The UK government has confirmed £55 billion in long-term R&D funding to accelerate the next generation of scientific and technological breakthroughs.

Announced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the investment secures funding for major research agencies such as UKRI, ARIA and the Met Office, as part of the government’s wider £86bn public R&D commitment.

The allocations will help scale discoveries that improve everyday life, from airport security technology to cancer treatments, while unlocking billions more in private investment.

Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the funding will back “the best and brightest researchers and innovators”.

A new Edinburgh-based platform looking to transform how startups and scale-ups build and manage partnerships has officially launched following a successful beta of its RelateIQ product. 

Founded by SaaS veteran Jon Mead, the PartnerBridge platform gives early-stage companies access to data-driven tools and frameworks traditionally reserved for larger enterprises, helping them accelerate partner-led growth. 

Its RelateIQ tool aims to automate discovery, analysis, and validation, cutting the time needed to identify and evaluate partners from hours to minutes.

London-based AshGrove Capital has completed a €26 million senior secured investment in Finnish digital water management leader Smartvatten, supporting its acquisition of submetering specialist LeakLook and fuelling its next growth stage.

The combined business will now monitor real-time water flows across more than 40,000 properties in 30 countries, helping clients cut waste, detect leaks and achieve sustainability goals.

AshGrove’s investment, introduced through its ongoing partnership with Norvestor, strengthens its growing Nordic presence following a similar deal with ESG software firm Position Green last year.

This marks the eighth investment from th firm’s €650m Specialty Lending Fund II.

Risers:

Computacenter – +4.17%

Goodwin – +3.37%

Airtel Africa – +2.68%

Ithaca Energy – +2.41%

Kainos Group – +2.20%

Fallers:

WPP – -14.75%

Rathbones Group – -4.82%

Bluefield Solar Income Fund – -4.67%

Aston Martin Lagonda – -4.27%

Foresight Solar Fund – -3.99%

Author: Patrick Killeen

Digital bank Monzo has confirmed that TS Anil will step down as CEO after more than five years at the helm, to be succeeded by former Google and Standard Chartered exec Diana Layfield. 

The leadership change comes as the London-based FinTech gears up for an anticipated stock market flotation, which could value the company at up to £10 billion.

Layfield, who will take over in February 2026, brings extensive experience in both banking and technology. 

She previously served as CEO for Africa at Standard Chartered and later spent nine years at Google, holding senior positions across search, crypto and international business operations. 

She currently sits as a non-executive director at AstraZeneca and chair of British International Investment.

Author: Patrick Killeen

London-based AI video creation platform Synthesia has raised $200 million (£151.7m) in a new funding round reportedly led by Google Ventures (GV), pushing its valuation to $4 billion.

The investment makes the business one of the UK’s most valuable AI companies and follows a £146m Series D round in January.

That round valued the company at $2.1bn and its latest deal highlights the rapid rise of the now-UK giant amid the AI boom.

Synthesia’s platform allows enterprises to produce studio-quality videos using AI avatars, removing the need for cameras, studios or actors.

The company’s technology is used by over 90% of Fortune 100 companies to streamline corporate communications, training, and marketing.

OpenAI is reportedly laying the groundwork for a potential public listing that could value the AI giant at up to $1 trillion (£760 billion). 

According to Reuters, the ChatGPT maker is exploring the possibility of filing IPO paperwork in the second half of 2026, with the listing likely to follow later that year or in early 2027.

The Sam Altman-led company is said to be targeting a $60bn fundraise through the flotation, which would make it one of the largest IPOs in history. 

However, an OpenAI spokesperson told Reuters: “An IPO is not our focus, so we could not possibly have set a date.”

London-based Allye Energy has promoted Dr Arghavan Nazemi to CTO after advancing the company’s technical direction and strengthening its position in intelligent battery energy storage systems (BESS). 

Nazemi joined the business in February this year as director of control systems and the company says she has since transformed its engineering operations, introducing new levels of discipline and innovation across software, embedded systems and control technologies.

Her leadership has been central to the development of Allye’s MAX range of BESS, with breakthroughs in grid-forming capabilities, seamless synchronisation and bi-directional power control — technologies key to modern grid resilience. 

She was previously a senior powertrain control engineer at Arrival and is a PhD graduate from Imperial College London.

