Skarper: Sir Chris Hoy-backed start-up surges in value March 19, 2025 A start-up backed by Sir Chris Hoy surged in value by almost £2m ahead of securing a major funding boost, it has been revealed. Mobility technology company Skarper was founded in 2020 by Alastair Darwood and collaborates with Formula One team Oracle Red Bull Racing. The business patented a lightweight, portable drive system which connects [...]
Adzuna falls into the red amid hiring slump March 18, 2025 Jobs website Adzuna has fallen into the red as its sales were slashed by a third after battling a “turbulent” economy and a fall in hiring activity. The London-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £276,797 for the 12 months to 30 June, 2024, after it achieved a pre-tax profit of £1.5m in the [...]
Office: Shoe retailer doubles profit to over £100m March 18, 2025 Profit at the group behind shoe retailer Office more than doubled to over £100m as it continued to open new stores and created hundreds of jobs. The business, which also includes the Offspring brand, has posted a pre-tax profit of £102.4m for the 12 months to 30 June, 2024. The future comes after the group [...]
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre empire braced for Reeves’ tax hike March 18, 2025 Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre empire has warned it is bracing for the “notable impact” the hike in employer’s National Insurance contributions (NICs) when it comes into force next month. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget in October 2024 that NICs would rise by 1.2 per cent from April to 15 per cent in [...]
What was the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies? March 17, 2025 The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies is the latest (and perhaps the most obscure) victim piled upon the government’s bonfire of quangos. First there was the Payment Systems Regulator, which was rolled into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Then, Sir Keir Starmer announced his most radical health reform yet by shuttering NHS [...]
Reeves to meet regulators as Starmer pledges to cut red tape March 17, 2025 Rachel Reeves will meet with regulators on Monday, as the government sets out to cut the cost of regulation on businesses by a quarter. The Chancellor has summoned eight regulators to Number 11 Downing Street, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Health and Safety Executive. Sir Keir Starmer told City AM in an [...]
Stella McCartney: Fashion brand suffers sales slump amid huge loss March 11, 2025 Sales at Stella McCartney’s fashion brand were slashed almost in half as its losses widened by £15m in the year before the designer bought out LVMH, it has been revealed. Accounts filed almost six months after the Companies House deadline show Stella McCartney Ltd’s turnover was slashed from £40m to £21.9m in 2023. The accounts [...]
Alan Sugar’s empire hails record profit despite falling sales March 11, 2025 A group controlled by The Apprentice star Lord Alan Sugar has posted a record profit despite falling sales, it has been revealed. Amshold Trading has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.8m for the 12 months to 30 September, 2024, up from the £8.4m it achieved in the prior period. However, new accounts filed with Companies [...]
Oracle: Tech giant passes UK milestone as profit jumps March 7, 2025 US technology giant Oracle has reported sales in the UK of more than £2bn for the first time as its profit jumped by over 20 per cent. Oracle, which in 2023 was the third largest technology company in the world by revenue behind Microsoft and Google, is the title sponsor of the Red Bull F1 [...]
HMV: Sales on song as billionaire owner helps turn around high street icon March 6, 2025 Sales at HMV have more than doubled in the last three years as its recovery under the ownership of Canadian billionaire Doug Putman continues at pace. The high street staple has reported a turnover of £189.5m for the 12 months to 30 May, 2024, up from the £177.9m it achieved in the prior year. The [...]