Technology continues to develop, but does the tech industry really understand the power of data? February 27, 2019 Big data has been cast as the latest pariah within tech, and considering that big players like Google and Facebook have built their ad businesses on audience and user data, albeit with the renewed interest among regulators and consumers on data privacy, no one wants to declare their use of big data anymore. The Cambridge [...]
London Stock Exchange Group leads $20m Nivaura funding round February 27, 2019 Fintech firm Nivaura has closed a $20m (£15m) seed capital round led by London Stock Exchange Group. The London-based company, which provides blockchain technology for digital investment banking platforms, will use the funding to rapidly expand its leadership, business development and technical teams. Read more: Revolut pushes ministers for fast-track tech visas The company also plans to [...]
Excessive spectrum costs could hurt consumer benefit from 5G, argue lobbyists February 26, 2019 The telecoms industry's main lobby group has said governments need to bring down high costs for 5G bids if Europe is to keep up with the global roll-out. The GSMA, which represents 300 operators worldwide, has been caught in the middle of a row between telecoms firms and governments as to who should shoulder the cost of [...]
Tech startups remain private for longer leading to high valuation IPO pipeline February 26, 2019 Technology startup companies are choosing to remain private for longer due to the availability of capital from private equity and venture capital investors, creating a pipeline of high-value listings expected this year. The median age of venture capital backed technology companies at the time of IPO has risen from 10.9 years in 2018 from 7.9 [...]
Venture capital fund run by former Facebook and Deliveroo employees raises $85m February 26, 2019 A venture capital fund run by former Facebook, Deliveroo and Klarna employees has raised $85m. (£64.5m) The Blossom Capital fund is the first launched by ex-Index Ventures and Localglobe investor Ophelia Brown, 32, and is the fastest ever first time fundraise from a female VC in Europe. Read more: Ex-Google CFO opens up a venture capital office [...]
Huawei chairman says the US has ‘no evidence, nothing’ of Chinese backdoors in 5G February 26, 2019 Huawei's chairman Guo Ping has said there is "no evidence, nothing" to support US claims of spying via its telecommunications equipment. "We don't do bad things," said Ping, speaking in a keynote address at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "Here, let me say this as clearly as possible: Huawei has not and will never plant backdoors. [...]
IBM’s Watson supercomputer to solve the mobility problem in tie-up with Volkswagen’s SEAT February 26, 2019 IBM and Volkswagen's Spanish unit SEAT have unveiled a standalone app that hopes to predict what mode of transport and route is best for urban users through artificial intelligence (AI). The app, called Mobility Advisor, will utilise the power of IBM's Watson supercomputer to present commuters with the best way to navigate cities, whether that's [...]
Amazon pledges to create 1,000 UK apprenticeships by 2021 February 26, 2019 Amazon today pledged to create more than 1,000 full-time apprenticeships in the UK over the next two years. Read more: Amazon's UK boss made a trustee of the National Gallery The apprenticeship programme will fill positions across Amazon’s UK operations – from software developers for Prime Video and Alexa's machine learning technology to warehouse workers [...]
DEBATE: With the Oscars success of Roma, has Netflix broken the dominance of the traditional film studios? February 26, 2019 With the Oscars success of Roma, has Netflix broken the dominance of the traditional film studios? Abbie Llewelyn, freelance writer and commentator, says YES. Just six years after Netflix started producing original content, it has scored 15 nominations and three wins at the Oscars. This is a huge breakthrough for streaming platforms, as up until [...]
How to stop worrying about being run over by a robot car February 26, 2019 Depending on who you ask, we are either very close or very far from having millions of autonomous vehicles on the roads. What few question is that we will eventually see widespread take-up; the opportunities for improved road safety are unparalleled. But driverless cars also offer a great exemplar of the wider automation debate, and the [...]