ERP Today Interview: Achyut Jajoo
Salesforce unveiled Agentforce Manufacturing, a suite of pre‑built AI agent templates designed for manufacturers. The solution promises to scale operations without adding headcount by automating routine ERP tasks. Achyut Jajoo, Salesforce’s SVP and GM, highlighted the necessity for ERP systems to become AI‑ready to stay competitive. The announcement positions Salesforce as a key player in the AI‑driven manufacturing transformation.
SPAC Ecosystem Is Undergoing Significant Transformation : Analysis
The SPAC market, which exploded in 2021 with over 600 offerings raising $162 billion, has entered a maturation phase as of 2025‑2026. New SEC regulations introduced in 2024 have forced sponsors to adopt tighter disclosure, performance‑linked incentives and longer deal timelines,...
As NICU Cases Rise, Laws and Employers Look to Assist Working Parents
Rising neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions are prompting a wave of state legislation and corporate policy changes aimed at supporting working parents. Over the past year, NICU cases have climbed roughly 15%, leading 12 states to enact NICU-specific leave...
Wage and Hour Spotlight: Dennis M. Brown, Littler Mendelson
Dennis M. Brown, a senior partner at Littler Mendelson, shared his perspective on the evolving wage‑and‑hour litigation landscape. He highlighted increasing federal enforcement actions and the growing complexity of multi‑state compliance. Brown noted that employers are facing heightened scrutiny over...
Lawmakers Weigh Government’s Role in Lowering AI Risk to Workers
Lawmakers are evaluating whether the federal government should intervene to mitigate AI‑related risks to workers. During a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, Bradford Kelley of Littler argued that the low number of lawsuits over...
How a Romanian Startup Found Its Strongest Growth in Latin America
Pluria, a Romanian‑founded hybrid‑work platform, has seen its strongest growth in Latin America, especially Colombia, Mexico and Argentina, with 2025 revenue expanding 2.5 times versus the prior year. The company entered the region opportunistically, bypassing traditional market analysis, and quickly...
GPs Add Fund ABS Into the Mix for Evergreens
General Partners are increasingly packaging tranches of perpetual, or evergreen, vehicles into fund‑backed asset‑backed securities (ABS). This hybrid structure blends the long‑term capital base of evergreen funds with the liquidity and tradability of securitisation. Early issuances show strong investor appetite,...
Storage News Ticker – 9 February 2026
The storage‑focused news ticker highlighted a wave of AI‑centric and security‑driven product launches, from Aerospike’s default Dynamic Data Masking to Cloudera’s on‑prem AI inference and Trino‑powered warehouse. Databricks secured a $5 billion equity round, reporting $5.4 billion ARR with strong AI revenue,...
More State Lawmakers Threaten Transgender Job Bias Ban Repeals
State lawmakers, primarily Republicans, are introducing a wave of bills to repeal existing bans on transgender and nonbinary workplace bias and harassment protections. The legislative push spans more than 20 states this session, targeting statutes enacted after the 2020 Bostock...
Haply Robotics Raises $16 Million to Build the “Steering Wheels” For Physical AI
Haply Robotics announced a $11.75 million USD (CAD $16 million) seed‑plus financing round, led by Sound Media Ventures and backed by Amazon’s Industrial Innovation Fund, Hanwha, Two Small Fish Ventures, and BDC Capital. The Montreal‑based startup builds high‑precision haptic controllers—such as the Inverse3...
Efeso Acquires a Majority Stake in Tsetinis Consulting
EFESO Management Consultants completed a majority‑stake acquisition of Austria‑based Tsetinis Consulting in January 2026, with a phased path to full ownership. The cross‑border deal covered Austria, Germany, France and the United States and was executed under a compressed timetable against competing...
Maine Joins Pushback Against Worker Surveillance
Governor Janet Mills signed legislation restricting employers’ electronic surveillance of workers, effective 2026. The law prohibits continuous monitoring without explicit employee consent and mandates transparent data handling practices. It applies to both on‑site and remote work environments, covering video, audio,...
