Octopus Energy Pours $1bn to US Clean Tech Market
Octopus Energy is committing just under $1 billion to California’s clean‑tech sector through its Octopus Energy Generation arm. The capital will fund two carbon‑removal firms focused on grassland restoration and reforestation, and acquire a solar‑plus‑battery project slated to operate by July 2026. This investment is part of a broader $2 billion U.S. energy‑transition pledge Octopus aims to fulfill by 2030. The announcement was made alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom, highlighting transatlantic collaboration.
Investment Fund for Wales Sees Largest-Ever Deal
British Business Bank’s £130 m Investment Fund for Wales has completed its largest single investment, a £3.5 m injection into engineering services firm Advantiv. The deal, executed by fund manager Foresight Group, marks the 102nd investment since the fund’s 2023 launch. Advantiv...
Scaling Our Spinout Ecosystem
The UK spinout ecosystem has attracted over $19.2 billion in venture capital since 2020, making it Europe’s largest hub for science‑based startups. However, a shortage of domestic scale‑up capital, founder‑focused tax and visa constraints, and a procurement system that favors large...
Manchester Innovation District Signs International Partnership Deal
Manchester’s £1.7bn Sister innovation district has entered a 12‑month partnership with Ireland’s Platform94, a tech hub in Galway. The agreement provides reciprocal access to workspaces and corporate networks, enabling startups in both regions to collaborate on AI, medical technologies and...
UK Tech Funding Roundup: This Week’s Deals From Tem to Occam Industries
UK tech investment this week totaled £82.5 million across six rounds, an 81% drop from the prior week, partly due to last week’s £368 million ElevenLabs megadeal. The headline transaction was tem’s £55 million Series B, an energy‑brokerage platform matching buyers with suppliers. Seed‑stage...
Google’s Gemini to Be Integrated Into Major UK Property Platform
Rightmove, the UK’s leading digital property portal, will embed Google’s Gemini large‑language‑model into its search service. The integration enables conversational, natural‑language queries and personalised property discovery, letting users describe homes in plain English instead of ticking boxes. Gemini’s AI will...
Wexler Founder: Don’t Worry About the Competition
Gregory Mostyn, co‑founder and CEO of Wexler, says founders should ignore competitors and concentrate on building truly unique solutions. Wexler is creating a new “fact intelligence” category for legal, compliance, HR, tax and forensics teams, leveraging AI for extraction, verification...
In Conversation With: Bloomberg’s Amanda Stent
Amanda Stent, Bloomberg's head of AI strategy, says artificial intelligence is now a core reality for financial services, yet regulatory frameworks lag behind. She emphasizes that responsible AI—transparent attribution, explainability, and robust guardrails—is essential for trust and competitive advantage. Bloomberg...
UK Space Agency Launches Programme to Boost Industry Skills
The UK Space Agency has unveiled the Skills for Space internship programme, offering 50 paid eight‑week placements for undergraduates and further‑education students across the country. The scheme aims to address a widening talent gap, as a recent Space Skills Survey...
Energy Scaleup Group Secures £55m Series B Round
London‑based tem has closed a $75 million (£55 million) Series B round, led by Lightspeed Ventures and backed by Hitachi Ventures, Atomico and others. The startup, founded in 2021, offers what it calls the first AI‑native energy transaction infrastructure, combining an AI‑powered engine,...
The UK Must Not Lose Its Fintech Crown – Emma Hagan, ClearBank
Emma Hagan, CEO of ClearBank, highlighted the United Kingdom’s historic leadership in fintech and warned that the nation must act to preserve its crown. She noted ClearBank’s milestone as the first new clearing bank in over two centuries, providing payments,...
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...
Former City Minister Appointed to Open Banking Board
John Glen, former city minister and ex‑Treasury official, has been appointed as a non‑executive director to the board of Open Banking Limited (OBL). His appointment comes just before OBL publishes its Long‑Term Regulatory Framework and Payments Forward Plan, which will...