Facebook ditches blue design as CEO Mark Zuckerberg throws focus on privacy May 1, 2019 Facebook has ditched its trademark blue banner as it re-centres its tools around privacy following a year dogged by data scandals. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg last night revealed plans to up his social network's focus on private messaging and groups, with a raft of redesigned features to pivot the platform towards a more private experience. [...]
Blockchain technology promises to change the world, but so far it has delivered very little May 1, 2019 Last month, I attended a debate in the Houses of Parliament, not on the legalities of the ever so tedious withdrawal agreement, but on cryptocurrency and blockchain. At first, I was surprised that a discussion on these topics only lasted an hour and a half considering that, although blockchain technology powers cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, [...]
Levelling up: London investor Beringea backs e-sports firm Fnatic in $19m round May 1, 2019 Monica Vinader-backer Beringea has participated in a $19m (£14.6m) round for global e-sports brand Fnatic. The round was led by tech entrepreneur Lev Leviev of LVL1 Group, who also joins the board, with new and continued support from investors including Beringea, Blackpine, Unbound and Joi Ito. The Hackney-headquartered company will use the funding to bolster its place [...]
Former HSBC trader’s fintech startup raises £3.8m from the crowd May 1, 2019 Dozens, a challenger banking startup founded by a former trader from HSBC, closed a crowdfunding round of more than £3.8m on Seedrs yesterday. The firm had initially set a target of £3.5m, but exceeded that amount with more than 2,150 investors in 42 countries. Read more: Philip Hammond says UK fintech sector will attract talent [...]
Government to introduce new cybersecurity laws for internet-connected devices May 1, 2019 The government will roll out new laws to ensure household items that are connected to the internet are better protected from cyber attacks. Under new plans unveiled today, the government will consult on a series of potential measures to ensure products feature basic cybersecurity features. Read more: Cybersecurity firm Avast reports boosted revenue growth One [...]
Tech sector activity gets a boost despite falling optimism April 30, 2019 Business activity growth in the UK technology sector has recovered to its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2018, while optimism fell to a 10-year low. The strength of business activity rose to 54.4 in the first three months of 2019, up from 52.3 at the end of last year, according to data from [...]
Tech sector activity gets a boost despite falling optimism April 30, 2019 Business activity growth in the UK technology sector has recovered to its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2018, while optimism fell to a 10-year low. The strength of business activity rose to 54.4 in the first three months of 2019, up from 52.3 at the end of last year, according to data from [...]
Game of phones: Apple predicts iPhone rebound as Samsung tanks April 30, 2019 Apple beat Wall Street estimates on both revenue and profit last night, as the tech giant forecast a comeback in iPhone sales later this year. The move followed rival Samsung reporting its worst profit drop in two years, falling 63 per cent year-on-year to 6.2 trillion won (£4bn). Smartphone companies worldwide have been hurt by [...]
Perkbox gets a £13.5m pick-me-up from Revolut-backer Draper Esprit April 30, 2019 Employee rewards platform Perkbox has raised £13.5m in a funding round, led by London-listed fund Draper Esprit. Some of the company's long-term angel investors also participated in the round. Perkbox, which is hired by companies to provide their workers with rewards and benefits for both their personal and professional lives, will use the funding to aid [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond promises UK fintech sector will attract global talent after Brexit April 30, 2019 The chancellor Philip Hammond has reassured business leaders that the UK’s fintech sector will still have access to talent from across the world after Brexit. Hammond called on the UK to strengthen its dominance of the European fintech industry and warned against complacency. Read more: UK fintech must have ambitions to challenge China, LSE boss [...]
