Future Fund: Early-stage startups missed out on funding February 2, 2021 Startups in their earliest stage missed out on funding with the majority of the government’s Future Fund investment going to companies at a venture or growth stage. The Future Fund was launched in May to provide support to startups ineligible for the government’s other support schemes. It was designed to provide support to startups through [...]
Forget the BBC, as Ofcom chair Paul Dacre would get his teeth into tech February 2, 2021 Almost a year after Priti Patel vowed to make Ofcom a regulator with teeth, the government looks poised to appoint Fleet Street Rottweiler Paul Dacre as its new chair. No one could accuse her of underdelivering. For many, Dacre’s political leanings (characterised by some as so far to the right as to be almost horizontal) [...]
Rishi Sunak set to maintain triple tax lock despite Covid-19 deficit February 2, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to have agreed to maintain the Tories’ so-called triple tax lock at next month’s Budget, preventing him from raising income, national insurance or value added tax. The chancellor had come under pressure from Treasury officials to shun the commitment made in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto not to increase rates [...]
The City’s Big Bang 2.0 might well be green-powered February 2, 2021 In the Chancellor’s recent interview with City AM, Sunak said he was confident that Brexit could lead to a new wave of innovation in the City of London and the UK seeing a ‘Big Bang 2.0’. Unfortunately, most of the commentary on business and Brexit has been around the traditional tropes of cutting red tape. [...]
Not another one: How to make video calling more productive (and more interesting) February 2, 2021 As the UK approaches the end of its first month of the latest lockdown, our experiences of working, studying and teaching from home are showing serious signs of fatigue. We are finding ourselves sitting in front of a webcam for the majority of our days, and whether we’re joining virtual business meetings, teaching, or hosting [...]
Amazon earnings: What to expect amid a record-breaking tech boom February 1, 2021 Amazon enjoyed a stellar 2020, so all eyes will be on the ecommerce giant tomorrow night as it reports earnings for the final quarter of the year. Apple last week kicked off tech earnings season with bumper revenue of $111.4 (£81.5bn) — its best ever quarter, while Facebook also beat expectations. Amazon is also expected [...]
Sadiq Khan: London needs post-war plan for Covid recovery February 1, 2021 A post-war-style programme is needed to breathe life back into London following the Covid-19 pandemic, mayor Sadiq Khan said today. The mayor said the government had to accept that London was the “country’s biggest asset”, adding that “ministers can’t take for granted that once restrictions are lifted things will simply return to normal”. He called [...]
George Osborne takes up full-time banking role at Robey Warshaw February 1, 2021 George Osborne is joining boutique investment bank Robey Warshaw, as he shuns a portfolio of wide-ranging roles to become a full-time mergers and acquisitions banker. The former chancellor will step down from his current roles as editor-in-chief of the Evening Standard and a senior advisor to Blackrock at the end of March, taking up a [...]
Monkey business: Elon Musk has wired up a monkey to play video games with its mind February 1, 2021 Eccentric biliionaire and boss of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk can claim another first after he told an audience his company Neuralink has wired up a monkey's brain to " play video games with his mind"
Robinhood raises $2.4bn in second cash injection as Reddit investors overwhelm app February 1, 2021 Robinhood has raised another $2.4bn from its shareholders after a turbulent week amid a surge of new investors piling into Gamestop. The online trading app today confirmed it had raised $3.4bn to invest in “record customer growth” including a $1bn injection on 29 January. Last week Reddit day traders flocked to Gamestop lifting its share [...]
