Why A Goat?
Percona announced a bold rebrand, unveiling a goat as its new mascot to embody the company’s focus on resilience, independence and practical problem‑solving. The change is not a product shift but a visual statement of 20 years of open‑source database expertise across MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis and Valkey. The goat symbolizes the company’s commitment to vendor‑free, always‑on infrastructure and a community‑driven model. Percona says the new branding simply makes its long‑standing values louder to the market.
Price Increase Email Template: 10 Ready-to-Use Examples for Every Situation
The article offers a collection of ten ready‑to‑use price‑increase email templates for SaaS, freelancers, agencies, service firms and e‑commerce brands. It outlines when to send the notice—at least 30 days in advance—and the five non‑negotiable elements each email must contain,...
UK Prepares for Food Shortages in Worst Case Scenario as Iran War Continues
UK officials are drafting worst‑case contingency plans for food shortages if the Iran‑Israel conflict keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed and carbon‑dioxide supplies falter. The government has already re‑started the Ensus bioethanol plant to safeguard CO₂, a key input for...
Prime Video's First NBA Playoff Streams Don't Go as Planned
Amazon's Prime Video, the exclusive broadcaster of the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament, experienced two high‑profile technical glitches. The Charlotte Hornets‑Miami Heat overtime stream cut out for about 22 seconds, while the Golden State Warriors‑LA Clippers game suffered noticeable audio‑video sync...
Paramount’s Upfront Pitch Is About Three Things
Paramount’s upfront pitch centers on three marketer priorities—streaming, programmatic and live sports. The company will merge the ad‑tech stacks behind Paramount+ and Pluto TV this summer, launch a new performance tool called Precision+, and push streaming fixed units that give...
Eka Ventures Brings AUM to $200m with Sophomore Health, Wellbeing and Sustainability VC Fund Close
UK‑based Eka Ventures has closed its second venture capital fund, raising £80 million (approximately $102 million). The new capital brings the firm’s total assets under management to about $200 million, making it the largest early‑stage impact VC in the United Kingdom focused on...
Early Warning’s Certos Launches and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 4/16/26
Early Warning Services launched Certos, a suite aimed at reducing fraud while widening financial access for U.S. banks. Binance introduced Binance Chat, adding crypto transfers, messaging and other in‑app functions. MegPrime rolled out a consumer app that rewards homebuyers with...
Mistral Venture Partners Sets up Shop in Alberta
Mistral Venture Partners, a Canada‑wide VC firm, is establishing a permanent foothold in Alberta by hiring a full‑time staff member based in Calgary. The move builds on the firm’s history of investing in local early‑stage enterprise startups such as Bidaya...
Fleet Launches Inaugural Partner Program As It Adopts A 100 Percent Channel Sales Model: Exclusive
Fleet Device Management announced its inaugural partner program, shifting to a 100% channel‑sales model where every deal is routed through a reseller or service provider. The program offers two tracks—reseller and services—along with training, certification, deal registration and higher margins....
Early Signals About Retail Sales : An Advance Data Release From the Chicago Fed
The Chicago Federal Reserve has released its Advance Retail Trade Summary (CARTS) data on the FRED platform, offering weekly estimates of U.S. retail and food‑service sales that exclude motor vehicles and parts. Between April 2025 and March 2026, CARTS’ benchmarked weekly averages...
Canva’s AI Assistant Can Now Call Various Tools to Make Designs for You
Canva unveiled AI 2.0, an agentic assistant that can interpret text prompts, call the appropriate design tools, and deliver editable layered outputs. The upgrade adds Slack, Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar and Zoom integrations, plus a web‑research skill and a scheduling draft...
Treating Enterprise AI as an Operating Layer
Enterprise AI is shifting from a pure model‑as‑a‑service approach to an operating layer that embeds intelligence directly into business processes. Companies that can capture operational data, expert decisions, and tacit knowledge create a feedback loop that continuously improves AI performance....
