Forward Partners loses pre-trading gains on London AIM debut July 19, 2021 Tech-focused venture capital firm Forward Partners’ pre-trading gains were eroded by almost 13 per cent upon its listing on London’s AIM market on Monday morning. Shares in the VC firm slid to 100p at some points on Monday following its AIM debut – in line with its float price, and 12.5 per cent down on [...]
How Fintech can harness the power of big data to redefine market forecasting July 13, 2021 Advances in predictive analytics using machine learning (ML) algorithms and blockchain technology demonstrate how innovations in financial services are challenging traditional systems to inform decisions, improve forecasting accuracy and bring better value to customers. As businesses seek to tap hidden intelligence within huge volumes of raw structured, semi-structured and unstructured data to support financial decision-making, [...]
Alibaba to launch £186m venture fund for startups in Southern China July 13, 2021 Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba announced said today it will launch a HK$2bn (£186m) venture fund to support startups in the Greater Bay Area of southern China. Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund (AEF) will be an anchor investor for the new fund, which will target startups in the region focusing on sustainability, deep tech, health tech, [...]
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 [...]