Ex-Klarna Executive Joins Tide’s C-Suite
Bernie Miles, a former Klarna executive and ex‑CTO of PPRO, has been appointed chief data and technology officer at fintech platform Tide. In his new role, Miles will steer Tide’s transition to an AI‑first business‑management platform that bundles credit, accounting, payroll and other services. The hire follows a £120 m funding round that underpins Tide’s ambition to evolve from a pure‑play financial‑services provider into a holistic SME solutions hub. Tide now targets its 1.8 million members with integrated, data‑driven tools.
UK Deepens Ties with Ukraine Space Sector
The UK Space Agency and Ukraine’s State Space Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding, marking the first agency‑to‑agency space agreement between the two nations. The MoU commits both parties to collaborate on civil and commercial space projects, supporting the...
First Concepts Secures £750k to Boost Its AI-Native Workspace
First Concepts, an AI‑native workspace for early‑stage creative work, announced a £750,000 pre‑seed round led by Arāya Ventures and Antler. The platform unifies a taste engine, contextual interface, and tool‑agnostic infrastructure to reduce the 40% time loss agencies face when...
British Business Bank Promises £50m for SuperSeed’s Physical AI Fund
The British Business Bank has pledged up to £50 million as a cornerstone commitment to SuperSeed Fund III, a seed‑stage vehicle focused on B2B AI and SaaS firms building physical AI for manufacturing, energy, construction and autonomous systems. The investment, made...
HSBC Launches £5bn AI and Productivity Initiative to Support Business Growth
HSBC UK has unveiled a £5 billion AI and productivity financing initiative aimed at mid‑size companies with turnovers between £15 million and £300 million. Research by CEBR for HSBC estimates AI adoption could generate an additional £105 billion in UK revenue by 2030, with...
How I Coped with 40 Rejections – Farzana Rahman, CEO, Hexarad
Former NHS doctor Farzana Rahman pivoted to entrepreneurship, founding Hexarad, an AI‑powered end‑to‑end radiology platform that delivers diagnoses from CT and MRI scans. After enduring 40 rejections, she secured funding and partnership support from HSBC Innovation Banking, enabling rapid scale‑up....
Biotech Building ‘Molecular Glues’ AI Platform Raises £3.6m
London‑based Ternary Therapeutics announced a £3.6 million seed round to fund its AI‑driven platform for designing molecular glues, a class of drugs that can bind previously "undruggable" proteins. The startup, founded in 2024, merges machine learning, physics‑based molecular modelling and rapid...
Maven Invests £15m in Law Enforcement Software Group
Maven Capital Partners has committed £15 million to Chorus Intelligence, a UK‑based provider of investigative software for law‑enforcement and government agencies. The funding, sourced from Maven’s UK Regional Buyout Fund II, will accelerate development of the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS), a platform...
UK Tech Funding Roundup: This Week’s Deals From Nscale to Combat Medical
UK tech funding hit a record £1.64 bn between 9‑13 March, driven largely by AI hyperscaler Nscale’s massive £1.5 bn Series C round. The week also saw significant raises for ag‑tech gene‑editing firm Tropic (£79.2 m) and aerospace component maker Isembard (£37 m), among others. Investors...
PayCaptain Founder: Overconfidence Is the Enemy
Simon Bocca, founder of payroll platform PayCaptain, says he abandoned overconfidence in favour of meticulous, forensic implementation after a costly parallel‑run error for Pizza Express. He stresses that the first critical hire must own onboarding and combine technical expertise with...
Health Tech Group Combat Medical Raises £2.6m
Combat Medical announced a £2.6 million Series A raise, led by the T&J Meyer Family Foundation, to fund phase‑three trials of its hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) platform. The company already has over 350 systems installed and has delivered more than 100,000 HIVEC...
Cambridge to House World-Leading IonQ Quantum Computer
The University of Cambridge will host the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre, featuring a 2560‑qubit quantum computer—the most powerful in the UK. The deal, the university's largest corporate research partnership, links Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory with US‑based IonQ and includes three years...
