Relax, the UK (probably) isn’t heading for recession July 17, 2019 Immediate fears of a recession in the UK economy were eased last week with the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate of monthly GDP. The economy had shrunk in April, but growth resumed in May. This has not prevented widespread conjecture that a recession is imminent. The Resolution Foundation claimed last weekend that the [...]
British fintech booms as 2019 set to be a record year for UK investment July 16, 2019 The UK’s standout fintech sector has once again broken records, hitting a new high of $2.9bn (£2.3bn) in funding in the first six months of 2019. The amount represents the highest intake of investment in a half-year period to date, and is equal to approximately 85 per cent of the sector’s total funding in 2018. [...]
Recipe box company Gousto secures £30m funding July 15, 2019 Recipe box delivery company Gousto has secured £30m in a funding round led by London private equity firm Perwyn. Gousto will use the investment, which takes its total funds raised to more than £100m, to develop artificial intelligence technology. Read more: Gousto cooks up £18m funding and signs up body coach Joe Wickes The company [...]
Code-breaker Alan Turing revealed as new face of £50 banknote July 15, 2019 Scientist Alan Turing will feature on the new £50 note design, Bank of England governor Mark Carney announced this morning. Turing, the “father of computer science and artificial intelligence, was chosen from 989 characters nominated by the public during a six-week period. Read more: Why a British scientist will appear on the next £50 note [...]
DEBATE: Will Instagram’s new anti-bullying features help to make the social media platform safer? July 12, 2019 Will Instagram’s new anti-bullying features help to make the social media platform safer? Derek Roga, chief executive of EQUIIS Technologies, says YES. Instagram has been under a lot of pressure to tackle online bullies after a few highly publicised cases. With the government taking action against online bullying and finding ways to prevent it, the [...]
City Moves for 10 July – Who’s switching jobs? July 10, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes Waverton, Royal London Asset Management and Octopus Ventures. Waverton Waverton Investment Management has announced the appointment of Michael Allen as chief operating officer (COO). Michael joins from Lazard Asset Management, where he was COO for London, Dublin and Dubai. Michael has more than 30 years’ industry experience including roles as COO [...]
Fresh trouble for Neil Woodford as Benevolent AI valuation drops July 7, 2019 Beleaguered fund manager Neil Woodford could be facing fresh trouble as one of his biggest bets is reportedly braced to suffer a drop in its valuation. London-based tech firm Benevolent AI is said to be raising money at a level well below its $2bn (£1.6bn) valuation, the Sunday Times reported. Read more: Neil Woodford cuts [...]
Ocado to create 260 new jobs in Old Street tech hub July 5, 2019 Online supermarket Ocado will bring 300 jobs to London as it bolsters the digital talent behind its technology platform for supermarkets. The Ocado smart platform will be sold to companies across the world to help them move online, the firm said. Read more: Ocado pumps £17m into vertical farming joint venture The London office, in [...]
Police arrest man after Baidu boss drenched on stage July 4, 2019 Chinese police have arrested a man in connection with an incident that saw someone pour a bottle of water over the head of search giant Baidu’s chief executive. Robin Li was left soaked during a keynote address at Baidu’s annual Create conference in Beijing yesterday after a man stepped on stage to empty the bottle [...]
The NHS needs to plan for today, not 10 years into the future July 4, 2019 The NHS was built with one key purpose: to address social inequality by making the best healthcare available to everyone. For years, that aim has driven technological innovations that power better provision of care. However, as we mark 71 years from when it was founded, the NHS is operating in a very different world – [...]