Author: Patrick Killeen

NCC Group has partnered with identity security specialist Delinea to deliver cloud-native solutions designed to protect organisations from cyber-attacks and insider threats.

The news comes a day after the Manchester-based firm agreed to sell its Escode business to TDR Capital LLP for £275 million.

The partnership will focus on privileged access management (PAM), helping businesses secure critical accounts and systems as they adopt AI, modernise identity controls and respond to increasing compliance requirements.

It comes as NCC Group looks to become a pure-play global cyber security and resilience company.

Delinea’s platform is designed to help organisations discover identities, set appropriate levels of access and respond to threats in real time, supporting the shift towards Zero Trust Architecture.

London and San Francisco-based Asymmetric Security has raised $4.2 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round to accelerate how organisations investigate cyberattacks.

The funding was led by Susa Ventures, with participation from Halcyon Ventures and Overlook Ventures, alongside angels including Charlie Songhurst, Matt Clifford and Geoff Ralston.

Founded by Zainab Ali Majid, Pippa Thompson and Alexis Carlier, the startup is building an AI-native cyber forensics platform designed to speed up threat hunting and incident response using secure automation and expert validation.

It plans to use the funding to grow its engineering and incident response teams while expanding into areas such as ransomware, insider threats and nation-state incidents.

Allocation Strategy, a London-based analytics platform for institutional investors, has raised £1.6 million in a funding round led by Fuel Ventures.

The company provides tools that help investment teams assess risk and return trade-offs, test portfolios across different market conditions and improve long-term resilience.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The board of Beazley plc has ‘unanimously rejected’ the £7.7 billion takeover bid from fellow insurance giant Zurich.

The FTSE 100 firm said the offer of 1,280p in cash per share ‘materially undervalues Beazley and its longer-term prospects as an independent company’.

The offer represents a 56% premium to Beazley’s 820p closing price on 16th January 2026. However Beazley’s share price has risen around 40% since then and currently stands at 1,138p, giving it a market cap of £6.8bn.

The board said it had received three proposals from Zurich in June last year and provided it with certain limited due diligence information in ‘good faith’.

The last of those – also rejected – was for 1,315p per share at an implied equity value of £8.4bn.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has announced plans to launch more than 5,400 satellites as it prepares to build a new global communications network called TeraWave. 

The service is aimed at data centres, businesses and governments, with the company claiming speeds of up to 6 terabits per second, positioning it as a high-capacity rival to existing satellite connectivity providers. 

While the move puts Blue Origin into more direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink, it would still operate far fewer satellites than Musk’s network, which currently leads the market. 

Launches for TeraWave are expected to begin by the end of 2027.

Lumon Corporate has appointed Eliot Bassett as managing director of its corporate division as it looks to differentiate itself in the FX market.

Bassett brings experience from founding Abacus FX and supporting the growth of Alpha Group, supporting businesses from SMEs to FTSE 100 firms on currency risk management and hedging.

The London-headquartered firm said he will focus on expanding its product and service offering to help clients stabilise exposure, improve budget certainty and protect margins.

Storfund has appointed Justin Hanna to lead a newly created partnerships team as the FinTech accelerates its expansion across the eCommerce platform ecosystem.

The London-based company, which pioneered Daily Advance to tackle delayed payouts, has advanced more than $2 billion to eCommerce businesses globally and is now integrated with over 60 platforms.

The new function will focus on embedding Storfund’s liquidity product into payment providers, marketplaces and vertical SaaS platforms.

Hanna joins from NomuPay and has previously held senior roles at Barclaycard and Worldpay, with Storfund reporting 164% customer growth in 2025 and recent launches on Mirakl Connect and TikTok Shop UK.

Haypp has made two senior executive appointments as it targets its next phase of growth in the UK and US nicotine pouch markets.

Svante Andersson will move from group COO to become president of the UK business, having previously joined the company in 2017 as CFO.

The online tobacco retailer said the UK represents its strongest growth opportunity in Europe, supported by a positive market outlook and new legislation expected to be finalised in the next year.

Meanwhile, chief commercial officer Gabriel De Prado will also assume the role of president of the US business ahead of expected market developments in 2026.

AJ Bell has posted a strong start to its financial year, with customer numbers rising by 29,000 in the quarter to 673,000, driven by growth in its direct-to-consumer offering.

The Manchester-based investment platform reported record assets under administration of £108 billion, up 21% year-on-year, supported by positive market movements and higher inflows.

Gross inflows hit a quarterly record of £4.6bn, while net inflows increased to £1.5bn, despite greater disruption linked to UK Budget uncertainty.

Meanwhile AJ Bell Investments grew assets under management to £9.5bn, up 32% over the year, following continued demand for its managed solutions.

Sahres in the company are up by over 5% to 472p so far today.

Kooth, which provides digital mental health support through online platforms, has secured a one-year contract with an undisclosed US state to support up to 100,000 students. 

The deal is expected to be worth $2.6 million and will see the London firm deliver services via its Soluna platform to young people aged 13-18, including behavioural health resources, a moderated peer community and chat-based counselling with state-licensed professionals. 

The rollout will be managed through its existing workforce alongside new in-state counsellors across specified school districts. 

It expands Kooth’s presence in the US, where it now provides services in three states, including California and New Jersey.

Shares in the listed company have risen by over 10% in the first two hours of trading today to 115.78p.

AIM-listed Netcall plc is expecting another period of double-digit growth in line with management expectations. 

