The Growth Company, powered by its early-stage investment arm GC Angels, and Bruntwood SciTech brought together over 130 investors, Northern founders and key ecosystem partners for their second ‘Early-Stage Northern Showcase – Investor x Founder’ event in Leeds.

Held at Nexus, the University of Leeds’ innovation hub, the event welcomed more than 70 early-stage businesses from across the North of England and a strong cohort of over 60 investors and other institutions from across the UK, further strengthening connections between regional and national investment communities. 

 

Author: Russ Shaw CBE, founder of Global Tech Advocates and Tech London Advocates

This is a landmark moment for the UK and a bold response to one of the defining challenges of the digital age.

At a time when governments around the world are grappling with the impact of social media on young people, the UK is showing real leadership by putting children’s safety and wellbeing at the heart of digital policy.

While implementation will be crucial, this sends a clear signal that online platforms must take greater responsibility for the experiences they create.

Author: Professor Andy Miah, Chair in Science Comms and Future Media, University of Salford

Banning social media for under 16s is the worst possible reaction to concerns about harmful and unhealthy habits online. We’ve spent 20 years ignoring the risk; schools and parents haven’t known what to do, and this is a policy born out of desperation arising from the failure to be bold in guiding young people towards healthier and empowering habits during their time at school.

We absolutely need more evidence to understand the impact of a ban but, in the absence of clear evidence, we need proactive interventions that support healthy online behaviour. What happens when a child turns 16? Are they just turned out into the Wild West of the internet and expected to protect themselves? I fear this ban is simply kicking the risk down the road and I’ve heard nothing about positively empowering young people to become more resilient to the risks. This should be the policy focus.

I don’t think we know enough about the impact of the policy, but we can be sure that the consequence is both impractical to enforce and stifling of open conversation. Habits of using digital platforms will go underground and, as such, we’ll know less about how children are using social media.

Also, the policy doesn’t get to grips with what social media is and this is a fundamental problem. For example, we know that young people are using AI like social media now and there’s even less known about that.

Obvious examples of risk arising from a ban include the young people who, currently, have their social network through their digital worlds. Not everyone has a supportive friendship group in person and, while that may seem sad, removing social media access for such people means social isolation. So, we’ll likely see a number of mental health concerns arise as a result of this ban.

Perhaps the biggest loss from this ban is the positive conversation we could be having about the remarkable technology that everyone has in their hands now. These powerful devices could be used to change the world and we’ve not had that conversation ever with children. It’s just been completely neglected.

ANS has committed £3 million to support AI adoption across Greater Manchester.

The digital transformation specialist announced the investment at an event entitled Manchester: The UK’s AI Powerhouse at the Science and Industry Museum.

The event brought together leaders from across business, academia, government and technology to discuss how Greater Manchester can build on its position as one of the UK’s leading AI hubs and translate innovation into long-term economic growth.

Author: Matthew Holman - tech, privacy and AI partner at law firm Cripps

A ban on social media is a crude tool. It has the right motive but will likely lead to the wrong outcome. The government’s motivation is commendable but it remains to be seen how this ban can be applied in a manner which translates today’s rhetoric into reality.

There are several obvious problems with a social media ban, which include a probable lack of enforcement. Law without enforcement is an illusion. In recent years, the UK has had to weather a continuous decrease in effective data protection enforcement.

The ICO’s decline as an effective regulator of data protection has created an environment in which global corporations operating in the UK can expect to operate in an environment with very little risk of a fine.

Ofcom, the UK’s regulator of the Online Safety Act, has only been able to progress with the most basic level of enforcement of a law which remains, despite being conceived before Covid, in its infancy.

The evidence of social media causing harm to large sections of the under-16 population is far more nuanced. Research suggests that 7 out of 10 children in Australia remain online despite the ban, because of the ease with which rules can be overcome and the lack of meaningful enforcement. Social media remains an online environment which has both good and bad. Children access the news and current affairs information via social media platforms.

Age verification technology remains nascent and has not penetrated the mainstream consumer technological environment.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The Government has this morning confirmed a social media ban for under-16s in the UK.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour administration said children will be given back their childhoods under plans to ban social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and X from offering services to under-16s, ‘with less time for scrolling and more time for play’. 

The Government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. 

It does not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.

The Government also intends to issue blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and chatting with strangers on platforms such as gaming sites.

It says the overall restrictions go further than any other country.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Frasers Group plc is plotting a £166 million hostile takeover of Australian footwear and apparel retailer Accent Group.

Mike Ashley’s retail group has been critical of Accent, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, in which it already holds a 23% stake.

Accent operates more than 800 stores across Australia and New Zealand under the brands Hype DC, Platypus, Skechers and The Athlete’s Foot.

