FTSE 100 Live: Blow for Reeves as economy shrank ahead of Budget December 12, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Today fresh economic data has given another crucial assessment of the Chancellor’s growth agenda. The UK economy shrank 0.1 per cent in October as businesses paused investments amid consistent rumours around upcoming tax hikes in Rachel Reeves’ second Autumn Budget. A Bloomberg poll of City economists had predicted the Office [...]
Runware raises $50M to accelerate AI media generation December 12, 2025 London-based startup Runware has raised $50m in a Series A round led by Dawn Capital, as companies rush to leverage potential productivity gains from AI-powered image, video, and audio tools. Other investors included Speedinvest, Comcast Ventures, and existing backers like Insight Partners, a16z Speedrun, Zero Prime Ventures, and Begin Capital. Founded in 2023 by Flaviu [...]
Private members’ clubs are the new face of London heritage December 12, 2025 Private members’ clubs have evolved from exclusive retreats for the elite has evolved into a defining force behind one of the most dynamic investment trends in London’s hospitality market: the rise of the club-hotel hybrid, says Daniel Kyriakides London has always excelled at reinventing its own traditions and nowhere is that clearer than in the [...]
Google DeepMind partners with the government on AI innovation December 11, 2025 The government has struck a major deal with Google DeepMind which will see UK scientists gain priority access to its AI technologies. The Alphabet-owned AI giant will also create a new AI system aimed to cut government bureaucracy, and develop a version of Gemini – Google’s largest AI model – to be integrated into schools. [...]
Big Tech cashes in on £1 trillion ad market boom December 11, 2025 The global ad market is booming, with spend forecast to reach $1.19 (£1.04) trillion in 2025, up 8.9 per cent from last year, according to WARC’s recent report. Growth is projected to accelerate to $1.30 trillion in 2026 and $1.40 trillion by 2027, a doubling in size since the pandemic. But while the market is [...]
Janine Hirt: Brits network differently to Americans December 11, 2025 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance takes us through her career in Square Mile and Me What was your first job? I held down several odd jobs while working my way through university, including being a librarian, legal assistant, and a [...]
TNS Research Finds Consumers Around the World Want One Thing in Payments: Simplicity December 11, 2025 Transaction Network Services (TNS), a global leader in providing full-stack, modern and secure payment and network solutions, today released its Keeping Payments Simple: Exploring Consumer Demand for Seamless Payment Methods white paper, revealing that despite cultural differences in payment habits across the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, one clear consumer demand unites all markets: [...]
Forge UK to Become a Registered Auction Agent on the London Stock Exchange’s Private Securities Market December 11, 2025 New partnership expands access to private-market liquidity in Europe and enables Forge UK customers to participate in the London Stock Exchange’s new Private Securities Market under the UK’s PISCES framework
2025: It’s been one hell of a year for UK business December 11, 2025 From political drama to market volatility, cyber attacks, takeovers and trade wars – 2025 has not been plain sailing. January: motor finance and angry farmers We began the year reporting on the exodus from the London stock exchange noting that 2024 had been the quietest year on record for new listings and we suggested that [...]
Why this Californian company is listing in London December 11, 2025 As a high growth company with ambitious plans to expand our business, enter new markets and build on our commercial success to date, Power Probe wanted to select an accessible, capital-rich, and globally respected market that truly understands and nurtures ambitious smaller and mid-sized companies, says Chema Garcia Power Probe, a business that started life [...]