UK Publishing Body Unveils First AI Licensing Initiative
Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) has introduced a sector‑led collective licensing scheme that lets AI companies legally access copyrighted works in exchange for licence fees. The first phase invites publishers to opt‑in, creating a structured market for AI training data that...
Aquis and Eagle Labs Launch UK ‘IPO Academy’
Aquis Stock Exchange has teamed with Barclays Eagle Labs to launch a six‑month IPO Academy aimed at preparing UK scale‑ups for public listings. The programme offers investor access, funding advice, pitch support and governance mentoring to bridge the current dip...
In Conversation With: Sunsave’s Alick Dru
Sunsave, a fast‑growing UK energy‑tech startup, raised £113 million to launch a subscription‑based solar service that eliminates the typical £10,000 upfront cost. While only about 6% of UK homes have solar panels, roughly 70% say they would consider installation, highlighting a...
What I Learned Failing to Make Small Talk at the School Gates – Beckie Taylor, Tech Returners
Beckie Taylor, co‑founder of Tech Returners, discussed her HR background and how the conversation around diversity has shifted toward AI’s impact on hiring. She highlighted the challenges women face when re‑entering tech after a career break and argued that traditional...
Tandem Bank Names Finance Veteran as New Chair
Tandem Bank has named Stephen Jones, a veteran of UK banking, as its new chair. Jones currently serves as executive chair of investment banking at Panmure Liberum and previously held senior roles at Santander, Barclays, and UK Finance. He succeeds Paul Pester, who...
Pressure on Tech Firms Grows Amid Government Safety Crackdown
The UK government is tightening its grip on digital platforms to safeguard women and girls online. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall warned Snapchat, Meta, YouTube and TikTok to accelerate safety measures or face regulatory action. Recent policies include a 48‑hour takedown...
Britain Faces a Trillion-Dollar Tech Challenge
TechUK and TheCityUK hosted a summit urging UK tech firms to stay and scale domestically, targeting the nation’s first trillion‑dollar technology company by 2035. The Industrial Strategy calls for unprecedented capital inflows, with up to £190 bn of private funds expected...
Manufacturing Startup Isembard Raises £37m
British manufacturing startup Isembard announced a $50 m (£37.5 m) Series A round, led by Union Square Ventures, less than a year after its $9 m seed raise. The capital will fund new factories, expand its proprietary AI‑driven operating system MasonOS, and accelerate hiring...
UK Tech Funding Roundup: This Week’s Deals From Oxa to Mutable Tactics
UK tech investment this week totalled £99.37 million, a 91% drop from the prior week, across five rounds. Autonomous‑vehicle specialist Oxa led the pack with a £77 million Series D, followed by biomaterials firm Shellworks raising £11 million Series A. Health‑tech Antiverse secured £7 million for...
Revolut Names US CEO as It Seeks New Banking Licence
Revolut has appointed former Raisin chief executive Cetin Duransoy as its U.S. CEO, coinciding with the fintech’s application for a national bank charter from the OCC and FDIC. The company aims to operate as Revolut Bank US, giving it direct...
Government Throws Weight Behind Space-Manufactured Drugs
The UK government announced a new package of measures to accelerate space‑based pharmaceutical manufacturing, offering regulatory clarity and a sandbox for companies developing drugs in microgravity. The initiative, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, brings together the...
Will Britain’s First Trillion-Dollar Spinout Be Led by a Woman?
UCL Business chief argues Britain should become the world’s top hub for female‑led university spinouts, targeting the nation’s first trillion‑dollar company. She highlights a surge in women founders across AI, gene therapy and social ventures, noting their collaborative and communicative...
BBB Commits £20m to Northern Irish PE Firm
British Business Bank has pledged £20 million to the latest fund launched by Northern Irish private‑equity firm Cordovan Capital Management. The commitment is the first under the bank’s newly adopted growth‑equity strategy, which aims to channel public capital into private‑equity funds...
