Should you believe in unicorns? Tech start-ups have polarised investors with Bill Gates calling for restraint but others arguing new tech will change the world May 9, 2016 The sad demise of unicorns was widely predicted at the start of the year. Unicorns – or young, technology private companies valued at over $1bn (£693m) – drew vast sums of investment throughout last year and comparisons with the dot-com boom were drawn. There are around 170 companies with unicorn status, according to Fortune. Some are [...]
The blockchain payments app: How Circle plans to change the way we spend – and think about money May 9, 2016 You don't pay to send someone an email – to send information from one place to another. And merchants typically pick up the cost of actually making the transaction when you buy something online. And the founders of Circle – the free, blockchain-enabled payments app – don’t think you should pay to send money, either. [...]
Why banks should be offering more P2P and bitcoin services for SMEs May 9, 2016 UK banks could generate £8.5bn in extra revenue by 2020 if they broaden their offerings for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), according to a new report. Accenture's SME Banking 2020 report found there is currently a “significant perception gap” between small businesses and banks. Banks are also facing “stiff competition” from fintech, and should be [...]
Palantir founder hits out at claims unicorn startup is struggling May 8, 2016 A founder of one of the world's most highly valued startups has hit back at claims the company is struggling with the loss of clients and staff. Joe Lonsdale, a founder of the secretive startup Palantir along with PayPal pioneer Peter Thiel and others, which boasts the Bank of England as one of its clients, said it was [...]
EU referendum: Now top life science bosses warn of Brexit risk, including GSK, AstraZeneca and Pfizer in open later May 8, 2016 Top bosses at firms such as GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Pfizer are among more than 90 leaders in the life sciences who are the latest to warn of the risks of Britain leaving Europe. In a letter, published in the Observer, the group warned of the implications on the sector which employs more than 222,000 people, spends £4bn on research and [...]
More proof British business is terrible when it comes to cyber security May 8, 2016 Two thirds of businesses in Britain have been targeted by cyber attacks in the past year while a quarter have experienced a security breach at least once every month, new research reveals. But an astonishing half of firms are still not tackling the issue by identifying the risks they face via audit or risk assessments, once again highlighting how unprepared [...]
Sad news: Boaty McBoatface has a name and it’s not Boaty McBoatface May 6, 2016 Alas, alack: Boaty McBoatface is no longer. Well, sort of. After many hours of fevered hand-wringing, not to mention the launch of a government inquiry, science minister Jo Johnson (and, of course, Boris Johnson's brother) has turned his nose up at the result of Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) much-maligned "Name Our Ship" vote. Today he confirmed his [...]
Netflix and kill: Digital movie sales overtake DVDs for the first time May 6, 2016 It's official: the DVD is dead. Ok, not quite yet, but we're about to pass a milestone that puts ye olde digital versatile disc firmly in the rear view mirror as the world drives towards a future filled with film streaming. Call it the Netflix effect, but consumers in Britain will spend more of their cash on streaming and downloading films and [...]
Yelp share price surges on revenue of $158.6m May 5, 2016 Yelp's share price jumped by 7.75 per cent in after hours trading after it announced revenue of $158.6m (£109.5m) for the first quarter of 2016 – beating analysts' expectations of $155.6m in sales. The online reviewing service posted a loss of $0.20 per share – equating to a net loss of $15.5m, widened from the [...]
Jack Dorsey’s Square posts $379m revenue for first quarter as losses narrow May 5, 2016 Payment processing firm Square, started by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, has reported revenue of $379m (£262m), a 51 per cent increase year-on-year, beating analysts' expectations. Analysts had been expecting the company to report $344m in revenue. The mobile payment firm reported sales of $374.4m in the previous quarter. Transaction revenue was $300m, while Starbucks transaction revenue was the next [...]