What Machines Taking over Pricing Means for Central Banks
Algorithmic and AI‑driven pricing is rapidly reducing the cost of price changes, halving the average lifespan of US retail prices and accelerating the frequency of online adjustments. Empirical studies show faster pass‑through of exchange‑rate and commodity shocks, while margin effects...
M&A: D2 Solutions Acquires ProModRx to Streamline Patient Journeys
D2 Solutions, a market‑access consulting firm, has acquired cloud‑based platform ProModRx to accelerate patient access to prescription drugs. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition will embed ProModRx technology into D2’s UltraTouch® Verify and UltraTouch® Engage suites, automating benefit verification,...
Starbucks Launches Beta ChatGPT Integration for Personalized Beverage Discovery
Starbucks has rolled out a beta version of its mobile app inside ChatGPT, allowing customers to discover drinks by describing their mood or uploading a photo. The AI‑driven tool translates abstract feelings like “warm and cozy” into curated beverage recommendations,...
Commvault Links AI Agent Control to Faster Recovery for MSPs
Commvault announced a suite of AI‑focused extensions to its data‑protection platform, branding the offering as a "system of record" for AI resilience. The new AI Protect module unifies agent discovery, governance, and rollback capabilities across hybrid and multi‑cloud environments. Data...
Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Shares Digital Plans as IT Becomes “Largest Single Expenditure of Capital” For First Time in...
RDaSH NHS Foundation Trust announced that IT will be its largest capital expenditure for 2026/27, with more than £11 million (≈$13.8 million) earmarked through 2029/30. The plan covers firewall, server, telephony, backup hardware, anti‑virus and endpoint upgrades, alongside a move to a...
IAB: Digital Audio Grew 10% In 2025 as Podcasts Near $3B
The IAB/PwC 2025 Internet Advertising Revenue Report shows digital audio reaching $8.4 billion, a 10.2% year‑over‑year increase. Podcast advertising grew 17.6% to $2.86 billion, maintaining double‑digit growth after a slowdown from earlier spikes. Despite the gains, audio’s share of total internet ad...
How Deepfakes and Automation Are Impacting Finance
Yuctan Hodge II, CFO of the Association of Certified Anti‑Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), is steering the 20‑year‑old organization toward an intelligence‑focused model while tightening financial discipline after its 2022 private‑equity carve‑out. He has instituted organization‑wide AML awareness, requiring staff to...
Starbucks’ Baffling ChatGPT Collab Treats Customers Like Empty, Soulless Venti Cups
Starbucks has launched a beta integration that places a dedicated widget inside OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing users to ask for personalized drink suggestions by describing their mood, outfit, or nutritional preferences. The feature, accessed by typing “@Starbucks,” promises to match beverages...
Nationwide Mutual Returns with $200m Target for Aquila Re I 2026-1 Catastrophe Bond
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. is re‑entering the catastrophe‑bond market with a target of at least $200 million in multi‑peril reinsurance through the Aquila Re I Ltd. Series 2026‑1 transaction. The deal will issue two $100 million tranches—Class A‑1 priced at 4‑4.75% and Class B‑1 at...
"Passion Is How Visa Shows Up Beyond Payments": Danielle Jin, CMO, Visa Asia Pacific
Visa’s Asia‑Pacific CMO Danielle Jin explains the company’s “passion‑pillar” strategy, turning the payments giant into a lifestyle brand by anchoring marketing to sports, music, gaming and broader cultural moments. High‑profile partnerships such as the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, K‑Pop awards...
New York Fed President Williams Worries War Will Slow Growth, Aggravate Inflation
New York Fed President John Williams warned that the ongoing Iran war is already nudging U.S. prices higher while dampening economic growth. He highlighted rising energy costs and broader supply‑chain pressures that could trigger a stagflation‑like environment. Williams reaffirmed the Fed’s...
Blue Owl Nears Deal for Minority GP Stake Investment in BlackFin Capital Partners
Blue Owl Capital is on the verge of acquiring a minority stake in Paris‑based BlackFin Capital Partners through its GP Strategic Capital platform. BlackFin’s flagship buyout fund raised €1.8 billion (about $2 billion) for 2024, while its fintech‑focused vehicle secured €390 million (roughly...