Drone Defence Startup Secures Pre-Seed Investment
Mutable Tactics, a London‑based robotics firm, raised $2.1 million in a pre‑seed round led by Seraphim Space and backed by the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund. The startup’s AI‑driven decision layer enables mixed fleets of low‑cost drones to operate autonomously...
UK Space Agency Unveils £30m Satellite Funding Pot
British firms developing satellite communications will share £30 million from the UK Space Agency’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C‑LEO) programme. The second funding round is designed to move technologies from testing to deployment, emphasizing smarter hardware, AI‑enhanced data delivery, and...
UK Quantum Group Tapped to Join DARPA Project
British quantum algorithms firm Phasecraft has secured a contract with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to contribute to its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). Working alongside the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS),...
UK Private Capital Calls for Scaleup Reinvestment Relief
UK Private Capital, representing private‑equity and venture‑capital firms, is urging the British government to introduce a Scaleup Reinvestment Relief (SRR). The proposal would create a capital‑gains‑tax reinvestment relief for gains that are ploughed back into qualifying UK‑headquartered scaleups, growth‑equity funds...
IProov Founder: Own Your Mistakes
Andrew Bud, founder and CEO of iProov, stresses that founders must own their mistakes and keep leadership clear, rather than blaming teams. He advises new entrepreneurs to prioritize solving a real market problem over the allure of technology. Bud also...
Skyscanner Turns to ChatGPT with AI Flight App
Skyscanner has launched a new AI-powered flight planning app within ChatGPT, leveraging OpenAI's GPT‑4 model. The app lets users ask natural‑language queries and receive personalized flight options and pricing. Skyscanner serves about 160 million monthly users, positioning itself among the first...
Space Tech Investor Exceeds $100m for Close of Its Latest Fund
Seraphim Space, a UK‑based venture capital firm dedicated to space technology, closed its latest early‑stage fund at over $100 million, backing 17 companies that blend advanced space tech with artificial intelligence. The portfolio targets sectors such as defence, climate mitigation, life‑science...
The Hidden Risks in AI Legal Advice: Why SMEs Must Not Confuse Speed with Strategy
UK SMEs increasingly rely on AI-generated legal advice to cut costs and accelerate operations. While AI can produce quick drafts, the article warns that such advice is often only “almost right,” leading to misallocated risk, jurisdictional errors, and costly disputes....
Multiverse Poaches Amazon VP to Run Product Team
Multiverse, the up‑skilling edtech unicorn, has hired Amazon’s VP of product and technology, Jay Richman, as its new chief product officer. Richman, who led Amazon’s agentic AI initiatives and spent a decade at Spotify and Hulu, will relocate to London...
In Conversation With: Cirata’s Stephen Kelly
Stephen Kelly, chief executive of data‑management firm Cirata, warned that UK businesses face a perfect storm of AI‑driven disruption, geopolitical tension and reliance on overseas data infrastructure. He argued that data sovereignty and robust disaster‑recovery planning are now essential to...
Brainomix Extends Series C with New £5m Investment
Oxford spin‑out Brainomix has raised an additional £4.8 million, extending its Series C round to £18.8 million. The capital will fund the scaling of its FDA‑cleared AI imaging platforms, Brainomix 360 Stroke and e‑Lung, across U.S. hospitals and further European markets. Existing investors Parkwalk Advisors...
Canva Acquires Manchester Animation Software Group Cavalry
Australian design platform Canva announced the acquisition of Manchester‑based 2D animation software company Cavalry. Cavalry, founded in 2019, powers motion designers at firms such as Amazon, Meta, Google and Netflix with data‑integrated animation tools. The deal adds motion‑design capabilities to...
Cheshire-Based Biotech Scores £30m Series A Round
Centauri Therapeutics, based in Alderley Park, Cheshire, announced a £30 million Series A financing round to accelerate its antimicrobial immunotherapy program. The round includes a £6 million investment from the AMR Action Fund and builds on a prior £3.8 million CARB‑X grant. The capital...