The Networking Blueprint: 5 Tips to Build Connections for Long-Term Success
Professional networking is essential for career growth across industries. The article outlines why connections matter, from uncovering job opportunities to gaining strategic advice, and lists typical network constituents such as former classmates, colleagues, and mentors. It then provides five actionable...
Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach Clocks Out Amid Job Cuts and Market Jitters
Carl Eschenbach has resigned as CEO of Workday, handing the reins back to co‑founder Aneel Bhusri. The transition follows a series of cost‑cutting moves, including an 8.5% staff reduction and a recent 2% layoff, as the firm grapples with AI‑driven market...
Physical AI Robotics Draws Millions in Funding as Digital Markets Face Correction
In 2025 venture capital redirected billions from speculative crypto to physical AI robotics, allocating $211 billion to hardware solutions. Global venture funding reached $425 billion, highlighted by Mimic Robotics’ $16 million seed round to develop dexterous robot end‑effectors for manufacturing. ETH Zurich researchers...
E.ON Backs Call for Fairer Fertility Rights at Work and Signs the Fertility Support Pledge
E.ON has signed the national Fertility Support Pledge, aligning its policy with the proposed Fertility Treatment (Right to Time Off) Bill that seeks statutory paid leave for fertility appointments. The energy group already offers unlimited paid fertility leave, flexible working,...
7 Strategies to Smartly Set and Achieve Career Goals in Today’s Workplace
In today’s dynamic workplace, deliberate career planning is essential. A new guide outlines seven actionable strategies—from defining a personal vision to celebrating milestones—to help professionals set realistic, attainable goals. It emphasizes the SMART framework, breaking objectives into bite‑size tasks, and...
Average Income Tax by Area: The Parts of the UK Paying the Most Tax Mapped
Analysis of HMRC data by UHY Hacker Young shows that London and the South East generated 45 % of the UK’s £240.7 billion income‑tax bill in 2022/23. The London borough of Wandsworth paid £4.26 billion, eclipsing the combined £4.23 billion paid by Leeds and...
Hims & Hers Stock Crashes After FDA Announces Plans to Take 'Decisive Steps' Against GLP-1 Compounds
Hims & Hers shares plunged up to 27% after the FDA announced it will take decisive steps to restrict non‑FDA‑approved compounded GLP‑1 active pharmaceutical ingredients. The regulator’s move coincides with a lawsuit from Novo Nordisk seeking to block Hims &...
The EBA Launches Consultation on Simplifying the Credit Risk Framework
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has opened a public consultation on its Discussion Paper proposing simplification of the EU credit‑risk framework. The paper, stemming from the 2025 Report on regulatory efficiency, outlines concrete steps to consolidate EBA products, align definitions,...
Investors Believe AI Will Replace Labor Costs Instead of Just Software
Investors are increasingly betting that generative AI will replace labor costs rather than compete for traditional IT budgets. Lightspeed partner Sebastian Duesterhoeft argues AI captures the far larger pool of workforce spend, a view reinforced by Anthropic’s $350 billion valuation after...
Africa’s Financial Growth Took Centre Stage at the Africa Business Convention 2026
The Africa Business Convention 2026 convened in Lagos to chart a faster, fairer, and more sustainable growth path for the continent. The two‑day event, now in its fifth edition, centered on six strategic pillars ranging from agriculture to fintech and...
Galux Raises $29M Series B; CSL Teams up with Memo
South Korean biotech Galux secured $29 million in a Series B round to accelerate its AI‑driven research platform that designs novel protein therapeutics. The funding, led by regional venture partners, will expand Galux’s computational pipeline and scale up pre‑clinical collaborations. In parallel,...
Veteran Investor Appointed as BBB’s Managing Director of Direct Equity
The British Business Bank has named Charlotte Lawrence as managing director of direct equity, tasking her with overseeing the bank’s direct and co‑investment activities. Her appointment follows 2025 reforms that require the bank to increase both the number and size...
