Digital health firm Babylon mulls $4bn US stock market float February 24, 2021 Babylon is said to be weighing up a US initial public offering that could value the health app at $4bn (£2.8bn). The digital health firm, which offers remote consultations with doctors, has been approached by several bank cheque firms about going public via a Spac deal, Bloomberg reported. The London-based company is also thought to [...]
Health and wellbeing could be the business opportunity of our age February 18, 2021 Generations become defined by their obsessions, but it is often only after the event that the nature of those obsessions become clear and their consequences easier to understand. The historical bread crumb trail revealing what should have seemed obvious at the time and with them opportunities lost. But sometimes we live through periods of such [...]
Adapt and thrive: There’s a £200bn prize for British firms willing to embrace new ideas February 16, 2021 After the toughest of years, many businesses are still reeling from the impact of Covid-19. Shuttered high streets and closed forecourts are the visible scars from a bruising year. But alongside this, some businesses are swimming against the tide, with strong profits reported at firms like Next and Jaguar Land Rover. Covid-19 shone a spotlight [...]
Digital GP app Livi prescribes €200m funding boost amid pandemic boom February 12, 2021 One of the largest digital GP platforms in Europe is said to be in talks to raise a further €200m (£176m) as the Covid-19 pandemic drives up demand for remote healthcare services. Kry, which trades as Livi in the UK, is working with bankers at JP Morgan on a series D funding round, Sky News [...]
Tech firms need to grasp the chance to change their hiring January 30, 2021 The year 2020 will be remembered for a lot of reasons. It was, obviously, a challenging year, with many facing furlough and redundancies, as scores of businesses were forced to close their doors. The pandemic has hit the economy hard, and the UK’s jobs crisis is worsening each month. Worryingly, young people are the most [...]
Octopus Ventures to launch £100m fund to capitalise on the ‘digital healthcare revolution’ January 25, 2021 One of Europe’s largest VC firms is planning to launch a new £100m global fund in a bid to take advantage of the advancing healthtech market. Octopus Ventures will look to transform public healthcare systems across the continent and emerging markets by ramping up its investment activity. The announcement signals the investor’s intention to build [...]
London staff the worst in UK for working longer during Covid-19 era, as pandemic pushes Brits to burnout January 18, 2021 The working-from-home era has London employees more likely to have their work day drag well into the evening than staff based in other parts of the UK. More than half of London staff (51 per cent) admitted working beyond their usual hours, compared to 40 per cent of all those survey across the UK. 45 [...]
London health startup Cera to create 5,000 jobs in expansion drive January 13, 2021 London health startup Cera is set to hire 5,000 new employees as it looks to double its headcount this year. Cera, which uses AI to provide in-home care, said it is recruiting data scientists and analysts, software engineers, IT professionals and operational and logistical staff, as well as frontline care workers. The company said its [...]
Exclusive: ‘We must be brave and move away from the EU’s way of thinking’, says Tech Nation chair January 7, 2021 After what was a difficult year for tech firms, City A.M. sat down with Stephen Kelly, chairman of Tech Nation, the industry body that represents UK startups and runs Britain’s Tech Nation visa scheme for foreign entrepreneurs. Brexit has just taken place, how will this impact London’s startup space? Brexit is the UK’s opportunity to [...]
What to expect from sports technology in 2021 January 1, 2021 After the sporting chasm that was 2020, things are definitely looking up in 2021. In prospect are Olympics and Paralympic Games, football’s European Championship and the return of a plethora of iconic annual fixtures, such as Wimbledon, Royal Ascot and The Open. But as we embrace the new normal of live sport next year, what [...]