Blockchain startup Ripple raises $55m from Standard Chartered and Accenture September 15, 2016 Blockchain startup Ripple, one of several groups working with banks to create standards for the distributed ledger technology, has landed millions more in funding, with Standard Chartered and Accenture among new investors jumping on board the blockchain bandwagon. The venture arm of Siam Commercial Bank, SCB Digital Ventures, and Japan's SBI Holdings also participated in the $55m [...]
Meet the Pikes: The brothers who gave up corporate jobs and first-home deposits to launch SuperCarers September 26, 2016 For brothers Adam and Daniel Pike, business is about personal passion as well as profit. Two years ago, they launched SuperCarers, an online solution to placing carers for the elderly in the home. “Our grandma needed care. The quality wasn’t good enough and it was too expensive. So our mum ended up being the primary [...]
Ministers are assessing Melrose’s £7bn bid for GKN over national security concerns February 21, 2018 A senior civil servant in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) has confirmed ministers are examining whether Melrose’s bid for GKN should be blocked on national security grounds. Alex Chisholm, the department’s permanent secretary, said the assessment was ongoing, but he could not confirm whether a decision would come before or after [...]
Friends disunited: US imposes sanctions on Russian oligarchs including Oleg Deripaska April 6, 2018 The US has imposed sweeping sanctions against Russian oligarchs, as the Trump administration continues its assault against friends of President Vladimir Putin. Billionaires Oleg Deripaska, Viktor Vekselberg, Suleiman Kerimov and Kirill Shamalov, who the US said is married to one of Putin’s daughters, are on the hit list revealed by the US Treasury this afternoon. [...]
Value comparison site B.heard targets £4.5m fundraise November 12, 2015 An ambitious startup aiming to transform the worlds of customer service and price comparison websites will kick off a funding round tomorrow following its launch last week. The website, B.heard, wants £4.5m to expand its so-called “value comparison” platform, which compares companies’ levels of service, rather than simply contrasting prices. It is backed by investment banker [...]
TripAdvisor shares drop as hotel revenue slumps and online competition heats up in second quarter August 3, 2016 Lower hotel revenues and costly expansion investments hit travel site TripAdvisor’s quarterly revenues today. The figures Shares were down 7.6 per cent in after hours trading to $64.24 (£48.49), after the company posted a three per cent fall in revenue to $391m and a 41 per cent drop in net income to $34m in the second [...]
Murdoch swoops: 21st Century Fox agrees Sky takeover deal December 15, 2016 Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox today agreed a takeover deal for UK broadcaster Sky. Fox, which already owns 39 per cent of Sky, has made a £10.75-per-share offer, worth £11.7bn. The approach values the whole of the UK media giant at £18.5bn. Fox said it would be using a scheme of arrangement, meaning it would need 75 [...]
Daily Mail publisher reports signs of ad market recovery after Brexit vote July 21, 2016 The publisher of the Daily Mail has acknowledged that the Brexit vote has “created some uncertainty” in the UK advertising market – but has reported a pick-up in revenue since the referendum result emerged. Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) has reported a one per cent growth in advertising revenues across DMG Media – the [...]
London UK weather: “Beast from the east” brings a blast of cold as the Met Office says snow is on the way February 24, 2018 Next month could be the coldest on record as the so-called beast from the east brings about the chilliest spell of weather for several years. A cold easterly wind will cause temperatures to drop below 0 °C with the wind chill, and snow showers are expected to develop widely, with some places seeing as much [...]
There’s been a shake-up at Sports Direct – so who’s who at the top of the discount retailer now? September 23, 2016 Sports Direct's senior management team has been given a serious overhaul, with this morning's announcement that chief executive Dave Forsey has resigned – to be replaced by the group's founder, Mike Ashley. As well as Forsey's departure, which took place with immediate effect, the retailer announced two senior promotions this morning. Karen Byers has been appointed [...]