Tesco has reported strong like-for-like sales growth over Q3 and the Christmas period, with sales up 2.9% across the 19 weeks to 3rd January.

UK sales rose 3.7% over the period, delivering the listed retail giant’s highest market share in more than a decade, driven by gains in fresh food, online and convenience.

A strong Christmas trading performance has led the firm to upgrade expectations, with FY25/26 group adjusted operating profit now forecast to be at the upper end of the £2.9 billion to £3.1bn guidance range.

Mobile Streams plc has completed the acquisitions of Estadio Gana and Capital Media Sports, with the enlarged group admitted to trading on AIM today.

The transactions mark a key step in the company’s strategy to build an integrated sports, media and entertainment group focused on Latin America.

The London-based company has also launched a new corporate website to reflect its transition.

It intends to rename itself Gana Media Group plc and adopt the new ticker GANA shortly.

Enxoo has expanded its UK presence with the acquisition of CloudJungle, a Liverpool-based Salesforce consultancy, as part of a strategic push into the UK and Ireland market.

The deal strengthens the Polish firm’s capabilities in Salesforce implementation, cloud services and digital transformation, with a particular focus on communications and digital infrastructure.

The combined group is aiming to accelerate time-to-value for customers.

London-headquartered MedTech Engitix has raised $25 million in a Series A extension round led by Netherton Investments, a fund investing on behalf of BlueCrest Capital Management co-founder Mike Platt.

The funding will be used to advance preclinical development across the firm’s pipeline targeting cancer and fibrosis, as well as to further expand its proprietary extracellular matrix data platform.

Engitix is developing therapies designed to act precisely within diseased tissue microenvironments, using one of the largest ECM datasets in the field.

The company also has existing drug discovery and development partnerships with Dompé and Takeda.

Author: Chris Maguire

The share price of The Beauty Tech Group has surged 5 per cent in early morning trading on the back of another positive trading update.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange this morning, the Cheshire-based company said revenue and adjusted EBITDA in 2025 will be at least £136m and £35.5m, respectively.

This is an upgrade on the  previous projections of £128m and £32m respectively.

The result was an immediate increase in its share price from 292p to 308p, although it dropped back to 304p.

The group, which encompasses CurrentBody Skin, ZIIP Beauty and Tria Laser, has performed strongly after bursting onto the London Stock Exchange in October with a share price of 271p – valuing it at £300m.

Laurence Newman, chief executive officer of The Beauty Tech Group, said: “The group has delivered the best quarter in its history, which is huge testament to the quality of our staff.”

Revolut is reportedly in talks to acquire Turkish digital bank FUPS as it looks to expand its presence and secure a banking licence in the country.

The discussions follow a hiring push by the London-based FinTech to build out its Turkish operations, with licensing potentially achieved either through an application or an acquisition.

Sources told online publication Sifted that no final decision has been made, and any deal would be subject to approval by Turkey’s banking regulator.

The global giant now serves more than 70 million customers across over 40 markets, but declined to comment on the reports.

Author: Patrick Killeen

MedPal AI has launched what it believes to be a UK-first direct integration between a consumer health app and a regulated pharmacy, using AI to guide users into personalised, clinically supervised treatment pathways.

The AIM-listed digital health company’s app now uses AI to analyse aggregated user health data, including BMI, to identify individuals who may benefit from weight management support, GLP-1 treatments or other clinically prescribed medicines available through its online MedPal Clinic.

The system only directs users into clinical assessment pathways if they meet eligibility criteria, a move the company says ensures responsible targeting rather than broad advertising of weight loss drugs.

Anthropic is reportedly planning to raise $10 billion at a valuation of around $350bn.

The fundraising, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, would almost double the French company’s valuation from just four months ago.

Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, the business develops the Claude chatbot and positions itself as a safety-first AI company with around 300,000 business customers.

The round is expected to be led by GIC and Coatue, as speculation continues around a potential IPO later this year.

Mobile Streams plc is to be renamed after sealing a double acquisition.

A mobile content and data intelligence company listed on London’s junior AIM market since 2006, the firm will be renamed Gana Media Group plc.

Mobile Streams plc said it aims to create a leading integrated sports, media and entertainment conglomerate focused within the Latin American region.

It has completed the acquisitions of Estadio Gana and Capital Media Sports and changed its website in line with the new name.

Author: Chris Maguire

THG CEO and founder Matt Moulding has provided an upbeat assessment about THG Ingenuity on the first anniversary of the technology company’s demerger.

Last January the loss-making THG Ingenuity split from the profitable THG Beauty and THG Nutrition to become a standalone business.

The demerger took place after 89 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of the split.

Writing on LinkedIn, Moulding admitted to some ‘sleepless nights’ but said THG Ingenuity had made significant progress in 12 months.

Reflecting on 2025 as a whole he said: “THG life is usually closer to whack-a-mole. Something goes right, something else breaks.

“You bounce from one opportunity/problem to the next, trying not to dwell too much on either the wins or the worries.

“That’s been the rhythm through the 21 years since we started THG, and I’m not sure it ever really changes. This is just founder life.”

The chair of  listed data and technology company Experian is to step down.

Mike Rogers has confirmed his intention to retire as a director and chair at the conclusion of Experian plc’s annual general meeting, to be held on 22nd July 2026.

He has completed nine years on the board and was appointed as chair in July 2019.

“It has been my privilege to work with such a highly talented team, with its outstanding and dynamic culture. Together we have made great progress both strategically and financially,” said Rogers.

