International Women’s Day: Why tech VCs must reflect the diversity of the firms they fund March 8, 2017 Technology companies have an undeniable impact on the lives we lead. Every day, companies that didn’t exist five years ago influence the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the way we travel, and how we communicate with our colleagues and loved ones. Investors play a huge part in deciding whether these companies succeed or [...]
Just Eat share price jumps as takeaway firm reports 42 per cent increase in orders March 7, 2017 Just Eat has reported a jump in order numbers in 2016, which in turn pushed revenues and profit up. The figures Orders were up 42 per cent to 136.4m, from 96.2m in 2015, and up 36 per cent on a like-for-like basis. Revenues increased 52 per cent to £375.7m from £247.6m, and underlying earnings before [...]
Most entertainment is consumed online through access services and is not owned outright March 7, 2017 Britons now spend almost 80 per cent of their total expenditure on entertainment online and are increasingly consuming it via access services such as Spotify and mobile apps like Pokemon Go. Data from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), which represents retailers and digital services offering music, video and games, shows that 27.6 per cent of [...]
Brighton & Hove Albion chief Paul Barber explains off-field strategy of a Premier League club in waiting March 4, 2017 In less than a decade Brighton & Hove Albion have evolved from a mid table League One side playing at a converted athletics stadium to fewer than 10,000 fans, to a Premier League club in waiting who call the state of the art 30,000 capacity Amex Stadium home. Brighton have been amongst the Championship promotion contenders in three of the [...]
Most successful tech entrepreneurs have set up their businesses by the time they’re 30 February 27, 2017 Are you a 30-something itching to set up a tech firm? Strike age and lack of experience off of your list of excuses because Europe's top entrepreneurs set up their companies by the age of 30. Despite often lacking financial expertise, the average age tech titans establish their company by is 29.7 years, according to research by [...]
There’s no such thing as “fat-shaming” – it’s just advertising February 27, 2017 I take issue with the Vicariously Offended; the virtuous who take up the mantle of oppression, regardless of whether they are personally affected, at every given opportunity. I bit my tongue last week when they took offence at Protein World’s Tube campaign questioning commuters’ ability to “keep up with a [very slim] Kardashian.” It was, [...]
Airbnb isn’t only revolutionising the holiday market; it’s also changing the way offices are designed February 23, 2017 When Airbnb sent round a survey to its employees in Paris asking what they’d like in their new office, the request was for a petanque field. For the uninitiated, petanque is a form of boules played with a wooden ball. “We were like, ‘weeeelllll, that may not happen, it could be a little dirty and [...]
Amazon, Confused.com and Just Eat help TV advertising market grow February 23, 2017 Online companies like Amazon, Just Eat and Moneysupermarket are spending more and more on TV advertising. In total, TV adspend crept up 0.2 per cent in 2016 to £5.3bn, the seventh successive year of growth. Read more: News Corp posts second loss in a row amid print advertising headwinds A Thinkbox analysis of Nielsen figures shows [...]
Shane Williams interview: Legendary Wales wing on how long-distance running filled the gap left by his rugby retirement February 22, 2017 After a 17-year career spent flying past and sometimes crashing into men nearly twice his size, Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams could have been forgiven for taking a breather after finally calling it a day. It notoriously took the diminutive Welsh winger a number of attempts to quit the game before he hung up his [...]
Meet 26 of the hottest UK startups about to become household names as part of Tech City UK’s Future Fifty February 22, 2017 An innovative flower delivery startup, an online money transfer service and a recipe subscription service are among 26 of the hottest startups in the UK which have been identified as having the potential to become household names and globally recognised companies. Bloom & Wild, Azimo and Gousto are among the up-and-coming names joining the likes of fintech unicorn [...]