Microsoft taps London data science hub Pivigo to give UK businesses access to data on demand January 30, 2019 Microsoft has today unveiled a partnership with London data science hub Pivigo, giving its customers access to a global network of data scientists on demand. Enabled alongside its Azure suite of machine-learning tools, Microsoft users will be able to tap into Pivigo's 6,000-strong community of data scientists to help with projects such as optimising pricing structures, [...]
Former Marketinvoice boss raises $30m for fintech startup Complyadvantage, backed by Index and Balderton January 30, 2019 The fintech startup formed by the co-founder and former chief executive of London firm Marketinvoice has closed a $30m (£22.8m) funding round today, backed by Revolut investors Index Ventures and Balderton Capital. Complyadvantage uses artificial intelligence to analyse the risk of financial crime for some of the world’s largest banks. The startup will use the funding to [...]
Antisocial media: How to reform our narcissistic internet culture January 30, 2019 The social media and technology backlash – or “techlash” – has begun, and the tech companies are scrambling to catch up. Earlier this month, Sheryl Sandberg talked compellingly at the Munich DLD conference about Facebook’s challenges and the company’s acceptance of greater responsibility around the big issues of data safety, misinformation, and transparency. Good stuff, [...]
DEBATE: Now that Facebook is integrating WhatsApp and Instagram, should we be worried about privacy? January 30, 2019 Now that Facebook is integrating WhatsApp and Instagram, should we be worried about privacy? Ruth Manielevitch, vice president of global business development at Taptica, says YES. Facebook has said that there will be end-to-end encryption across the board as part of this integration, but this will be difficult to implement. The level of personal information [...]
AI has not yet spurred a productivity boom, but just you wait January 30, 2019 Nobel laureate Bob Solow pronounced 30 years ago that “you can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics”. At the start of the 1980s, the world entered the digital age. Fax machines transformed communications. The introduction of personal computers made high-powered computing available to all. But it took time to work out [...]
Software is the UK’s most popular sector for angel investment, report shows January 30, 2019 Software has retained its position as the top sector for angel investment in the UK, a new report has revealed. Software was the best performing sector for both investment and pitches in 2018, according to an analysis of 100,000 businesses by the Angel Investment Network (AIN). Read more: UK fintech Featurespace raises £25m in latest funding [...]
Social media sites should have legal duty over child safety, says children’s commissioner January 30, 2019 Social media platforms must do more to protect children from harmful material on their platforms, the children’s commissioner has said. Anne Longfield today penned an open letter to social media giants urging them to take legal responsibility for the safety of children on their sites. Read more: Facebook tightens ad rules for EU political parties ahead [...]
Apple soothes investor fears by topping estimates in festive quarter results January 29, 2019 Californian tech giant Apple assuaged investor concerns tonight, having narrowly beaten analyst predictions for its first fiscal quarter of 2019. Reporting for the three months to 31 December, Apple said it took in revenue of $84.3bn (£64.1bn), slightly above consensus estimates of $84bn as collated by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Sales were down five per cent [...]
London-listed video advertisers Taptica and Rhythm One to unite in £260m merger January 29, 2019 Merger talks between two firms in the video advertising sector have reached an advanced stage, which could be valued at £260m. London-listed firms Taptica and Rhythm One are in discussions regarding an all-share tie-up, which would see Taptica take over its competitor, according to a report by Sky News. Taptica shareholders would own a slightly larger [...]
London startup backed by the Mayor and National Grid launches embedded car charging points January 29, 2019 Connected Kerb has today launched its first series of electric car charging points fully embedded into the road's curbside. Built into Borough Road in Southwark, the launch was supported by Southwark Council, Virgin Media and National Grid. The move comes after the London startup won the Mayor's Award for Urban Innovation last year. Users of electric cars [...]