SoftBank gears up investments in second quarter, dishing out $13bn July 12, 2021 SoftBank’s Vision Fund II has pushed the pedal on its investments in recent weeks, dishing out $13bn in its second quarter, according to reports. The Japanese venture capital fund has injected cash into at least 50 companies, the Financial Times first reported, citing people brief on the data. Many of the companies eyed by SoftBank’s [...]
Google boss Sundar Pichai warns that internet freedom is at risk around the world July 12, 2021 Sundar Pichai claims that the free and open internet is under attack in countries around the world. The Google boss said that a lot of countries are restricting information and that the model is often being taken for granted. Pichai argued in a BBC interview that artificial intelligence is more profound than fire, electricity or [...]
Space investor Seraphim injects cash into two firms ahead of London float July 8, 2021 Space technology investor Seraphim Capital has invested into two UK satellite and AI companies ahead of its London IPO float tomorrow, as the UK cements itself within the latest space race. Investing £2m into firms Isotropic Systems, which operates satellite networks and Commodities AI, which deals with space data and artificial intelligence (AI), Seraphim is [...]
Is learning tech capability in L&D holding it back? July 8, 2021 No matter your role on the learning and development team or the makeup of your organisation, it is important to consistently review and evaluate innovative technologies, tools, and trends to see if they make sense for your organisation. Technology changes rapidly, and if you do not keep up, you will be left behind. Learning technologies [...]
“Some firms don’t get it” – Sir Nigel Knowles on innovation in the legal sector, staying ahead of global competitors & the UK’s competitive advantage June 28, 2021 What Sir Nigel Knowles doesn’t know about legal and business services probably isn’t worth knowing. After a glittering 38-year career at DLA Piper, he is now CEO at London-listed DWF Group. He took the job in May 2020, after three years as Chair. Since then, the firm’s share price has risen around 30 per cent, [...]
Banking’s got talent? Digital disrupts the City’s skills requirements June 24, 2021 The world of financial services is changing fast, with the trend towards digital provision accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. From the growing use of mobile banking to the surging interest in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), technology’s transformative impact has all sorts of consequences. One of those is on the evolving mix of skills [...]
Shares fly at London-listed DeepVerge as Covid-19 detection tech passes trials June 24, 2021 London-listed scientific research group DeepVerge has said today its wastewater Covid-19 detection technology has successfully completed trials. The news sent the group’s shares flying this morning, rocketing 7.81 per cent and lifting its share price to 34.5p per share. The Covid-19 detection tech, known as Microtox, offers another string to the UK and the rest [...]
Tech hiring hits fresh high amid bumper foreign investment June 17, 2021 Hiring in the tech sector has surged to its highest level in five years as venture capital investment booms despite the impact of the pandemic. Since February tech jobs vacancies have consistently topped 100,000, while open roles rose to 132,000 in one week in May. Hiring is now at its highest level since 2016, having [...]
Belfast boost: PwC to create 800 new jobs in Northern Ireland’s capital June 16, 2021 Professional services giant PwC plans to create close to 800 new jobs in Belfast. The 771 posts are part of a £40m investment in the company’s new Advanced Research and Engineering Centre, which will open in the city next month. The jobs will be created over the next five years. The new centre is part [...]
98 per cent of hedge fund managers plan to put investment bets on crypto June 16, 2021 Hedge funds are increasingly betting on crypto, as an ‘overwhelming majority’ of senior staff eye digital asset investments over the next five years, according to a new report. The report by Intertrust, which surveyed 100 senior-level professionals, found that 98 per cent expect funds to invest in digital assets in the next five years. The [...]