“I shall leave knowing that Experian is well-positioned for the next phase of its journey, and I would like to thank the Board, the leadership team and all my Experian colleagues for their commitment and support.”

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Consumer payments platform Zilch has signed an agreement to acquire Lithuania-based AB Fjord Bank to kickstart its European expansion.

AB Fjord Bank has approximately $120 million in total assets and is authorised and regulated by the Bank of Lithuania and the European Central Bank.

The move provides Zilch, Europe’s fastest-growing unicorn, with a European banking licence as it eyes an international rollout after raising £135 million in debt and equity funding late last year.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Listed technology provider Computacenter plc has acquired professional services company AgreeYa Solutions Inc in a deal worth a potential $120 million (£89m).

AgreeYa, founded 26 years ago and headquartered in California, is focused on the US enterprise market. It serves large customers in a range of markets including telecommunications, financial services, professional services and local government.

The deal includes the assets of associated business AgreeYa India. The company has over 600 people in the United States and over 700 in India, including contract staff.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Cera is launching AI care agents to transform workforce recruitment, care quality and productivity in the home care sector.

The firm, No.1 on our HealthTech 50 ranking last year, says the agents are designed to automate time-consuming tasks, take decisions based on information they gather, and act on them – using reasoning, planning and memory. 

Cera will introduce almost 1,000 agents across its 10,000-strong workforce, significantly speeding up recruitment of carers, organising replacement cover and continuously reviewing and improving patient care quality and compliance.

It says the agents will mean more patients get the right care faster, freeing staff up to focus on patient medical and quality needs rather than calls and paperwork.

Author: Chris Maguire

Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett has made his first public appearance since his engagement to fiancée Melanie Lopes was made public.

The Diary of CEO host had the tables turned on him when he was a guest on Maggie Sellers Reum’s Hot Smart Rich podcast.

His appearance wasn’t altogether surprising as it followed a seven-figure investment by Bartlett’s media and investment group FlightStory in December.

In addition to discussing his philosophies on business, the 33-year-old opened up about his personal life and relationship with fiancée Melanie.

Lopes shared a photo of her sparkler on Instagram.

Bartlett labelled the idea that you don’t ‘need’ anyone as a ‘psychological trap’ created by modern culture and social media.

He described his own relationship with his fiancée as the ‘base camp’ that provides the emotional safety net required to take massive professional risks.

Bartlett also spoke out the power of 1 per cent marginal gains; the quitting framework; the importance of culture; and his quest to turn his new business Steven.com into the ‘Disney of the creator economy’.

 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The identities of three figures behind the preferred bid for Sheffield Wednesday have been revealed by administrators.

The trio are all involved with sports analytics business Short Circuit Science, which drove the largely unsuccessful recruitment policy at rivals Sheffield United last summer following the Blades’ Championship play-off final defeat to Sunderland.

The Owls were placed in administration in October 2025 following months of fan protests against previous owner Dejphon Chansiri. Supporters will be hoping to find more responsible owners this time around.

So after they were named as preferred bidders ahead of the likes of former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who exactly are James Bord, Felix Romer and Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil? And what is their approach likely to be?

LDC has exited its investment in independent connectivity provider Wifinity following a four-year partnership that saw the business double revenue and grow headcount by 46%.

Founded in 2007, London-based Wifinity delivers specialist connectivity solutions across sectors including defence, leisure, offshore energy and the public sector, serving more than one million devices each month.

During LDC’s ownership, the company expanded its network infrastructure, strengthened client relationships and completed two acquisitions to broaden its technical capabilities and market reach.

Wifinity is now positioned as a leading independent provider of tailored connectivity services.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool FC have signed a new long-term retail partnership with South African supporterwear brand Old School, paving the way for the club’s first official standalone retail stores on the African continent.

Under the five-year agreement, Old School will operate the official LFC Retail experience across South Africa through both online and physical channels.

This will include the launch of a dedicated eCommerce platform and multiple shop-in-shop locations within the first year, with plans to open several standalone LFC Retail stores over the course of the partnership.

The move reflects the scale of the club’s fanbase in South Africa, where it counts an estimated 12.5 million supporters – more than any other Premier League side.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Denver’s Ping Identity has completed the acquisition of biometric authentication specialist Keyless.

The deal brings London-based Keyless’ Zero-Knowledge Biometrics technology into Ping’s portfolio, adding device-independent biometric authentication and re-verification that does not store biometric data in a retrievable or reconstructable form.

The technology enables users to be re-verified in under 300 milliseconds with a single glance, using cryptographic techniques designed to counter threats such as deepfakes, account takeover and identity spoofing.

Ping said the acquisition improves its ability to provide continuous identity assurance across the full identity lifecycle, including onboarding, access, step-up authentication and account recovery.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Cloud Direct has appointed Leighton Searle as its new CEO, as the Bath-based Microsoft partner looks to scale its AI and cloud services.

Searle brings more than 25 years’ experience in the technology sector, including almost two decades at Microsoft, where he held senior leadership roles focused on cloud, data and AI transformation at a global level.

He succeeds founder Brett Raynes, who established the business 22 years ago and will move into the role of executive chair, continuing to shape the company’s strategic direction and product development.

Founded originally as Back Up Direct, the company pivoted to cloud services in the late 2000s and has since become one of the UK’s longest-standing Azure Expert Managed Service Providers.

Cloud Direct employs around 150 people across the UK and South Africa and reported 26% year-on-year revenue growth.