Australian firm Fresho has acquired Nation Wilcox, a provider of ERP software to food suppliers across the UK. 

Fresho’s platform brings together ordering, picking, invoicing and payments into a single system, using AI to automate order capture and reduce manual administration for wholesalers and food service caterers across its markets.

The acquisition establishes Fresho as the market-leading technology platform for food wholesalers in the UK, with a combined customer base of more than 400 businesses and over £2 billion in annual gross merchandise value (GMV) across the UK.

 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The future is uncertain for IPG Energy – a regular star of our EnviroTech 50 ranking – after a technical blow halted its ability to commercialise its tech.

The London firm has developed Flameless Combustion technology – backed by academic institutions, government agencies and pioneering manufacturing and commercial partners – which delivers pollutant-free power from any fuel.

However CEO Toby Gill, who joined as a business development analyst in 2017 and moved through the ranks to become CEO in 2020, wrote on its website that in recent testing, it encountered an “unforeseen engineering challenge” which “limits overall system performance and means the unit is not yet ready for deployment with pilot customers”. 

“In light of this, the board has taken the decision to scale back the focus of the business. We will no longer be pursuing the commercialisation of our generator product and will instead concentrate on the underlying Flameless Combustion technology. 

“As part of this transition, the company will no longer maintain an operational team and will focus on how the technology can be taken forward through third parties.” 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Craig Ganssle is tackling a huge problem in one of the world’s most important industries with his AI startup.

Farmwave is a vision-based AgriTech company focused on harvest loss which can save farmers tens of thousands of dollars a year – a vital lifeline for some of the hardest-working people around.

It has been a winding road to get here.

Craig spent eight years in the US military as a Marine Corps intelligence operator – and had planned to make a career out of it – before he was medically discharged in 2001. “I worked with technology and, actually, very early artificial intelligence in the military in 1995,” he tells BusinessCloud. “It was very slow back then!”

While working as a network engineer at telecoms giant Verizon he founded Basecamp Networks, which built wireless networks for high-density college campuses and stadiums. During a spell at Google he was one of the earliest users of augmented reality product Google Glass and recognised the potential for vision-based AI technologies in agriculture.

He sold the client base of his business in 2018 to focus on building Farmwave.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

boohoo group plc has mitigated a “future liability” with the sublease of its former US distribution centre.

The 1.1 million sq. ft distribution centre in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, opened in August 2023 and was operational for approximately 15 months. 

A manual, non-automated operation,  the group ceased operations there on 11th November 2024, with fulfilment of US orders returning to the UK.

The listed retail group, which trades as Debenhams Group, said it has incurred approximately $124 million of costs at the site, covering rent, operating costs and capital investment.

 

Blume, the UK’s leading client acquisition and marketing partner for personal injury and clinical negligence law firms, has appointed Fauzia Stanyard as its new chief operating officer.

Stanyard joins Blume with more than 20 years’ experience in operational, customer and commercial leadership roles at organisations including Three UK, Currys and Arqiva.

In her new role, she will report to CEO Alex Kenny and oversee operational delivery, customer experience and B2C strategy across the business.

Stanyard will also join Blume’s executive committee alongside Adam Fletcher, chief customer officer; Joseph Morgan, finance director; and Jemma Brereton, change and transformation director.

Author: Chris Maguire

London PropTech firm Dwelly has completed its sixth deal of 2026.

Dwelly, which announced a £69m ($93m) funding deal in February 2026, has added Move Property Sales & Lettings to its growing portfolio.

Following a series of acquisitions, Dwelly aims to consolidate and dominate the £100bn UK lettings market.

Dwelly was founded by Ilia Drozdov, Dan Lifshits and Dmitry Khanukov.

 Lifshits said the acquisition will add around 1,100 fully managed properties across three branches to its AI-powered rental marketplace.

The move also strengthens Dwelly’s footprint in Cheltenham and the wider South West.

Businesses across Greater Manchester are already expanding into international markets through the International Scale Up Programme, with companies such as Masumi Headwear and Content Chemistry growing their presence overseas. 

Applications are now open for Cohort 3, inviting a new group of ambitious companies to take their next step toward global growth.

Delivered in partnership by GM Business Growth Hub, the Department for Business and Trade, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the fully funded programme provides coordinated, hands-on support for businesses looking to scale internationally.

Building on the momentum of earlier cohorts, the programme combines expert-led workshops with practical guidance on market entry, compliance, logistics, pricing and intellectual property. Businesses also benefit from tailored one-to-one support and introductions to international partners, helping them turn export plans into tangible results.

Cohort 3 will also benefit from an enhanced support model, with funded activity and specialist guidance available for up to 12 months. This extended support gives businesses the time and flexibility to embed and scale their international strategies.