Everything You Need to Know About Refinancing Commercial Real Estate
Commercial real estate (CRE) refinancing in 2026 faces a steep climb as borrowers confront rates near 7% versus the 4% deals of the mid‑2010s. A massive "maturity wall" of roughly $875 billion in loans due this year forces owners to reassess...
How The Dogist Turned His Passion for Photographing Dogs Into a Media Brand
Elias Weiss Friedman launched The Dogist on Instagram in 2013, turning street dog photography into a digital media brand. Within a year he secured a book deal and hit one million followers; today the franchise boasts over 10 million followers and...
Europe Has Six Weeks of Jet Fuel Left Caused by 'Dire Strait' Crisis, IEA Chief Warns
The International Energy Agency warned that Europe has roughly six weeks of jet fuel left as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by the Iran war. Airports Council International Europe says shortages could begin in early May if tankers cannot...
ESMA Launches a Call for Evidence on Restricted Subscription and Private Credit Ratings
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has opened a call for evidence on restricted subscription and private credit ratings, seeking stakeholder input on their purposes, market practices, and associated risks. The regulator asks for data on the characteristics, users,...
Morning Reads
The Iran war has driven U.S. gasoline to $4.09 per gallon and WTI crude to $93 a barrel, a 37% jump since Feb 28. U.S. crude exports rose to 5.2 million barrels per day, narrowing the import‑export gap to just 66,000 bpd and...
Accountants’ Role in an AI World Is Pivotal
The article argues that accountants must become the architects of AI governance as the technology reshapes finance functions. It highlights three critical areas: the patchwork of employee attitudes toward AI, the way AI magnifies existing biases, and the need for...
Search Ad Growth Slows As Social & Video Gain Faster via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
The IAB’s 2025 report shows digital ad revenue hitting $294 billion, up 13 percent year‑over‑year. Search advertising, still the largest segment at $114 billion, slowed to 11 percent growth, while social media ads surged 32 percent to $117 billion and digital video rose 25 percent to $78 billion....
This Simulation Startup Wants to Be the Cursor for Physical AI
Antioch, a New York‑based simulation startup, raised an $8.5 million seed round that values the company at $60 million. The funding, led by A* and Category Ventures, backs a platform that builds high‑fidelity digital twins of robots with realistic sensor feeds. By...
EXEC: European Soccer E-Tailer Unisport Enters U.S. with WeGotSoccer Acquisition
European online football retailer Unisport Group has acquired Arocam, the U.S. parent of WeGotSoccer and TUDN Fan Shop, adding six physical stores to its portfolio. The acquisition positions Unisport for a rapid expansion in the United States ahead of the...
Nigerian Founder Sells Dubai Business to Fund Keepaza, a Payment Identity Platform Built for How Nigerians Actually Transact
Nigerian fintech founder Akindele Liasu sold a portion of his Dubai‑based business to inject founder capital into Keepaza, a payment‑identity platform that assigns each user a single verified username linking bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets. Keepaza enables Nigerians to share...
Technology Giveth and Taketh Away
Anthony Guerra revisits Shelby Foote’s three‑part Civil War audiobook, praising its narrative flair compared with today’s AI‑generated prose. He cites Ethan Mollick’s warning that AI often produces bland text, highlighting the loss of style. The piece then shifts to healthcare, noting...
The Gambling Industry Is Spending $3.9B the Wrong Way
In 2025 U.S. sports betting and online gaming spent $3.9 billion on marketing, with 36% allocated to TV ads and only 2.3% to earned media and PR. The 5WPR Gaming Trust Index shows that the bulk of spend still targets awareness,...
Amid Rapid Growth, Bloomsbury Will Restructure
Bloomsbury announced a restructuring that will replace its matrix model with three vertical business units—Global Academic & Professional, Bloomsbury USA, and Consumer U.K.—effective June 1. The move follows five years of rapid expansion, during which the publisher doubled revenue to £361 million...