Call for Speakers: TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026
TechCrunch is inviting seasoned founders, VCs, and operators to lead roundtable sessions at its Founder Summit on June 23, 2026 in Boston. The event will gather over 1,100 founders and investors to discuss real‑world scaling challenges. Roundtables are 30‑minute, slide‑free...
IBM Spin-Off CFO Departs Amid Cash Management Review: Trial Balance
Kyndryl, the IBM IT‑infrastructure spin‑off, announced the immediate departure of CFO David Wyshner as it launches a review of its cash‑management practices. The review follows voluntary document requests from the SEC's Division of Enforcement and includes scrutiny of internal controls...
IRRBB Management in Emerging Market and Developing Economies: The Role of Derivatives in Supporting Financial Stability and Economic Development
Interest rate risk in the banking book (IRRBB) is emerging as a top priority for banks and regulators across emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Monetary tightening and persistent macro‑volatility are making balance‑sheet exposures more fragile, exposing the limits of...
Digital Employees, AI Bootcamps: America's Oldest Bank Is Spending Billions on Tech
BNY Mellon disclosed a $3.8 billion technology spend in 2025, representing about 19 % of its revenue – the highest share among large U.S. banks. The bank introduced 134 "digital employees" that automate repetitive tasks around the clock, while its human workforce...
The Battle Begins: 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 Nominations Are Open
TechCrunch has opened nominations for the Startup Battlefield 200, the flagship competition at Disrupt 2026 in Boston. Early‑stage founders with an MVP can compete for a $100,000 equity‑free prize, free exhibit space, and extensive media exposure. The event draws world‑class VC judges...
Which Consumer Brand Was Most Loved Around the World in 2025?
A YouGov BrandIndex survey of over 6 million respondents across 28 markets named WhatsApp the most loved consumer brand in 2025, posting a 41.5 overall score. Samsung trailed by a whisker at 41.4, leading the quality metric, while YouTube ranked third...
Ireland Surges Ahead in Digital Transformation: New Eir Research
eir’s Digital Ireland Report shows the country has become one of Europe’s most connected societies, with broadband traffic more than doubling since 2019 and household fibre usage rising 61%. Mobile data volumes have surged sevenfold, while regions such as Cavan,...
Gather AI, Maker of ‘Curious’ Warehouse Drones, Lands $40M Led by Keith Block’s Firm
Gather AI announced a $40 million Series B round led by Keith Block’s Smith Point Capital, bringing its total funding to $74 million. The Boston startup equips warehouse cameras and autonomous drones with a Bayesian‑based AI that ‘gets curious’ to scan barcodes, expiration...
Mining without Rules: The Risky US Bet on the Deep Sea
In April 2025 President Trump issued an executive order authorizing U.S. companies to mine critical minerals in international waters, directly contravening the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The move aims to secure rare‑earth supplies amid...
Inside Microsoft’s 2026 MS365 Retirements: What MSPs Need to Manage Now
Microsoft has announced a series of MS365 feature retirements for 2026, including the removal of SharePoint Alerts and the deprecation of Exchange Web Services. These changes affect a broad set of services such as Teams, SharePoint, Entra, and pricing structures,...
Outtake Raises $40 Million to Bolster Digital Trust Against AI-Driven Threats
Outtake, a cybersecurity startup, announced a $40 million Series B round to accelerate its unified digital‑trust platform amid a surge in AI‑driven phishing and impersonation attacks. The round, led by ICONIQ and featuring investors such as Satya Nadella and Nikesh Arora, brings total capital...
Russian Oil Sector Under Siege as EU Ramps up Pressure and India Winds Down Imports
The European Union announced plans to replace its $44.10‑per‑barrel Russian oil price cap with a comprehensive ban on maritime services for Russian crude, pending member‑state approval. The ban would block hull, machinery, and insurance services, pushing Russia toward the uninsured...
NatWest to Close 32 More Bank Branches – See the Full List
NatWest announced it will shut another 32 high‑street branches across England between May 2026 and February 2027. The closures follow a £115 million investment in its existing network and a strategic pivot toward digital channels as online banking now serves roughly 90 % of...
