm Hadean. Hadean has created the world’s first cloud-first operating system to allow programmers to scale up their code and reduce the manpower and time wasted on engineering. Read more: London-listed Draper Esprit to double down on Europe with £100m [...]
Funding Circle shares rise despite widening losses on IPO costs March 7, 2019 Shares in peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle jumped as much as five per cent this morning despite widening losses following the fintech firm’s initial public offering (IPO) last year. The figures Funding Circle fell to a £51.6m operating loss in 2018, 40 per cent up from a loss of £36.9m the previous year. Read more: Funding [...]
The big banks are losing their grip on the market to fintechs and challengers, but can big data save the day? March 7, 2019 Over a year on from the launch of Open Banking, and following last year’s IT catastrophes at Visa and TSB, it is no surprise that many in our industry are considering how effectively the big banks are reacting to this era of transformative technological upheaval. It is estimated that the five biggest UK banks hold [...]
Home Office tightens golden visa rules after earlier failed crackdown March 7, 2019 The Home Office announced reforms to so-called golden visas for wealthy investors today, following an embarrassing debacle last year when it announced their suspension before being forced to backtrack days later. Under reforms to the Tier 1 (Investor) scheme, applicants will be required to prove they have control of the £2m they are required to [...]
DEBATE: In light of this week’s Access to Cash Review, is the UK ready to go cashless? March 7, 2019 In light of this week’s Access to Cash Review, is the UK ready to go cashless? Abhijit Deb, head of banking and financial services (UK&I) at Cognizant, says YES. From contactless card technology to smartphone payments, we have seen innovations draw much of the public away from cash to new methods. Convenience is obviously a big [...]
Runway East plugs £1m into 1,000-person startup hub in London Bridge March 7, 2019 London startup workspace provider Runway East has announced plans to double the size of its existing South London hub to accommodate 1,000 workers. Read more: London startup space Tech Hub grabs new Shoreditch venue in City expansion The firm told City A.M. it will spend £1m on the expansion, in response to high demand from [...]