Revenue for the last six months of 2025 is forecast to rise 15% to £26.5 million, supported by 11% organic growth and an initial contribution from Jadu, acquired in December 2025.

Adjusted EBITDA is expected to increase 12% to £6.4m. 

The Bedford-based company ended the period with £14.8m in cash and remains debt-free, despite £12.7m of acquisition-related payments. 

Netcall’s market cap currently sits at just over £200m after a strong 12 months, in which its shares have risen by almost 20% to around 118.5p. 

The enterprise software business helps organisations automate processes and improve customer engagement through its AI-powered Liberty platform, used across healthcare, government and financial services.

Next plc has agreed a £3.8 million deal to buy Russell & Bromley out of administration, securing the future of the brand but putting around 400 jobs at risk at 33 stores not included in the sale. 

The footwear retailer, founded in 1879, operates 36 shops and nine concessions, but the Leicester-based retail giant is understood to be taking on just three stores and around 48 staff. 

Next said in a statement: “This acquisition secures the future of a much-loved British footwear brand. 

“Next intends to build on this legacy and provide the operational stability and expertise to support Russell & Bromley’s next chapter, allowing it to return to its core mission, the design and curation of world-class, premium footwear and accessories, for many years to come.” 

The move comes after the FTSE 100 firm raised guidance for profit before tax for the year ending January 2026 by £15m to £1.15 billion, representing 13.7% year-on-year growth, following a strong Christmas performance that saw full-price sales rise 10.6%.

Author: Patrick Killeen

The House of Lords has voted to back a ban on social media for under-16s, increasing pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to accelerate plans to tighten controls on children’s online activity.

The government was defeated on Wednesday after peers approved an amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill by 261 votes to 150, mirroring a policy introduced in Australia last month.

The vote comes as Downing Street considers an Australia-style crackdown, having confirmed on Monday that ministers are looking at the option of a legal ban.

However, in the House of Lords, several peers raised concerns about the timescale of the government’s response, pointing to a consultation launched this week that will take three months to complete.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The takeover battle at Auction Technology Group has intensified after it released its quarterly results.

ATG, which owns 10 marketplaces and connects auction houses with bidders globally, rejected a fresh takeover approach from its largest shareholder FitzWalter Capital at the start of the week and they have taken aim at one another publicly this morning.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a new £1 billion UK Social Investment Fund at the World Economic Forum in Davos, alongside confirmation of a £500 million investment in UK R&D and manufacturing from biopharmaceutical firm UCB.

The fund, backed by savings and investment group M&G, will target areas facing shortages in housing and transport, as well as communities in need of town-centre renewal and new education and health facilities.

It will also support investment in low-carbon and digital infrastructure linked to the UK’s net zero transition.

Around 850 CEOs of large companies and 64 heads of state have descended upon the Swiss town to navigate an increasingly tense geopolitical climate.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Future plc has acquired digital publishing group SheerLuxe Ltd and BLUSH Talent MGMT in a £39.9 million deal.

The move is designed to strengthen the listed company’s position in fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

SheerLuxe was founded by Georgie Coleridge Cole in 2007 and has grown into a leading UK digital publisher in women’s fashion and lifestyle.

The business reaches an audience of more than 6m, including 2.3m monthly page views, 2.4m social followers, 900,000 email subscribers and 400,000 YouTube and podcast subscribers.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Optalysys, a photonic computing company, has raised £23 million in a Series A extension round.

The round was led by Northern Gritstone with participation from imec.xpand, Lingotto Horizon, and the UK government’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF). 

The investment will be used to accelerate the commercialisation of Optalysys’ proprietary photonic chips and support expansion into the US.

Leeds-based Optalysys initially raised £21m in Series A funding in 2023 while former Arm CTO Dipesh Patel was appointed chair of its board last year.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Currys shares rose by more than 8% to 135.5p today after the electronics retailer upgraded its profit outlook above market expectations.

The FTSE 250 group’s like-for-like revenue growth accelerated to 6% over the 10 weeks to 10th January, with UK & Ireland up 3% and the Nordics up 12%, which it described as a standout performance.

The London-based retail giant said it is gaining market share in the UK & Ireland, supported by strong mobile sales alongside growth in computing and appliances, with omnichannel sales rising 11% year-on-year. 

Off the back of the performance, it now expects group adjusted profit before tax of £180m-£190m, representing 11% to 17% year-on-year growth and ahead of consensus expectations. 

Author: Patrick Killeen

Professional technology training and skills provider IN4 Group has acquired Approved Training Ltd (ATL), a Midlands-based apprenticeship provider specialising in manufacturing and engineering.

The move strengthens the Greater Manchester firm’s national apprenticeship and workforce productivity offer, as it looks to help employers develop skilled, job-ready talent and improve outcomes through levy-funded upskilling.

Established in 2016, ATL has built a strong reputation in apprenticeship delivery, particularly among manufacturing and engineering employers. 

London-based AI LegalTech startup Antidote has raised £3.7 million in a seed funding round as it targets billing compliance.

Founded in 2024, the company helps law firms automate checks against complex outside counsel guidelines, which it says can lead to an 8–12% loss of billable hours each year due to non-compliance.

Its platform reads time entries, compares them with client requirements and firm standards, and suggests compliant rewrites before bills are submitted.

The round was led by Lakestar, with backing from Concept Ventures, The LegalTech Fund and angel investors.