Tropicana Brands Group has partnered with London-based AI and analytics specialist Cogna to overhaul production planning at its Zeebrugge facility, the company’s main European manufacturing site. 

The collaboration aims to boost efficiency, agility and sustainability by replacing manual planning processes with a data-driven, AI-enabled system that provides real-time visibility into capacity and performance.

It is also looking to help uncover hidden production potential, accelerate product innovation and strengthen long-term planning.

Cogna CEO Ben Peters said the partnership demonstrates how intelligent tools can help manufacturers unlock capacity and plan with confidence.

Serbian FinTech lender Finspot has secured a £22 million debt facility from London-based Fasanara Capital as it looks to expand alternative financing options for SMEs across Southeast Europe and beyond. 

The transaction, advised by London-based FinTech consultancy Finkr, will enable the company to scale its technology platform and extend faster, more flexible funding to businesses underserved by traditional banks.

Finspot, the only FinTech of its kind in Serbia, has developed an advanced in-house platform that automates SME financing through invoice factoring. 

The agreement also marks Finkr’s first major advisory transaction since its launch in 2024.

Computacenter has reported a strong third quarter performance, with growth across key markets keeping the business ahead of last year’s levels.

The listed technology and services provider saw continued momentum in North America, driven by enterprise and hyperscale demand, alongside improvement in the UK and a return to growth in Germany.

Trading in France remained challenging due to political and economic uncertainty, though group-wide Technology Sourcing revenue rose sharply, led by the UK and US.

Professional Services also delivered strong growth, partially offset by a slight decline in Managed Services.

The Hertfordshire-based company has seen its share price rise 3% to 2,820p today.

A new London-based accelerator, Antidote, has launched with £2.5 million in funding from Fulgur Ventures, Initial Capital and a network of private angel investors.

The initiative is aiming to help rebuild the UK’s position as a global leader in open financial and FinTech innovation. 

The accelerator will support founders building solutions in payments infrastructure, digital identity, data sovereignty and Bitcoin technologies, providing funding, mentorship, workspace and policy access to turn ideas into scalable businesses.

Led by Ben Cousens, Antidote’s mission is to create a credible bridge between entrepreneurs and institutions, helping innovators leverage emerging technologies to deliver real-world impact. 

The launch comes amid concerns over declining early-stage investment and UK startups moving abroad.

WPP has warned that full-year results will come in at the low end of expectations after reporting a weaker-than-expected third quarter, prompting a strategic review aimed at reigniting growth.

Revenue for the three months to the 30th September fell 8.4% year on year to £3.26 billion, with like-for-like revenue down 3.5%. 

The advertising giant now expects organic revenue less pass-through costs to decline between 5.5% and 6% for the full year, compared with earlier guidance of a 3-5% drop.

Chief executive Cindy Rose admitted that recent performance had been “unacceptable” but said the group was moving at pace to simplify its structure, strengthen execution, and capitalise on AI and technology partnerships. 

Rose, who took the helm in September, has launched a wide-ranging review focused on improving integration, expanding into enterprise technology services and tightening capital allocation to rebuild shareholder value.

The London-based FTSE 100 constituent has seen its share price drop by over 12% in the first two hours of today’s trading to 315.7p.

Author: Christopher Maguire

Steven Bartlett has lifted the lid on his Dragons’ Den debut.

Earlier this week the serial entrepreneur revealed how his new company – Steven.com – had announced it had closed a major eight-figure investment in a deal that valued the business at $425m (£320m).

Tonight, millions of people will see Bartlett take his familiar place in the Den when the 14^th and final episode of series 22 of Dragons’ Den is screened.

Bartlett was 28 when he made his first appearance on series 19 in 2022, joining the panel alongside Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, and Sara Davies.  

He said: “I think I continually find myself in situations where I’m well aware that I’m wildly inexperienced. Joining Dragons’ Den was one of them.

“They put me in a seat between Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden and they gave me a notepad. I was 28 years old.

“That was one such moment where I was well aware that objectively I do not have the experience to be here but in all of those moments I try and find the reason why I’m sat there and what’s unique perspective.”

Pri0r1ty Intelligence Group PLC has issued a trading update following its first full year on AIM, projecting revenue of over £500,000 for its financial year as it continues rolling out its AI-driven data and marketing solutions for SMEs.

