Funding Circle: Global expansion almost doubles losses at fintech unicorn and peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle September 25, 2016 Losses have almost doubled at fintech unicorn and lending platform Funding Circle, City A.M. understands. The peer-to-peer lending group is set to post a full-year loss of £36m when it publishes its accounts on Tuesday, after expanding into Europe and the US ate into profits. However, revenues at the firm, which was founded in 2010 [...]
EU funds for 600 startups have been unfrozen after Brexit pause September 25, 2016 Millions of pounds in funding for startups from the European Union that were put on hold after the vote to leave Europe have been unfrozen. Cash from the EU Regional Development Fund was paused by the Treasury almost immediately following the vote for Brexit putting at risk a shot in the arm for the country's tech [...]
Snapchat to change its name to Snap Inc September 24, 2016 Messaging startup Snapchat has announced plans to change its name to Snap Inc., reflecting its move into other products. "We decided to drop the “chat” and go with Snap Inc!," it said in a statement today. It coincides with the release of its first hardware product Spectacles — sunglasses that can record up to 30 second videos [...]
Snapchat unveils sunglasses with a built-in camera September 24, 2016 Messaging startup Snapchat revealed its first foray into hardware today, with the release of video-sharing sunglasses. The widely-anticipated device, which the company is calling Spectacles, can record up to 30 second videos at a time and will go on sale later this year priced at $130 (£100). It's also changing the name of the company to Snap Inc., Snapchat said today. "We’ve [...]
Four reasons Twitter is a prime takeover target September 23, 2016 With (more) rumours of a takeover sending share prices up by more than 20 per cent, Twitter’s run of bad luck may about to be over. But why would a firm known for its inability to make money be an appealing takeover prospect? Here's why the company might not be such a bad bet… 1. Its share [...]
Twitter’s share price just shot up on rumours Google and Salesforce are planning to buy it September 23, 2016 Twitter shares whooshed higher on the opening bell in New York after internet rumours suggested two of the world's largest tech companies might make formal bids for it. CNBC reported that Salesforce and Google may make a formal bid shortly, causing shares to jump 20.6 per cent to $22.38 in late morning trading in New York. Reuters later [...]
Amazon has just been fined 0.01 per cent of its second quarter profits for shipping dangerous goods September 23, 2016 Amazon has been fined £65,000 by Southwark Crown Court after it was convicted of breaching rules on dangerous goods. The online retail giant was found guilty earlier this week on four counts of causing dangerous goods to be delivered for carriage in an aircraft after it tried to ship lithium ion batteries (which have been banned from flights [...]
Humans do have a ‘sixth sense’ and scientists have just found the gene for it September 23, 2016 Are you always bumping into things? Do you wonder why you’re clumsier than your compatriots? It may all be down to genetics. Scientists in the US have discovered a gene in humans that controls the ability to sense where parts of your body are in space, which may explain why some of us are more [...]
How to cure an itch, living as a goat, and the personality of rocks – the quirkiest scientific discoveries awarded at Nobel spoof ceremony September 23, 2016 Scientists have a reputation for being humourless, but the annual Ig Nobel Prize honours those whose research has managed to both amuse, and make us think deeper about the world around us. The science itself is mostly serious, with winners usually having had their papers published in respected, peer-reviewed journals. However, even the most stony-faced [...]
Being in a higher level job makes you less likely to respond to treatment for depression September 23, 2016 People in high-flying careers may find it harder to find ways to deal with depression, according to doctors. Up to a third of people receiving treatment for depression, which can include therapy and antidepressants, do not find it eases their symptoms. But a new study may help doctors cater their prescriptions to patients more effectively, by [...]