Tech Alone Won’t Save UK Healthcare – Finn Stevenson, Flok Health
Finn Stevenson, CEO of AI‑driven physiotherapy startup Flok Health, discussed on the UKTN Podcast how slow reform in the NHS hampers patient care, especially for back‑pain sufferers. He highlighted Flok's hybrid model that combines algorithmic triage with live physiotherapist sessions...
Guinness Ventures Targets £3m for New Founders SEIS
Guinness Ventures has launched Guinness Founders SEIS, a Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme vehicle aimed at investing in early‑stage UK companies. The fund targets a £3 million raise to back up to 20 businesses with investments ranging from £100,000 to £250,000, focusing...
Starling Bank’s SaaS Business Expands to Fourth Country
Starling Bank’s Engine, its banking software‑as‑a‑service platform, has entered a fourth international market by signing a deal with New Zealand‑based SBS Bank. The Engine business posted FY25 revenue of £8.7 million, reflecting an almost 300% year‑on‑year increase. Existing deployments span Romania’s Salt...
UK Tech Funding Roundup: This Week’s Deals From Fyld to Nul
UK tech investment surged 21% week‑on‑week, reaching £99.86 million across seven rounds from 16‑20 February. AI‑focused startups attracted the bulk of capital, with Fyld raising £32 million and SurrealDB £17 million, while defence‑tech SatVu secured £30 million from NATO‑backed investors. Fintech, ecommerce and health‑tech also...
Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub Named Top UK Accelerator
The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub has been crowned the UK’s top accelerator for spin‑outs and startups in a joint Statista, Financial Times and Sifted analysis. The ranking considered alumni feedback, investor and academic recommendations, and the post‑program success of...
Rotageek Founder: Your First Idea Is Probably Wrong
Rotageek co‑founder Chris McCullough warns first‑time founders that their initial idea is often wrong, but solving a real, paying problem is essential. He discovered that while hospital rostering was broken, the first market with budget and urgency was retail, prompting...
British Business Bank Explores Private Equity with £60m Deal
The British Business Bank announced a £60 million commitment to NorthEdge IV, marking its first foray into private‑equity investments under a new growth‑equity strategy. The government‑owned development bank will back the Manchester‑based firm’s fourth fund, which targets founder‑led SMEs across technology, healthcare...
Agentic Finance Platform Stacks Raises £17m
Fintech startup Stacks announced a £17 million ($23 million) Series A round, led by Lightspeed Ventures and joined by EQT Ventures, General Catalyst and S16VC. The company, which emerged from stealth after an £8.9 million seed, offers an AI‑ready data layer that consolidates fragmented...
ClearBank Appoints Ex-Uber Exec to Oversee European Expansion
ClearBank has appointed former Uber payments chief Tristan Kirchner as its European CEO to accelerate the bank’s cross‑border growth. The fintech already holds an EU banking licence and serves more than 30 clients across multiple markets. Kirchner will oversee the...
Tech-Powered Credit Reform Could Add £7bn to the UK’s GDP, Report Claims
ClearScore’s new white paper argues that modernising credit‑worthiness assessments with open‑banking data and AI could add up to £7 bn to the UK’s annual GDP. It highlights that 17 million adults face a £2 bn credit supply gap, with up to 60% of...
Thermal Intelligence Company Raises £30m in NATO-Backed Round
SatVu, a London‑based defence‑tech firm, raised £30 million in a round backed by the NATO Innovation Fund, the British Business Bank and other investors. The funding brings total capital to £60 million and will enable the company to expand from a single‑satellite...
Liverpool Startup Taking ‘Moneyball Approach’ to Ecommerce Raises £2.4m
Liverpool‑based Made With Intent, founded in 2023, has secured £2.4 million in a funding round led by the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II. The startup offers an AI‑powered model that analyses hundreds of on‑site signals to deliver real‑time shopper‑intent insights for ecommerce...