Ministers to block foreign takeovers of UK firms under new law November 11, 2020 The government will today unveil legislation which will enable ministers to intervene and block firms in hostile states from taking over UK companies. Under the National Security and Investment Bill, it will be mandatory for deals involving firms in 17 sectors deemed of strategic importance to be notified to officials. In addition, the government will [...]
Darktrace boss Poppy Gustafsson scoops up top innovation award November 10, 2020 Darktrace chief executive Poppy Gustafsson has scooped up the top prize for innovation at this year’s Women of the Year Awards. Gustafsson, who co-founded the cybersecurity unicorn in 2013, was handed the award at a virtual ceremony this afternoon. Organisers cited the cyber boss’ ability to steer Darktrace through critical levels of threats during the [...]
Social media firms to crack down on Covid-19 vaccine disinformation November 9, 2020 Major social media platforms have agreed a package of measures with the government in an effort to limit the spread of disinformation about any Covid-19 vaccine. Following a meeting with health secretary Matt Hancock and digital secretary Oliver Dowden, Facebook, Twitter and Google endorsed the principle that no company should profit from false or misleading [...]
Telus Corp agrees to pay £700m for Lionbridge AI November 6, 2020 Telecoms giant Telus Corporation has announced it will acquire Lionbridge AI for C$1.2bn, or £700m. The company will acquire Lionbridge AI via its global arm, Telus International. Darren Entwistle, Telus Corp’s CEO, said on Friday: “Today’s announcement advances TELUS’ commitment to harness the power of technology to provide outstanding customer experiences on a global basis, [...]
Snakes and Ladders: Who is moving jobs in the City this week? November 4, 2020 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Firms are continuing to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic as they vie to be in prime position to recover from the economic fallout of the crisis. This week, [...]
Connecting DeFi with real world assets: the next horizon October 30, 2020 Decentralised Finance (DeFi) is a term used to refer to innovations in capital markets that rely on blockchains, and enable capital market activities across an open network, where trust is automated in the software. Instead of using conventional financial rails such as banks or credit transfer APIs, DeFi based projects work entirely on blockchains without [...]
Google parent Alphabet returns to growth as advertisers flock back October 29, 2020 Google parent company Alphabet reported a return to growth in the third quarter as advertisers flocked back in their droves after a coronavirus-induced slump. The tech giant, which also owns Amazon, reported revenue of $46.2bn (£35.7bn) in the three months to the end of September, up 14 per cent on the same period last year. [...]
JaxJox promises to revolutionise your home workout October 20, 2020 There couldn’t be a better time for a home fitness solution like JaxJox to hit the market. The unprecedented lockdown of society over the last seven months will have ripple effects that will be studied by scientists, psychologists and historians for decades to come. Among the most fascinating – if not alarming – will be [...]
Introducing MiCA: Europe’s proposed cryptoasset laws, explained October 16, 2020 As the European Commission launched its long-awaited Digital Finance Strategy in late September, a senior official announced: “The future of finance is digital”. The Commission sees digital finance as a weapon in its arsenal as it seeks to relaunch and modernise the European economy to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Strategy sets out [...]
UK tech visa applications hit record high despite Covid-19 October 13, 2020 The number of applications for the UK’s Tech Nation visa rose to its highest level on record last month as the thriving sector shrugged off the impact of coronavirus. Applications for the visa, which grants employees and founders in the tech sector the right to work in the UK for up to five years, hit [...]