KKR raises $2.2bn for second next-gen technology growth fund January 15, 2020 Investment firm KKR has closed its second Next Generation Technology Growth fund at $2.2bn (£1.7bn) — over three times the size of its predecessor. The fund will be dedicated to technology growth equity investment opportunities in Europe, North America and Israel, KKR said. Read more: World’s largest hedge fund sees gold price rising 30 per [...]
UK ‘must not let fox into the hen house’ with Huawei decision January 15, 2020 Boris Johnson has been warned not to “let the fox into the hen house” by allowing Huawei to build the UK’s 5G network. Tom Tugendhat, who is running for reelection as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, today said the embattled telecoms giant was “integrally” part of the Chinese state and could not be trusted. [...]
London investor in Peloton and Goop raises third fund at $300m January 15, 2020 Venture capital firm Felix Capital has today revealed its third fund at $300m (£230.3m), targeting startups at both early and growth stages across London and beyond. The firm has previously invested in the likes of Deliveroo, Peloton and Mejuri, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop. The new fund is double that of its [...]
British tech startups beat £10bn funding to top global growth January 15, 2020 Investment into the UK’s burgeoning scene of tech startups grew more than anywhere else in the world last year, leaving previous records in the dust as investors sought private markets. Venture capital funding for UK tech firms reached £10.1bn in 2019, rising 44 per cent year on year and breaking the all-time high set two [...]
Huawei hits back at ‘unsubstantiated allegations’ of spying January 14, 2020 Huawei has urged the government to ignore “unsubstantiated allegations” of spying levelled by the US amid fresh speculation over the Chinese firm’s role in the UK’s 5G network. Top US officials have reportedly warned their British counterparts that using Huawei’s equipment would be “nothing short of madness”. During crunch meetings in London yesterday the security [...]
Chipmaker revenue slips amid global oversupply and smartphone slowdown January 14, 2020 Global semiconductor firms suffered a decline in revenue last year as a huge oversupply in the market and a slowdown in smartphone sales took their toll. Semiconductor revenue totalled $418.3bn (£322bn) in 2019, down almost 12 per cent on the previous year, according to figures from research firm Gartner. This was driven by a huge [...]
Rocket list 2020: The best London startups to work for this year January 14, 2020 Fintech firms dominate a new list of 32 fastest growing London startups released today, with the companies listing 499 open positions. Job site Otta, which focuses on the most innovative firms in the capital, has today released its Rocket List, highlighting the firms expanding the fastest in 2020. Nine fintech firms made the list, including [...]
George Monbiot is wrong, farming isn’t outdated — it’s sowing the seeds of our future January 14, 2020 In his Channel 4 documentary last week “Apocalypse Cow” and the accompanying op-ed, the journalist George Monbiot both predicted and celebrated the end of farming. “After 12,000 years of feeding humankind,” he wrote, “all farming except fruit and veg production is likely to be replaced by ferming: brewing microbes through precision fermentation.” He went on [...]
Three ways the Prime Minister can unleash the digital economy January 14, 2020 So far, the new government has yet to unveil its detailed plan for building a stronger, more prosperous, rebalanced Britain that we heard about so much during the election campaign last year. The first post-Brexit Budget in March will be an opportunity for Downing Street to show its commitment to this cause — and pledges [...]
US officials provide UK with fresh data ahead of Huawei decision January 13, 2020 Senior US officials made a last-minute plea to Boris Johnson today to keep Huawei out of Britain’s telecoms network, warning that allowing the Chinese firm to remain involved would be “nothing short of madness”. A dossier was presented by a US delegation to the UK that officials told media outlets included new technical information that [...]