US BSL CLO Rankings – March 2026
Bain topped the US BSL CLO market in the first quarter of 2026, pricing just under $4 bn of transactions, according to Creditflux data. Among arrangers, Bank of America captured the largest slice, holding a 17.64% market share for Q1. The...
EXEC: MTB Components Brand Pembree Expands U.S. Distributor Deal with BTI
Pembree, the UK‑based mountain‑bike components brand acquired by Look Cycle in November 2024, announced an expanded U.S. distribution agreement with Bicycle Technologies International (BTI). The partnership deepens Pembree’s presence across BTI’s extensive network of independent bike dealers, leveraging BTI’s catalog of...
Why Flexibility Wins in a Tight Labor Market—And Where It Can Backfire
Small and midsize businesses are increasingly using flexible work arrangements—remote, project‑based, and hybrid—to compete for talent in a tight labor market. Flexibility expands the talent pool, lowers fixed payroll costs, and lets companies scale labor with revenue. However, misclassifying contractors...
When Your Ambition Starts to Exhaust You
Top performers who once thrived on relentless hustle now report exhaustion and a sense of emptiness. Clinical psychologist Mary Anderson and Wharton professor Amy Wrzesniewski explain the shift as either a physical "engine" wear‑out or a change in the "fuel" of...
Norse Atlantic Slashes US Flights By 60%: See All Changes Now
Norse Atlantic announced a dramatic reduction of its U.S. network, eliminating all Los Angeles flights and cutting overall U.S. services by 60% compared with last year. The carrier’s summer schedule now includes only four U.S. destinations, a 31% drop in planned...
Media Maneuvers: Nonprofit Group Buys Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, backed by a $50 M commitment and a new $30 M pledge, is buying the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette, keeping its newsroom in the city while consolidating tech and business functions. Meanwhile, the BBC announced a 10% workforce...
Urban Company Says ‘We’re Here for You’ with Stories From the People of the UAE
Urban Company launched the ‘UC Heroes’ campaign in the UAE, featuring video testimonials from its service professionals and adding personalized thank‑you cards and fridge magnets to each appointment. The initiative also awards a ‘UC Heroes’ badge to workers, highlighting their...
India Could Limit Sulphur Exports as Supplies Tighten, Sources Say
India is weighing limits on sulphur exports as domestic supplies tighten amid falling Middle East imports and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The country imports about 2 million metric tons a year, roughly half from the Middle East, while shipping...
Museum Staff Strike over 'Devastating' Contract Changes
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery staff have begun a strike after the Brighton Pavilion and Museums Trust demanded they sign new contracts that would replace the terms set when they were outsourced from the city council in 2020. Workers argue...
Xi Alludes to Trump’s Policies to Make a Case for Closer Ties to Vietnam
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Vietnam’s President and Party General Secretary To Lam in Beijing, emphasizing shared communist ideology and mutual security interests. Xi invoked former President Trump’s tariffs and the Strait of Hormuz blockage to argue for protected trade routes...
The Interview: Co-Founder Abhi Arora on Building Second-Hand Wholesale Marketplace Fleek
London‑based Fleek, a B2B marketplace for vintage and second‑hand wholesale clothing, has scaled from a Brick Lane startup to a Silicon Valley‑backed global player. Since its first sale in November 2021, it now supports over 10,000 resellers sourcing stock from more...
India Imports LNG From US, Oman, and Nigeria in March as Qatar, UAE Supplies Dry Up
India’s LNG imports fell 20% year‑on‑year to 1.2 million tonnes in March 2026 after Qatar and UAE cargoes stopped amid escalating Middle‑East tensions. The shortfall, equivalent to about 47.4 MSCMD of gas, was partially offset by higher shipments from the United States, Oman and...
Prepaid Leases Provide Pathway to Home-Owned Solar Projects
The residential solar market is reverting to third‑party ownership (TPO) after the 25D residential tax credit expired, but prepaid leases are emerging as a bridge to home ownership. Prepaid leases let homeowners pay the lease amount up front and buy...