Screenshot: Ant Group, Jack Ma and China’s power paradox November 6, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week: **Media Moment of the Week: Margaret Thatcher takes to Twitter **Ant Group, Jack Ma and China’s power paradox **Three’s a crowd: Why a telecoms mast deal could spark more mergers Media Moment of the [...]
Tech resale site Music Magpie plots London stock market float October 28, 2020 Resale site Music Magpie is plotting an initial public offering in London after enjoying a bump in revenue during the coronavirus lockdown. The company has tapped investment banks Peel Hunt and Shore Capital to lead the float, which is expected to take place next year. Music Magpie allows customers to exchange their old electronic devices, [...]
Music scouting platform Instrumental secures Tencent backing October 27, 2020 A British music scouting firm that uses algorithms to discover new artists is said to have secured fresh investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent. Instrumental is set to announce the strategic partnership, which will see Tencent take a minority stake in the company, as early as tomorrow, Sky News reported. The deal will come as [...]
Wework sells control of China arm for $200m in global pullback September 24, 2020 Wework is selling control of its Chinese division to one of its investors, in a deal that further reduces the office space provider’s global presence after the coronavirus pandemic worsened its financial troubles. Private equity firm Trustbridge Partners will pay the company $200m (£157m) for majority ownership of the unit, as Wework retreats from a [...]
Apple accuses Fortnite creator of ‘publicity stunt’ in app dispute September 16, 2020 Apple has said any damages experienced by Fortnite creator Epic Games after being removed from its App Store are “entirely self-inflicted”, as a legal battle between the two firms rages on. In new legal filings, Apple said Epic could immediately reverse the tech giant’s decision to ban the app by complying with the App Store’s [...]
David Beckham’s e-sports team Guild to float in London September 9, 2020 David Beckham’s e-sports company is to list on the London Stock Exchange this autumn, raising £20m at a valuation of £50m. If successful, Guild Esports would become the first company of its kind to float in London. Former England captain Beckham is an original shareholder of the group, which was founded in September and launched [...]
Fortnite rival PUBG cuts ties with China’s Tencent in India September 8, 2020 The owner of Playerunknown Battlegrounds, also known as PUBG, is to sever a publishing deal with Chinese giant Tencent for its game in India, in an effort to get around the government’s ban of its app in the country. South Korean firm PUBG Corporation said today it will no longer give Tencent Games the rights [...]
Apple boots Fortnite off App Store after challenge to payment rules August 13, 2020 Apple has removed Fortnite off its App Store, after the game’s creator Epic Games instituted a new way of buying in-game benefits that circumvents Apple’s rules. Epic Games has in turn initiated legal action against Apple, it said in a statement. “Apple’s removal of Fortnite is yet another example of Apple flexing its enormous power [...]
Tencent profit beats expectations as Wechat ban looms August 12, 2020 Tencent today said it has smashed expectations for second-quarter revenue and profit as the Chinese tech giant enjoyed higher demand for its video games during the Covid-19 lockdown. The world’s largest video game company posted revenue of 114.9bn yuan (£12.7bn) in the three months to the end of June — an increase of 29 per [...]
FTSE 100 climbs on economic recovery hopes August 10, 2020 The FTSE 100 pushed higher today as investors shrugged off concerns about ongoing tensions between China and the US and focused on positive signs of economic recovery. The blue-chip index was up 0.93 per cent at 6,087 points in early trading, before dipping to a 0.42 per cent rise shortly before 3pm. The positive start [...]