Softbank launches $100m minorities startup fund in the wake of George Floyd protests June 4, 2020 Softbank has launched a new startup fund to invest in companies led by “people of colour” in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd. The Japanese technology giant announced the $100m (£80m) Opportunity Growth Fund as other executives of firms speak out over racial inequality. Chief executive Masayoshi Son wrote on Twitter [...]
Twitter’s feud with Trump could be a savvy business move June 3, 2020 The social media founders promised utopias, where speech would be democratised and each of us would be given our voice in the public square. Utopias, however, have always been tricky. The term was coined by Thomas More in his 1516 work of the same name, and it was a pun that More’s learned readers would [...]
Facebook launches new tool to help users hide old posts June 2, 2020 Facebook has today launched a new tool designed to help users hide old posts that could harm their job prospects. The new privacy tool, labelled Manage Activity, will allow Facebook users to either hide certain posts from public view and store them in an archive or remove them from the site completely. “Whether you’re entering [...]
Britain must get creative to shake off pandemic blues June 2, 2020 On Sunday 10th May, Boris Johnson announced the first tentative steps to reopen the British economy after weeks of being in the deep freeze. The heavily caveated plan has led the Prime Minister to “…believe we can be stronger and better than ever before. More resilient, more innovative, more economically dynamic…” Read more: London needs its hospitality [...]
Crypto markets gearing up for institutional money June 2, 2020 Prime brokers are the key to institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets – but are they ready for prime time? Current estimates place the number of crypto hedge funds in the hundreds, and recent research from PwC revealed that assets managed by these funds doubled in the last year alone. With more and more [...]
Why global cities can still thrive despite Covid-19’s impact June 1, 2020 The most connected part of global cities could be of even greater value despite an increase in remote working. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated our digital future with remote working set to become the norm for many people. But although fewer people will be travelling into cities each day to work in the knowledge economy, [...]
Facebook and Snapchat condemn racism in US as protests continue June 1, 2020 Tech giants Facebook and Snapchat have joined a growing roster of companies to have condemned racism in the United States as protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody entered their sixth day. Last week the unarmed Floyd was killed in Minneapolis when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nine [...]
Unlocking the office could have legal implications for employers June 1, 2020 After ten weeks or so of lockdown, restrictions are beginning to ease and employers and employees alike are beginning to contemplate what this so-called “new normal” will look like. Employees are going to have mixed reactions and each sector and business will have their own needs so there will be no standard approach that suits all. There [...]
Softbank Vision Fund boss doubles pay despite hefty loss May 29, 2020 Softbank has more than doubled the pay of its Vision Fund boss Rajeev Misra even as the mammoth tech fund dragged the Japanese company to a record loss last year. Misra pocketed 1.6bn yen (£12m) in total compensation for the year to March, more than twice as much as he earned in the previous 12 [...]
Listed legal business DWF ousts chief executive amid covid-19 crisis May 29, 2020 Listed legal business DWF today announced it was ousting its longstanding chief executive in favour of its chair to help steer it through the coronavirus pandemic. Chief executive Andrew Leaitherland is stepping down from DWF “with immediate effect” to be replaced by chair Sir Nigel Knowles who was previously chief executive of legal giant DLA [...]