West Midlands-based business Popcorn CRM has joined forces with FreeAgent accounting software to enable FreeAgent users to sync their accounts with Popcorn CRM’s sales tools.

The collaboration is off the back of Popcorn CRM founder Simon Washbrook joining the NatWest Accelerator in Birmingham.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Shares in Next have fallen despite the fashion and homeware retailer reporting a double-digit increase in half-year profits.

The FTSE 100 company posted a 13.8% rise in group profit before tax to £515m for the six months to 26 July 2025, with sales climbing more than 10% to £3.25bn. Post-tax earnings per share also jumped nearly 17% to 330p, while the board declared an interim dividend of 87p per share.

However, the retailer struck a cautious note on the UK economy, warning that growth ahead would be “anaemic”.

It cited weakening job opportunities, regulatory pressures, high government spending and rising taxes as factors set to weigh on productivity and competitiveness.

Its share price has dropped from £120.20 at the close of play yesterday to £115.35 at the time of writing.

Humanoid has unveiled the UK’s first humanoid robot designed for industrial use, debuting its prototype HMND 01 Alpha. 

The wheeled robot stands at 220cm tall, moves at speeds up to 7.2 km/h and can carry payloads of 15 kg, with pilot tests set to inform a Beta release next year. 

Backed by $50 million in founder-led capital and a team with experience at Apple, Tesla, Google, Boston Dynamics and Nvidia, the London-based company is pursuing a robots-as-a-service model to accelerate adoption.

The Bank of England has kept interest rates unchanged at 4% in a move widely expected by markets.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 7–2 to hold, with two members favouring a cut to 3.75%.

The decision leaves rates at their lowest level since February 2023, reflecting progress in bringing down inflation but caution about loosening policy too quickly.

TalkTalk Business has appointed Dean Giblin as its new director of operations as the company continues to build momentum following its 2023 demerger from TalkTalk Group.

Giblin, who brings experience from PXC and Vodafone, will focus on embedding customer-first thinking and driving further agility across the organisation.

His arrival follows a period of transformation led by interim operations director Romy Thorpe, who oversaw a new target operating model and the retirement of legacy systems.

Supported by several internal leadership promotions and a new CRM system, the Manchester-based telecommunications firm says its strengthened operations function will deliver greater efficiency, insight and customer value.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Acuity Knowledge Partners has agreed to acquire a Bristol and Munich-based provider of AI-powered digital transformation services in a deal set to complete at the end of the month.

Ascent, which was founded two decades ago and now works with over 170 businesses across Europe and North America, will now look to build a global technology services business unit.

It currently has over 550 specialists in data, software and cloud.

Researchers at Cranfield University and Milton Keynes University Hospital have trialled an AI-powered robotic system capable of performing echocardiograms, a key diagnostic tool for heart disease.

The robot uses a scanning probe guided by AI software to capture images of the heart in real-time, achieving 80% accuracy in standard four-chamber views during testing.

The technology could help ease NHS pressures by reducing reliance on highly trained sonographers, whose shortage has contributed to longer waiting times.

Experts say that while full automation is still some way off, the system could pave the way for faster, more consistent and more accessible heart scans in community health settings.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Major news in UK business as Deliveroo founder Will Shu will step down as CEO once the company’s £2.9 billion takeover by US rival DoorDash completes on 2nd October.

Shu, who launched the business in 2013, will walk away with more than £170m from the deal, which values shares at 180p – a 44% premium.

The move follows the London-headquartered firm’s first-half loss of £19.2m this year, linked to costs from the acquisition, despite revenues rising 8% to £1bn.

Chair Claudia Arney praised Shu as “an incredible innovator” who created “a British success story” as the company now prepares for a new era under DoorDash ownership.

 

Unicorn Octopus Energy Group has announced the spin-off of its technology arm, Kraken, to accelerate the platform’s global expansion.

Kraken’s AI-driven system already supports over 70 million energy accounts worldwide and processes 15 billion new data points each day, making it one of the most advanced operating platforms in the utility sector.

The business now generates $500m in revenue through partnerships with major energy players including EDF, E.ON Next, and Tokyo Gas.

With Tim Wan, former Asana CFO, joining as its new CFO to guide its next phase of growth, the subsidiary of the London firm will focus on advancing utility-grade AI, expanding into new markets and driving the energy transition at scale.

Pets at Home CEO Lyssa McGowan has stepped down from her role with immediate effect, with non-executive chair Ian Burke stepping in as executive chair while the search for a new chief executive begins.

McGowan joined the business in June 2022 after an 11-year stint at Sky, where she served in executive roles including chief commercial officer and chief consumer officer.

The retail giant has also issued an unscheduled trading update, lowering FY26 profit guidance to £90–100m as retail market conditions remain subdued.

