Twitter just acquired very cool London-based AI startup Magic Pony June 20, 2016 Twitter has acquired a London-based startup, Magic Pony, in a bid to ramp up its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities, in a deal reportedly worth $150m (£102m). "Machine learning is increasingly at the core of everything we build at Twitter," said Twitter boss Jack Dorsey in a blog post today. "It’s powering much of the work [...]
From telecoms provider to tech innovator: Can the old guard make the leap? June 20, 2016 The global telecoms industry faces the most challenging risk environment in living memory. Profitability is being squeezed by disruptive competitors, regulatory change and unrelenting cyber attacks. The threats facing telecoms today are diversifying and multiplying. At BDO our recent industry report, 2016 Telecommunications Risk Factors Survey, highlights strategic and operational risks reported by sixty telecoms [...]
Circassia share price tanks by 65 per cent as cat allergy treament fails crucial trial June 20, 2016 Pharmaceutical company Circassia has lost more than half its value this morning after its experimental cat allergy treatment failed in a late-stage trial. The firm's stock was down by 64.85 per cent in early trading. Circassia said the study showed that both the treatment regimens and the placebo "greatly, and equally, reduced subjects' combined allergy symptom [...]
VR doctors and drone delivered pizza: The six ways tech will change our lives in the next 20 years June 20, 2016 We're hurtling towards a world that's free of cold hard cash and we'll see virtual reality doctors in the future, but we'll still be ordering takeaway pizza – only it will be delivered by drone instead, people predict. These are just some of the technologies of the future envisioned as the most likely to be part [...]
Tech beats FTSE for female bosses (but there’s still work to do) June 20, 2016 Technology businesses are beating the FTSE when it comes to the number of female bosses, as the startup sector sets an example to the rest of the business world for gender equality. A fifth of tech firms in the UK are run by women, compared to just five per cent of FTSE 100 companies and only four per [...]
Let’s make London the tech capital of the world June 20, 2016 Today marks the start of London Technology Week, a fantastic opportunity for thousands of tech experts from all over the world to descend on the capital to learn and share new ideas and shine a light on this hugely important sector of our economy. London is an established global leader in business services and international [...]
Tech is now everywhere – and fundamental to London’s growth June 20, 2016 The third London Technology Week will formally start today in Shoreditch with entrepreneurs, academics and government leaders coming together to celebrate technology – the city’s fastest growing industry. A lot has changed since the inaugural launch in 2014. London now has a global reputation for producing world-class tech companies, with more unicorns than any other [...]
London continues reign as unicorn startup capital of Europe June 20, 2016 London is home to more so-called tech unicorns than any other country in Europe adding two new startups to the billion-dollar stable over the past year. The capital is now home to 14 companies with the sky-high valuation, double the number of the next closest country, Sweden, which is home to seven. The UK is home [...]
Social media is driving a surge in mobile spending, with five per cent of Britons now buying something on their phones every day June 20, 2016 Britain is a nation of social media-driven mobile phone shoppers, according to a study released today. Five per cent of the UK's population, or 2.5m people, are buying products or services on their phones everyday, while twice as many between the ages of 18 and 34 (10 per cent) are making daily purchases on their mobiles. Social [...]
Cannes 2016: Marketers will be talking about whether virtual reality has real legs June 20, 2016 Virtual reality (VR) used to be the stuff of science fiction. But it has already taken us on trips to the Great Barrier Reef, Abbey Road Studios and the moon. What’s next? Could it bring us closer to brands? Marketers at Cannes will be debating if this new medium has legs of the non-virtual kind. When [...]