The group’s core Pri0r1ty Advisor platform and related products have now been deployed with more than 40 customers, with around 20% already converting to paying users.

Growth was further accelerated by the acquisition of Halfspace Limited, which contributed around 80% of FY25 revenue, as well as the launch of Metr1c – a new brand partnerships and growth solutions agency that has secured multiple new contracts for FY26.

With products such as Advisor, Fan Sonar, Advisor MCP and Vox now active across its customer base, the London-based business says it is entering FY26 positioned for significant expansion.

Listed technology solutions provider Nexteq has appointed Deborah Wilkinson to its board as an independent non-executive director and chair of the audit & risk committee.

Wilkinson brings over two decades of financial and leadership experience across the technology and defence sectors.

She previously served on the board of Pennant International Group, where she chaired both the audit & risk and remuneration committees, and held senior executive roles at IrvinGQ, including CEO and finance director.

She currently sits on the boards of Novomorphic and Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Chair Carol Thompson said the appointment strengthens the Crawley-based firm’s governance and strategic capabilities as it delivers on its three-year growth plan.

Nexteq, which operates in six countries and serves over 500 customers in 47 markets, provides outsourced design, development and supply solutions for manufacturers of global electronic equipment.

Precision measurement specialist Spectris plc has reported a strong third quarter, with group sales rising 11% year-on-year to £335.6 million for the three months ended 30th September 2025.

On a like-for-like basis, sales were up 4%, continuing the positive momentum from the previous quarter.

Both core divisions saw growth, with Spectris Scientific posting a 12% increase in reported sales and 5% like-for-like, while Spectris Dynamics rose 10% reported and 4% like-for-like.

The London-based company also stated that full-year adjusted operating profit remains on track with management expectations.

Spectris said preparations for its acquisition by KKR are now in the advanced stages.

The group, which employs 7,300 people across more than 30 countries, provides precision measurement instruments and software used across technology-driven industries, helping customers tackle sustainability, productivity and innovation challenges worldwide.

Global digital identity technology provider GBG has officially completed its transition from AIM to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

Trading in the company’s ordinary shares commenced at 8am today, with the shares simultaneously cancelled from AIM.

CEO Dev Dhiman said the listing reflects the Chester-headquartered firm’s evolution into a global leader in digital identity technology, enabling “safe and rewarding digital lives” while positioning the business to access larger pools of international capital and enhance long-term growth.

The company, known for its identity verification, fraud prevention and location intelligence solutions, said the Main Market admission will strengthen its credibility and visibility among global investors.

Cloud services provider iomart Group has reported a 25% rise in revenue to £77.7 million for the six months ended 30th September 2025, in line with expectations.

The increase was primarily driven by the £21.7m contribution from Atech, which it acquired in October 2024.

Excluding acquisitions, the traditional iomart business saw a £6m decline due to prior-year customer churn, though renewal rates have since improved and new bookings remain strong.

The company expects adjusted EBITDA of £12.7m, down from £17m last year, with an adjusted loss before tax of £2.3 million anticipated, largely due to increased interest costs linked to the Atech deal.

Despite shares dropping by nearly 3% to 21p so far today, the Glasgow-based company expects a stronger second half, driven by sustained demand, reduced customer churn and £4m in annualised cost efficiencies already achieved, with further savings and new sales initiatives in progress.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Specialist lender Shawbrook Group has successfully priced its initial public offering (IPO) at 370 pence per share, valuing the company at approximately £1.92 billion as it begins conditional trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market.

The offering comprises 13.5 million new shares, raising £50m in gross proceeds, alongside 80.5m existing shares sold by current owner Marlin Bidco Limited, bringing the total offer size to around £348m.

A further 14.1m shares may be issued under an over-allotment option, representing roughly 18% of the company’s issued share capital on admission.

Chief executive Marcelino Castrillo said the IPO marks a “milestone that positions us well for the opportunities ahead,” highlighting Shawbrook’s scale across diverse markets and its commitment to supporting UK businesses and households.

The Brentwood-based banking firm expects unconditional trading to commence on the 4th November under the ticker SHAW, with retail investors contributing around £25m through the UK retail offer.