How Designing with Disability in Mind Sparks Innovation
The article argues that designing products and services with disability in mind catalyzes broader innovation. It cites early examples like the Safety Tub walk‑in bathtub, showing how solutions for seniors sparked new market categories. The authors, a mix of academic...
Statement From Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde announced that François Villeroy de Galhau will leave his post as Governor of the Banque de France after an eleven‑year tenure. Lagarde highlighted Villeroy's realism, strong European convictions, and collaborative style as assets to...
DOL Poised to Move Faster than Congress on Retirement Reform
The U.S. Department of Labor is poised to issue regulations expanding 401(k) access to alternative investments, meeting a February 3 deadline set by a Trump‑era executive order. A final rule could be adopted by year‑end with implementation slated for 2027,...
NaJasia Launches Community-Driven Platform Supporting Women and Neurodiverse Creatives in Denmark
NaJasia, a Denmark‑based community organisation, has launched a platform that combines a women‑focused club, a neurodiverse art studio, and a digital storytelling hub. The Mosaic Circle Ladies Club tackles social isolation among immigrant women, while James Fox Art Studio offers...
Kiwi Charge Takes EV-Charging Robot to Showroom Floor with $1.7-million Pilot Project
Toronto‑based Kiwi Charge is piloting its autonomous EV‑charging robot in a $1.7 million project with General Motors Canada and Pfaff Automotive. The robot, dubbed the “R2‑D2 for EV charging,” can self‑charge in 30 minutes and fully charge a vehicle in another 30 minutes,...
Payroll Errors Keep Repeating: How HR Can Catch Issues Earlier
Payroll errors keep surfacing after payday because manual spot checks can’t keep up with frequent rule changes. The article proposes automated workforce management testing, which runs real‑world pay scenarios against current overtime, differential and accrual rules before payroll closes. By...
Google Is Expanding WAXAL Beyond 21 Languages — What It Means for African Researchers
Google has broadened its WAXAL speech dataset initiative, increasing coverage from 21 to 27 Sub‑Saharan African languages and outlining a pipeline for additional tongues. The expansion is driven by a partnership with the Masakhane African Languages Hub, shifting focus toward...
21 Gemini Prompts HR Can Copy and Paste (with Step-by-Step Prompts)
The article introduces 21 ready‑to‑use Gemini prompts designed to streamline repetitive HR tasks such as job postings, interview guides, onboarding docs, and policy updates. It outlines a seven‑step prompt framework—persona, task, context, format, constraints, clarifying questions, and quality check—to produce...
Saudi FinTech Safqah Capital Raises $15.2m Seed Round
Safqah Capital announced a $15.2 million seed round, one of the biggest pure‑equity seed raises in Saudi Arabia. The round was led by anb Seed Fund, Shorooq and Rua Growth Fund, with participation from 500 Global and other regional investors. Safqah...
Neoclouds Capture Growing AI Workload Traffic, Backblaze Says
Backblaze’s Q4 2025 network report reveals a sharp rise in AI‑driven traffic to GPU‑centric neocloud providers, peaking in October before settling at a higher baseline. The surge was concentrated in US‑East data centers, highlighting latency‑sensitive AI data movement. Analysts from McKinsey...
Included Health's New Plan Design Improves Employees' Access to Quality Care
Included Health unveiled an alternative health‑plan design that blends guided care, AI tools, and a copay‑first pricing model to give employees faster, more affordable access to primary care. The plan replaces traditional PPO/HMO choices with a hybrid that offers broader...
US Backs Altona’s Mozambique Rare Earths Project
Altona Rare Earths announced that the U.S. Trade & Development Agency will support its Monte Muambe project in Mozambique, prompting a 76% surge in the company's London‑listed shares. The backing aims to map technical and financial routes for extracting rare‑earth...
Downing Street Resignations Trigger Bond Market Jitters
UK bond markets reacted sharply on Monday after a series of high‑profile Downing Street resignations, with the 10‑year gilt yield climbing to 4.62% – a ten‑basis‑point surge that set a three‑month high. The departures, including communications chief Tim Allan and...