London-based Hot Wheels game maker Hutch raises £4m from Index Ventures and Backed VC February 2, 2017 A Silicon Roundabout star behind a hit Hot Wheels video game has zoomed off with a $5.5m (£4.3m) investment. Hutch, which has studios in London and Brighton, raised the money from Index Ventures and Backed VC. Founded in 2011, Hutch received seed financing in 2014, via a round led by Initial Capital. Hot Wheels: Race Off, [...]
Uber is “pressing pause” on Taiwan business after government pressure February 2, 2017 Things are heating up in Taiwan. Uber has suspended its services there over an ongoing rift with the government, which deems the ride-hailing app illegal. In a blog post on the company's site, Uber said it was "pressing pause in Taiwan" after reaching an "impasse", saying the government sought to move "further and further away from embracing [...]
Podcast: Why virtual reality is about to rock your world February 2, 2017 This week the Unregulated podcast straps a black box to its face and immerses itself in the VR industry. From becoming a part of the Apollo 11 mission to assembling the parts of a human heart, we discover how VR will change the classroom, and office, of the future, how entrepreneurs can tap into opportunities in the field – [...]
Here’s why Vodafone’s share price fell at the open February 2, 2017 Vodafone's share price dropped three per cent at the open after it said earnings would be in the lower end of its previous guidance. The figures In its trading update for the quarter ending 31 December, Vodafone said its organic service revenue had grown 1.7 per cent to €12.3bn (£10.5bn). But it said its full [...]
The case against VC-backed employers February 2, 2017 Silicon Valley has carved an entirely new definition of the word “aspirational”. Notwithstanding that the companies it built are drip-feeding curated images of perfection into our lives, it has also created a paradoxical working culture: a curtain of free artisan lunches and unlimited holiday often drawn across a dark room of tiring and intense R&D. As [...]
Top business leaders are getting to work on making British industry digital to boost productivity and jobs February 1, 2017 It's full speed ahead for Britain's digital economy as top business leaders embark on ambitious plans to pull industry into the modern age and position itself at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution. Increasing productivity and creating highly-skilled jobs will be the focus of the ambitious new plan to put digital technology, such as artificial [...]
Facebook’s profit rockets despite a jury ruling against its VR firm Oculus February 1, 2017 Facebook's profits shot sky high in 2016, but a jury decided tonight it will pay $500m for its virtual-reality firm Oculus, which came under fire for breaking a non-disclosure agreement. The figures Facebooks profit rose 177 per cent to $10.2bn (£8.1bn) for the year ended 31 December. Revenue for the fourth quarter was up 51 per cent to $8.8bn, [...]
Startup Dead Right aims to bring digital disruption to the funeral industry February 1, 2017 A new digital disruptor is aiming to put the ‘fun’ in funeral. Dead Right, a service comparison startup, is backed by advertising exec Sir John Hegarty and his company Garage Soho, and is in the process of seeking further funding. Read more: A startup sprouting up across London could be getting a massive investment from Softbank [...]
The Volt Infinity ebike pairs world class cycling hardware with electric motor technology February 1, 2017 There are probably far worse problems, but riding around on electric bikes has thoroughly ruined regular pushbikes for me. It now seems an insurmountable hardship to have to use my own muscles and gears to propel a bike forwards, like some sort of caveman. Not feeling the familiar ghostly push of an electric motor as [...]
Apple’s shares have gone bananas on recovering iPhone sales February 1, 2017 Shares in Apple jumped almost six per cent as the market opened in New York this morning, after stellar earnings revealed record iPhone sales. Shares were up 5.7 per cent at $128.23 after figures published last night showed it sold 78.3m iPhones. The figure smashed analysts' expectations of 76m. The Christmas period was seen as crucial for [...]