Japan’s Line is raising £1bn to fund its fintech and AI expansion September 4, 2018 Japanese messaging giant Line is raising ¥148.1bn (£1bn) through a convertible bonds issue to fund its expansion into financial services and artificial intelligence (AI), primarily through its own payments technology. The firm said in a statement this morning that the majority of the raise will go towards promoting Line Pay, which is an in-app function [...]
DEBATE: Google turns 20 today – but will it still be dominant in another two decades? September 4, 2018 Google turns 20 today – but will it still be dominant in another two decades? Lily Covington, senior strategist at commercial strategy firm Cruxy & Company, says YES. Google’s advertising revenue alone proves its continued upwards trajectory, jumping from $10.49bn to $95.4bn in the last 12 years as its core business has adapted with the times. [...]
Connected cows and smart salmon: The internet of things is taking on farming September 4, 2018 The summer heatwave has dried up any complacency that food production in the supposedly green and fertile lands of England and Wales is a relatively straightforward business. The 55,000-strong National Farmers’ Union described the months of heat as a “wake-up call” for the agricultural industry, as an emergency summit was called to address the “crippling [...]
Hobs Repro swallows Call Print’s assets to create UK-wide network of printing branches September 3, 2018 Hobs Repro has swallowed most of struggling competitor Call Print's assets, creating a UK-wide network of 24 printing branches, the company announced on Monday. Cash flow problems forced the scanning, stationery and printing firm into administration on Friday. It was sold the same day in a pre-pack transaction that had been marketed for several weeks. [...]
Mercedes-Benz to unveil its first Tesla-challenger electric SUV September 3, 2018 Mercedes-Benz is set to lift the hood on its first electric vehicle tomorrow, debuting its EQC electric SUV to challenge Tesla's hold on the luxury battery-powered market. Early publicity efforts from Mercedes have largely echoed a Tesla-style approach in order to appeal to its young and trendy demographic, releasing a series of teasers for the new [...]
JD.com boss returns to China after being put under US arrest for sexual misconduct September 3, 2018 The top boss of Chinese retail giant JD.com has been allowed to travel back to China after his arrest in the US on suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct. Richard Liu was arrested in Minneapolis on Friday evening and released "pending complaint" the following afternoon, according to police records. JD.com said in a statement today that Liu [...]
Take a look at this Monopoly board that’s been re-designed for 2018 London house prices September 3, 2018 A London tech startup has re-designed the classic Monopoly board to reflect property price growth in the capital over the last five years, with some staggering switch-ups for key hotspots. The board was first designed in the 1930s, so it's a given that the London property landscape might have changed a bit since then. Proportunity, [...]
The media’s greatest enemy isn’t Trump, it’s the tech titans September 3, 2018 What is the biggest threat to the future of the media: President Donald Trump, or Silicon Valley? In the presidential corner, Trump’s regular attacks on the “fake news media” have provoked a robust response. This summer, newspapers coordinated a string of editorials defending the essential role of the press as a lens on power and [...]
Funding Circle confirms IPO that could value it at £2bn September 3, 2018 Small business loans platform Funding Circle this morning confirmed its intention to IPO in a move that could value it at £2bn. The firm plans to float 25 per cent of its shares to generate £300m on the London Stock Exchange, with its debut being underpinned by Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen, who has committed to [...]
German fashionistas lap up British style as Ebay sales spike September 3, 2018 German interest in British fashion has seen the country rise to second in the list of top export destinations for British sellers on e-commerce site Ebay. The US remains the number one market for British exporters on Ebay, but Germany is now in second place, according to data released today by the website. German consumers [...]
