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 [...]
Founder of tech firm where David Cameron chaired advisory board steps down after sexual assault claims November 19, 2021 The founder of a tech group at which former prime minister David Cameron was an adviser has stepped down amid allegations of sexual harassment. Zia Chishti, who founded Afiniti, was accused this week of pressuring a former employee into having sex with him on a business trip, when it was also alleged he beat her. [...]
Kick in the teeth: Gopher ‘highly disappointed’ as Playtech rebukes Finalto offer August 3, 2021 Gopher Investments this morning expressed extreme disappointment in the board of Playtech’s decision to reject its offer for Finalto and recommend a lower offer from a consortium of Israeli investors. Gopher, which owns a 4.97 per cent stake in online gaming and gambling software provider Playtech, said it was “highly disappointed” in the Playtech board’s [...]
£700bn market: UK’s digital trade talks with Singapore underpin Britain’s role as a global tech exporter July 1, 2021 The UK and Singapore launched negotiations this week on a new ambitious digital trade agreement that could remove barriers and provide access to digital trade. Government statistics show this digital trading relationship was worth £3.2bn in 2019, out of Britain’s total tech exports of nearly £63bn globally. As the value of the entire digital global [...]
Unicorn nest: UK hits milestone of 100 $1bn tech companies, more than rest of Europe combined June 20, 2021 The UK tech sector has now 100 UK tech companies valued at $1bn or more, according to new data from Dealroom and Tech Nation, shared with City A.M. this weekend. The UK’s 100th tech unicorn, Tractable, an AI startup building computer vision tools, announced a $60m Series D raise, which takes the company’s valuation to [...]
Exclusive: Row brewing at Playtech over £148m sale of trade-tech platform Finalto May 29, 2021 A shareholder row is brewing at Playtech over the proposed sale of its trade tech platform Finalto, with at least one major investor understood to be disappointed by the £148m selling price. The tech firm has agreed to offload Finalto to an Israeli consortium as part of efforts to focus in on its core gaming [...]
Playtech swings to €73m loss as lockdown hits casinos March 11, 2021 Gambling software group Playtech swung to a €73m (£62.5m) loss last year as coronavirus lockdowns shuttered casinos across Europe. The FTSE 250 firm’s loss compared to a €55.9m profit in the previous year. Revenue dropped by a quarter to just over €1bn. Shares in Playtech dropped almost three per cent in morning trading. The downbeat [...]
The rush for Tech Nation visas is misguided — why limit recruitment by geography? November 30, 2020 Earlier this month, it was reported that applications for the Tech Nation visa into the UK spiked almost 50 per cent this year. Pandemic or no pandemic, Britain’s tech sector continues to attract talent from around the world. In the last two years alone, almost 2,000 people have applied for the visa, which grants tech [...]
Playtech shares rise as it plots €40m buyback after drop in profits February 21, 2019 British gambling software provider Playtech saw shares rise almost nine per cent today as it announced a €40m (£34.7m) share buyback scheme after full-year profits plummeted. Read more: Paddy Power buys stake in Georgia's biggest online betting firm The figures Total revenue for 2018 grew 54 per cent year on year to €1.24bn. But net profit slumped 50 per [...]
Playtech pays €28m to settle Israeli tax audit after shares shaken by Italy gambling tax January 2, 2019 Betting software firm Playtech has agreed to pay €28m (£25.2m) to settle a run-in with Israeli tax authorities. Israel had audited the company’s accounts between 2008 and 2017, with the additional tax payment covering this period. The company will face no penalties once it makes the payment in the next 30 days. The news comes shortly [...]