Freddie’s Flowers losses double after firm shuts London warehouse Retail Freddie’s Flowers has incurred a more than doubling of its pre-tax losses after the firm closed its warehouse amid an outsourcing of operations. The London-based flower subscription business, which began operations in a gazebo in the garden of a residential street, posted a pre-tax loss of £2.1m in the year to August 2025, compared to [...]
Carbon-cutting shipping executive wins Veuve Cliquot’s Bold Future award Business Sustainable shipping boss, Alisha Fredriksson, shared that she hasn’t been without challenges when it comes to earning support in a ‘male dominated industry.’ Despite launching a one of a kind, innovative business that garnered over £8m in funding and grants, she hasn’t been without challenges when it comes to earning support in the world of [...]
Corvera co-founder: Brits have it too comfortable AI The boss of Corvera has said Brits take a too comfortable, risk-averse approach after moving his AI startup from London to San Francisco. Corvera co-founder and chief executive Christopher Kong, an Oxford graduate who launched a fast-growing vegan food range before setting up the AI business in October last year, said he found it easier [...]
Startups should pray the US AI giants don’t run out of cash April 23, 2026 As City AM revealed earlier this week, a London-based business has raised £2m to fund the development of an AI-powered coffee vending machine. The company’s founders say they can tailor the contents of the hot drinks – like coffee strength and milk content – based on the preferences of the customer, using AI. That sounds [...]
Octopus CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin: I was warned against joining an energy startup April 16, 2026 Octopus CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin takes us through her career, from being warned off energy startups to her love of Greggs chicken bakes.
Declining patent filings show Britain has stopped innovating April 3, 2026 There are lots of ways to measure innovation, but if we go by patent filings, it's a sorry image for the UK, writes Ayushma Maharjan.
Forget AI, Britain can win the quantum era March 23, 2026 Britain might not have the deepest pockets anymore, but in quantum theory, small is powerful, writes Tom Adeyoola.
Sportl: the pay-as-you-go gym app sprinting into the capital March 10, 2026 When they worked at the Bank of England, Matthew Austin and Ryan Lovelock understood the frustration of finding time for the gym. Sneaking out for a lunchtime sesh or scrambling to leave work on time for an evening class is a familiar challenge for fitness-focused city workers. Austin said: “We were kind of here, there [...]
Fintech founder Adam French: I wish the City would be braver January 29, 2026 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, we speak to Adam French, partner at early-stage VC firm Antler.
Budget: Blow to investors and startups ‘hidden’ in small print November 26, 2025 A blow to investors and early-stage businesses has been revealed in the small print of Rachel Reeves‘ Budget. The tax relief available on venture capital trusts has been slashed, according to the full Budget document released by the Treasury following Reeves’s speech in the House of Commons. While the venture capital trusts’ annual and lifetime [...]