Space Forge will receive £10 million from the European Space Agency’s General Support Technology Programme.

The Cardiff-based business is a leader of in-space manufacturing with a focus on producing semiconductors – the materials that power many modern electronic devices – in microgravity, where the environment enables the creation of materials with properties that cannot be achieved on Earth. 

The cash injection will be funded through the UK Space Agency’s investment in ESA, which will support a mission to design, build, launch and return ‘Pridwen’, a new fold-out heat shield system built to protect spacecraft returning to Earth.

The North East cyber ecosystem is set to take centre stage this month when global cyber security leader, Check Point, partners with CyberNorth to host the Cyber Leader Summit as an official fringe event as part of TechNExt 2026.

The collaboration represents a major endorsement of the North East’s growing cyber ecosystem and highlights the region’s increasing influence within the UK cyber security sector. Check Point’s decision to bring its established Cyber Leader Summit roadshow to Newcastle marks a significant coup for the region and a strong nod to the exceptional cyber talent developing across the North East.

Hot on the heels of its London event and following successful editions in Manchester, the Cyber Leader Summit will make its Newcastle debut during TechNExt 2026, bringing together cyber security professionals, technology leaders, innovators and policymakers for an afternoon of expert insight, discussion and networking focused on the future of cyber resilience and emerging technologies.

As a key contributor to the UK’s overall cyber strategy, CyberNorth leads the growing regional economic impact of a thriving cyber security community. With strong, well-established connections across multiple sectors, including quantum and CNI, CyberNorth is able to support partners through meaningful introductions, collaboration and access to a broad, engaged network.

Dreamdata, a B2B attribution platform that shows how B2B marketing drives revenue, has appointed software veteran and advisor Dave Kellogg to its board to help shape the company’s future growth strategy.

Kellogg is a respected thought leader and author of the widely followed Kellblog, where he writes about go-to-market-strategy, SaaS and enterprise software.

He brings more than 30 years of experience at CEO, CMO and board roles in companies ranging from zero to over $1 billion in revenue and some of the world’s leading enterprise software firms, including Business Objects, Planful and Salesforce.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Amplifi Capital has entered administration.

The London FinTech is behind the credit union introducer brand My Community Finance as well as sub-prime loan provider Reevo Money.

Authorised by the FCA, it raised £22.5m in 2024 from M&G Investments to drive growth of Reevo Money, while the year before it secured a financing facility of up to £100m from NatWest to drive the expansion of Reevo.

Robert Spence and Gareth Slater of Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators on 9th June 2026.

All existing loan agreements remain in place and will not change because of the administration. However, Amplifi can no longer issue new loans.

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) announced Chloe Danton from Hodge Bank as the winner of its inaugural Venture AI Innovators Challenge, revealed during a showcase event at London Tech Week.

The competition, delivered in partnership with Tramshed Tech, brought together a cohort of emerging talent from across South East Wales to develop practical, innovative solutions which embrace tools like artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle real-world business challenges.

The winner was unveiled at an afternoon reception attended by leaders from technology, industry, government and academia, demonstrating CCR’s growing reputation as a hub for innovation and skills development.

The event formed part of London Tech Week and highlighted the region’s commitment to developing future-ready talent and driving economic growth through applied AI.

Following a ten-week programme, participants progressed from early idea development through to fully realised, pitch-ready solutions, supported by expert mentoring and access to industry insight. The final three were selected after a competitive shortlisting process, with judging led by an expert panel coordinated by Tramshed Tech.

Alongside Chloe, the final saw standout entries from runners-up Wei-Jei Yuan from EA Global and Jacob Newman from Safran Seats, whose solutions impressed judges for their creativity and real-world application. The winning solution, developed by Chloe stood out for its innovation, practical application and its potential to deliver measurable impact within its sector.

Cloud202 has launched Qubitz AI, a new agentic AI platform designed to help businesses move from AI experimentation to production, cutting development costs by up to 80% and reducing delivery times from months to weeks.

Unlike many AI development platforms that focus on prototypes or minimum viable products, Qubitz AI takes organisations through the full journey: identifying the solutions most likely to deliver a return on investment, and architecting the multi-agent system, testing it, and deploying a complete, governed, full-stack application, not a chatbot.

One organisation already benefiting from the platform is Halved.io, an always available learning support system that brings expert guidance to every student at the exact moment they need it.

Founder Andy James had previously spent thousands developing an application with another supplier, only to find the solution failed to meet the business’s requirements. Using Qubitz AI, Cloud202 refreshed the platform, incorporating responsible AI controls, security measures and GDPR compliance, for approximately 20% of the cost.

It says the project was delivered in just four weeks, compared with an estimated six months using traditional development and compliance processes.