While digital sales continue to grow strongly and subscription services expand, store sales have fallen 5% year to date.

UNiDAYS has appointed Mona Akiki as its new chief people officer as it looks to expand globally.

Based in London, Akiki will lead the MarTech’s people and culture strategy, supporting its 250-strong team and driving engagement, performance and employee experience worldwide.

She brings more than 25 years of leadership experience from roles at Perkbox and CPP Investments, where she oversaw major transformation and growth initiatives.

Intelligent Legal Solutions (ILS), the company behind side letter management platform ProVision, has secured a strategic investment from US-based venture capital firm The LegalTech Fund.

Launched in 2024, ILS has quickly partnered with many of the world’s top law firms, offering software that streamlines private fund processes such as side letter management, negotiation and most favoured nation (MFN) compliance.

The funding will accelerate product development and expand the London-based company’s presence in the US, as it continues to build AI-enabled tools designed to boost efficiency and accuracy in legal workflows.

London-based software company Skyral has announced a strategic partnership with government services provider Maximus as it looks to transform public sector delivery, starting with healthcare systems in the US, Canada and the UK.

By combining Skyral’s digital twin and simulation technology with Maximus’ large-scale programme expertise, the partnership will aim to enable governments to model workforce needs, resource allocation and patient outcomes before real-world deployment.

Author: Patrick Killeen

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has announced a £500m investment in UK cloud computing firm Nscale, declaring that “the UK is going to be an AI superpower.”

The move is part of a wider initiative with partners including Microsoft and CoreWeave to build AI factories across the country, powered by 120,000 Blackwell Ultra GPUs and up to £11bn in local data centre investment.

It aims to accelerate Britain’s role in the “AI industrial revolution,” creating jobs, driving research, and supporting sovereign AI ambitions.

The UK operation of Chinese eCommerce giant Temu doubled revenues and profits last year.

Temu UK reported revenues of $63.3m (£46.4m), up from $32m in 2023. Pre-tax profits grew from $2m to $3.9m.

However operating losses widened from $7.9m to $8.7m, which it said was down to ‘exchange losses’.

Petards Group plc saw revenue rise 78% to £7.9 million in the six months ended 30th June 2025.

Adjusted EBITDA profit hit £509,000, compared with £33,000 in the prior year.

Petards is an AIM-quoted developer of advanced security, communication and surveillance systems.

Bytes Technology Group plc says it has delivered a resilient performance in the first half of the year, trading in line with the expectations it reported in its July AGM statement.

Gross invoiced income for the period is expected to be around £1.33bn, while gross profit is expected to be not less than £82m and operating profit is expected to be not less than £33m.

The firm recently announcing that it is to commence a £25m share repurchase programme in a bid to boost shareholders. The software, security, AI and cloud services specialist, based in Surrey, saw its shares lose a third of their value in one day in early July after it issued a profit warning.

Last year Bytes began investigating the shock resignation of its former CEO Neil Murphy after he was accused of unauthorised trading in the company’s shares. It sent the London-listed stock plummeting; however it would rebound.

WealthClub’s Northern VCTs have launched a new offer to raise up to £50 million, including a £15m overallotment.

Managed by Mercia, the trusts benefit from a strong regional footprint, with over half of portfolio companies based outside London and the South East.

Over the five years to June 2025, the VCTs delivered an average net asset value total return of 45.9% and target annual dividends of 4.5%–5.0% of net asset value.

With £416.2m in net assets and a diversified portfolio of around 65 companies, the trusts aim to provide investors with exposure to high-growth UK businesses, while offering attractive tax benefits.

US-based OPSWAT has opened a new international briefing centre and cybersecurity lab in London, marking a major step in its UK expansion.

The facility will focus on protecting critical sectors including finance, defense, manufacturing and energy, while also strengthening collaboration with regulators and industry leaders.

OPSWAT’s solutions are designed to address escalating threats as AI-driven attacks and legacy vulnerabilities continue to challenge infrastructure security.

The London office will also act as a training hub through OPSWAT Academy, helping to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The chief financial and operating officer of Guardian Media Group is to move to the same role at Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Keith Underwood will succeed group finance director Penny Scott-Bayfield, who recently decided to step down to pursue a portfolio career after seven years in the role.

Underwood, a former interim CEO at The Guardian, will join Bloomsbury on 2^nd February 2026. Before joining GMG in 2020, he worked at Channel 4 as CFO and COO and spent more than eight years on the executive committee of the broadcaster. He has also worked at Discovery Networks International, Sky and PwC.

Underwood is a board member of Digital Catapult, the digital technology innovation organisation which helps businesses grow by applying advanced digital technology. He has previously served as chairman of Freeview and a board director of Digital UK and YouView.

In the year to 28th February – Bloomsbury’s pre-tax profit fell 22% to £32.5m, although revenue grew 5% to £361m.