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.

Author: Patrick Killeen

TT Electronics’ proposed £287 million takeover by Swiss electronics group Cicor has collapsed after shareholders voted against the deal, bringing an end to a process that began in October.

The boards of both companies had agreed a recommended cash and share acquisition, under which Cicor would acquire the entire issued and to-be-issued share capital of TT.

Under a revised final offer announced in November, TT shareholders were given the option of receiving either 150p in cash per share or 0.0084 new Cicor shares, with the transaction to be implemented via a court-approved scheme of arrangement.

However, at a court meeting and general meeting held today, the negotiations failed to secure the required level of shareholder support.

Only 51.77% of votes cast by value were in favour of the scheme, below the statutory thresholds needed for approval, meaning the acquisition has formally lapsed.

Company chairman Warren Tucker also confirmed that he plans to step down as chairman after serving two three-year terms, although he will remain in post until the company’s AGM in May to allow for an orderly transition.

HealthTech Ezra has announced a rapid expansion of its UK operations just eight months after launching, with six new diagnostic sites opening this month and a further five planned for early 2026.

The AI-enabled MRI screening provider is also introducing a new 22-minute multi-organ scan and its first Open MRI service, aimed at making advanced imaging faster, more accessible and more comfortable for patients.

The move comes amid rising demand for preventative screening and continued pressure on NHS diagnostic capacity.

The New York firm’s growth in the UK is supported by its acquisition earlier this year by US-based Function Health, which recently closed a $298 million funding round, valuing the group at $2.5 billion.

Aptamer Group has reported a strong first half, with revenue rising 27% year on year to £830,000 in the six months to December 2025.

The AIM-listed life sciences company said it is making good progress towards a more recurring, high-margin revenue model, supported by a £2 million fee-for-service order book and a £3.1m sales pipeline.

During the period, the York-based MedTech signed multiple licensing agreements with partners including Twist Bioscience and Alphazyme, marking a shift from development to commercialisation.

The company said it remains confident that full-year revenue will materially exceed that of last year.

EnSilica has reported revenue growth of more than 35% on a like-for-like basis in the six months to 30th November 2025.

The AIM-listed chip designer expects H1 revenues of around £12.7 million, up from £9.3m a year earlier, alongside EBITDA profits of approximately £1.7m, compared with a loss in the prior period.

Growth was driven by robust non-recurring engineering activity and rising chip supply revenues, particularly across satellite communications and security-focused markets.

The company reiterated full-year guidance of £28m to £30m in revenues for FY 2026, with more than 95% already contracted.

Leeds-based technology consultancy Burendo has appointed Richard Brown as head of business development to lead its strategic growth and expansion into new markets.

Brown brings 30 years’ experience building high-performing commercial teams and driving revenue growth across sectors including financial services, public sector, retail and energy.

He joins from senior roles at consultancies including Ensono and Qurum Network Resources, where he helped scale operations across the UK and US.

Burendo said the appointment supports its ambitious growth plans as it continues to expand its presence from its Leeds and London offices.

Gloucestershire-based maintenance technology startup iMaintain has secured more than £250,000 in pre-seed funding, with backing from early-stage investor SFC Capital.

The company is developing a platform that helps manufacturers capture and reuse maintenance knowledge to reduce repeat faults and improve operational reliability.

The funding will support further product development, expanded customer deployments and the scaling of its AI-driven capabilities.

The business is already working with manufacturers across the UK and now plans to grow its footprint.

London-based Apex Rides has raised £420,000 to accelerate the development of its connected fitness platform and support a shift to an app-first, hardware-agnostic model.

The funding round included backing from FundMyPitch alongside strategic angels and venture capital investors.

Originally launched with its own bikes, the company is now positioning its platform as a software layer that works with any Bluetooth-enabled bike in an attempt to expand its market.

The firm previously raised a £3 million seed round in 2021, which included investment from former Formula 1 team boss Eddie Jordan.

Oxford Quantum Circuits has appointed Darko Stojkovic as its new chief operating officer as the company moves into its next phase of global expansion and commercial scale-up.

Stojkovic brings extensive experience in scaling advanced manufacturing and complex supply chains, having previously held senior operational roles at companies including Refeyn, Vestas and Keeler.

His appointment comes as OQC accelerates the deployment of its quantum computing platforms into commercial data centres worldwide.

The company said the move strengthens its leadership team as demand for enterprise-grade quantum computing continues to grow.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Nonwovenn has been acquired by CorpAcq in a deal that marks the exit of growth capital investor BGF after nearly a decade of backing the Somerset-based manufacturer.

Founded in 2003 by chairman David Lamb, the business designs and manufactures specialist nonwoven technical fabrics for niche applications, with a strong focus on harm reduction.

Its products are used in areas including protective clothing, wound care and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protection.

BGF first invested in the business in 2016, providing multi-million-pound funding to support expansion and innovation.

Since that initial investment, the firm has more than doubled its annual turnover, growing revenues from £19 million in 2016 to £46m in 2025, with continued growth into 2026.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Nasdaq-listed Amgen has agreed to acquire Oxford-based Dark Blue Therapeutics in a deal valued at around £622 million.

The swoop is set to strengthen the US MedTech giant’s early-stage oncology pipeline and its focus on targeted protein degradation.

Private firm Dark Blue Therapeutics is currently developing first-in-class small molecule therapies designed to degrade disease-driving proteins.

Its lead investigational programme targets MLLT1 and MLLT3, proteins implicated in certain forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer with limited treatment options and high relapse rates.

Amgen, listed in the US, has a market cap of $177.8 billion.

It is one of the world’s largest MedTechs, with a portfolio spanning oncology, cardiovascular disease, inflammation and rare conditions.

The Scottish National Investment Bank has appointed David Ritchie as its new CEO, succeeding Al Denholm, who is retiring after a 40-year career in investment.

Ritchie was a founding member of the bank and most recently served as chief strategy officer, playing a key role in its launch in 2020.

The bank has committed more than £990 million across 49 businesses and helped attract a further £1.4 billion in co-investment.

Ritchie will lead the organisation as it continues to focus on its missions around net zero, place and innovation.

Universal Music Group has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to develop responsible AI technologies for music discovery, creation and fan engagement.

The partnership will combine NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure with Universal’s extensive global music catalogue to explore new ways of enhancing discovery, personalisation and interactive experiences while protecting artists’ rights.

The companies will also work on tools that support human-led creativity and ensure proper attribution and compensation for rightsholders.

Author: Patrick Killeen

SmartSearch has completed its acquisition of Credas Technologies, bringing together two specialist providers of KYC (Know Your Customer), AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and digital identity solutions.

The Ilkley-based business said the deal will enhance its ability to support regulated firms across sectors including financial services, legal, accountancy, property and insurance, as compliance requirements continue to evolve.

Cardiff-headquartered Credas’ digital identity verification technology and established brand will be integrated into SmartSearch’s platform, expanding flexibility and accelerating product development.

Following the acquisition, the combined group will serve more than 8,500 regulated firms, up from SmartSearch’s existing base of more than 7,500 UK customers.

NAVEX has appointed Joe Stubbs as UK country manager as the risk and compliance software provider continues to expand its international operations. 

Stubbs brings 20 years’ experience in revenue-focused roles, including senior positions at Cognism, Ceros and Adestra, and will be responsible for driving growth and localisation in the UK market. 

His appointment follows a series of senior hires across Europe and Asia as the Oregon-based firm responds to rising demand for risk and compliance technology. 

The business serves more than 13,000 organisations globally, including the majority of Fortune 100 and 500 companies.