The over-hyped madness of the metaverse and the forgotten value of video long read The metaverse and Virtual Reality have had the weight of a number of large big technology companies behind it in the last year, spearheaded by the likes of Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft. Not only did the industry see its proliferation increase substantially over the pandemic, but the hype has yet to deter, particularly with speculation [...]
Britain will become a ‘wholly owned subsidiary of China’ if sale of Newport microchip giant is approved, govt is warned Calls for urgent security review If businesses like Newport Wafer Fab are sold to companies linked to the Chinese government, Britain will simply become a “wholly owned subsidiary” of China, ministers were warned today. Lord Alton of Liverpool called on ministers to reveal whether the Government had any contracts with Newport Wafer Fab, which manufacturers microchips, and whether the Government [...]
Sennheiser CX Plus W1 earbuds review: Outstanding value gadget review I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the most important piece of consumer technology you’ll ever buy isn’t your laptop or your phone, it’s a decent pair of headphones. You’ll spend far longer listening to music than you will scrolling on your iPhone, and you’ll push them to the limits far more [...]
Exclusive: Half of all UK bosses plan to hire new tech staff this year January 31, 2022 Digital transformation is a key focus for UK businesses in the coming months. While costs have been a deterrent to innovation over the past year for many firms, the majority are looking to funnel investment into new technology projects in 2022. Nearly half of those polled admit that the cost of development has impeded their firm [...]
UK tech special: The rocky but unstoppable rise in startup valuations January 30, 2022 The accelerated growth of startup valuations has sparked debate around the world, particularly in the markets where this has been reflected in the most significant raises and the speediest unicorns. Despite ongoing pandemic uncertainty, a quarter of the UK’s 116 unicorn tech companies became unicorns during 2021. Investment climbed significantly, up to £26bn in 2021 [...]
Tech Special: The jobs, sectors and countries most at risk of automation and robotics in 2022 January 5, 2022 Digital change and automation are driving enormous productivity gains in the world of work. However, the rapid changes mean many individuals, businesses and even entire nations will be hugely impacted by automation and tech, with some roles and jobs to be replaced by robots altogether. Many of the industries that are most at risk of [...]
2021: Best year ever for UK tech sector with £26bn in VC, 116 unicorns, record London listings and more jobs December 28, 2021 The UK tech sector looks back on its best year ever, raking in £26bn in venture capital, record London listings, more jobs and the number of British unicorns climbing to 116. Success feeds cities outside London as Cambridge has become the leading regional tech city in the UK thanks to its combination of high levels [...]
Private equity and UK tech powering £8.4bn M&A tsunami on LSE’s AIM as deals jump 155 per cent November 8, 2021 The value of M&A deals on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) has jumped 155 per cent to £8.4bn in 2020/21, compared to £3.3bn in 2019/20, according to new research shared with City A.M. this morning. The large rise in the value of AIM M&A deals this year is due in large part to a number [...]
Smart shin guards: the latest weapon in football’s wearable tech arms race November 2, 2021 Football is no stranger to wearables, as evidenced by the ubiquity of GPS vests, but it is about to get a new weapon in the technology arms race: smart shin guards. Italian sports tech and analytics company Soccerment will today launch their pioneering protective gear, which captures data on every run, pass, shot and change [...]
Venture capital firms circle London tech scale-ups as financial injections hit record £20bn October 21, 2021 A record high of over £6.5bn was invested by venture capital firms in UK scaleups over the summer, taking the total amount to £20bn so far this year, according to new research shared with City A.M. this morning. After two extraordinarily high quarters in 2021, UK scaleups continued to attract funding from across the globe [...]