InsurTech Ripe achieved strong double-digit growth in 2025, marking its 18th consecutive year of double-digit revenue rises.

The Manchester firm said turnover climbed by £4.3 million to £24.9m in the 12 months ending 31 December 2025.

The digital managing general agent expanded its policyholder base by 15%, reaching a total of 430,000 across more than 20 SME, leisure & lifestyle insurance products.

The acquisitive group backed by Aquiline Capital Partners became one of the first MGAs to launch a ChatGPT app, giving customers of its Cycleplan cycling insurance product instant, bindable quotes through conversational AI with a direct link through to checkout.

Its product portfolio also grew further with the launch of Sports Club, Leisure & Community insurance, extending its specialist offering to a wide range of leisure organisations across the UK.

It also relocated to a new, larger headquarters at One Stockport Exchange and made several executive hires.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

RM plc has reported a drop in half-year revenues which it blamed on challenges in the UK schools market – but the EdTech improved profitability.

The global digital learning and assessment solution provider said that for the six months ended 31st May 2026 revenue from continuing operations would be around £70.1 million, down 4.2% from £73.2m last year. 

It said this was primarily due to the ongoing challenges facing the UK schools’ market impacting its technology division.

It said in March that it was preparing the ground to dispose of that division ‘and other non-core assets’. The division provides hardware, software, connectivity and services to around 8,000 schools.

This morning it said it has progressed with the legal and operational separation of its divisions, ‘which opens the door for the business to pursue the disposal of non-core assets to materially reduce debt’. 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield has joined the compute team at Claude’s parent company Anthropic.

Blomfield, 40, has taken a leave of absence from the prestigious US accelerator Y Combinator – which he joined as a partner in 2023 – to move to the generative AI giant.

Anthropic closed a $65 billion Series H funding round in May 2026 which valued the company at $965 billion, more than ChatGPT’s parent company OpenAI. It is preparing for an IPO later this year.

Author: Chris Maguire

North West-based EdTech company Gaia Learning has expanded following a £400k equity investment round from GC Angels, NESTA and a syndicate of angel investors.

Founded in 2019, Gaia Learning was created to address a growing challenge in education and formed part of the inaugural cohort of the Liverpool-based Baltic Ventures’ startup accelerator in 2023.

The online platform is dedicated to ensuring neurodivergent children have access to learning environments that understand and support their individual needs.

Gaia Learning has evolved into a specialist online alternative provision, supporting children and young people across the UK who may be unable to access mainstream education due to autism, ADHD, anxiety, school avoidance, mental health challenges, or other additional needs.

The business first secured £550k in 2024, led by NESTA Impact Investments alongside GC Angels.

Since receiving investment, Gaia Learning has experienced significant growth.

The company has expanded its team to 24 people across full-time and part-time roles and has developed strategic partnerships, including collaborating with Pearson Edexcel.

A key focus of the funding has been the development of Bloom, a SEND infrastructure platform designed to help schools and education providers deliver, track and evidence support for children with additional needs.

The AI Upskilling Challenge Fund – part of the government’s landmark Barnsley Tech Town initiative – has opened for applications.

There is £800,000 available for organisations that can deliver innovative AI training to local workers, businesses and residents.

With a focus on those who might otherwise miss out as technology transforms the workplace, these indicatives could help manufacturers make greater use of AI on the factory floor, support small businesses to grow, help older residents build digital confidence, and equip young people looking to enter the job market with the skills they need for jobs of the future.

The government is calling on organisations ranging from training providers and charities to colleges and technology companies from across the UK to bring forward ideas, with successful projects to be delivered in Barnsley.

The strongest ideas could then help inform how similar programmes are delivered across the UK, supporting the government’s ambition to equip 10 million workers with AI skills by 2030. This forms part of government efforts to help local people to develop practical AI skills and businesses to harness new technology, boost productivity and stay competitive.

Sosandar plc grew revenue 14% in the last financial year to £42.3m.

The women’s fashion brand said margin growth also drove improved profitability before tax from £200,000 to £400,000 for the year ended 31st March 2026.

Sosandar says it remains one of the top-selling brands across all third-party partners, including NEXT, while trading with M&S gradually resumed following its cyber incident.

There was also strong own website performance, up 24% year-on-year, driven by higher site traffic, improved conversion rates, and increased order volumes from both new and existing customers.

Spire Healthcare chair Sir Ian Cheshire is step down from the role before 30th September 2026.

Debbie White, who joined the board as an independent non-executive director in February 2023 and became senior independent director in May 2023, will assume the position of chair-designate with immediate effect when he steps down.

Sir Ian, who became chair in 2021, has recently taken up the role as chair of Ofcom and has been appointed as chair of Anglian Water.

Author: Chris Maguire

An AI startup co-founded by Steven Bartlett’s former business partner, Oliver Yonchev, has joined the London Stock Exchange.

The LSE welcomed Potentially AI PLC to its market close ceremony following the admission of its ordinary shares to trading on AIM via a £10m reverse takeover.

Potentially’s market capitalisation upon admission was approximately £20m, having raised gross proceeds of approximately £5m through a placing, subscription and WRAP Retail Offer.

Co-founder Yonchev, who previously co-founded Flight Story with Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett and served as CEO before exiting in 2024, said: “We’re proud to have raised growth capital from the City of London. By joining AIM, we hope Potentially will become a standard-bearer for tech companies in the UK to reconsider the opportunities a London stock market listing brings.

“Almost a year ago, Potentially was an idea and a bet on the future.

“Today, we began trading on the London Stock Exchange.”

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Digital wealth management platform Moneybox has today announced that it is preparing for a secondary share sale worth up to £45 million for long-serving employees that will value the company at around £800m.

It marks an increase of around 45% since 2024. 

In 2025, Moneybox exceeded £115m in annual revenue and delivered its third consecutive year of profitability. This momentum has continued into 2026 with more than 390,000 new customers joining the platform so far this year and £3.5 billion in net inflows in the first half of the year.

The firm says the increased valuation reflects the company’s continued growth, operational maturity and long term potential as increasing numbers of customers choose Moneybox to support them across every stage of their financial lives, from saving and investing to home-buying and retirement.

In the decade since it first launched, Moneybox has evolved from a simple saving and investing app to one of the UK’s fastest growing wealth management platforms, supporting more than 1.9m customers with over £23bn in assets under administration. 

Nichols, the international soft drinks business behind Vimto, has partnered with THG, owner of online sports nutrition brand Myprotein, to launch Myprotein Clear Whey Protein Water.

The new ready-to-drink range is designed to tap into growing consumer demand for health, wellness and functional beverages.

Launching in September 2026, Myprotein Clear Whey Protein Water will be available in two flavours: Vimto and Raspberry Lemon. The new 500ml range will have an RSP of £2.99 and is sugar-free, low in calories and contains 15g of clear whey protein. 

The firms say the product delivers all essential amino acids, while offering a lighter, more refreshing alternative to traditional milk-based protein drinks.

AIM-listed Shaires Holdings Ltd has made a raft of director and management appointments.

The firm, formerly known as Jade Road Investments, is a London-based public investment company providing investors with exposure to leading private mid and late-stage technology companies.

Suhail Rizvi has joined as executive chairman, Vivek Seth as CEO (not a board position) and Shervin Pishevar as vice chairman and non-executive director.

Current chairman John Croft will move into a NED position. 

The trio has collectively invested in, or advised on, transactions with an aggregate value exceeding multiple billions and have backed many of the defining private technology companies of the past two decades, including SpaceX, Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Airbnb and Snapchat, in many cases long before those businesses entered the public markets.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

System1 Group plc has rejected a mooted £43 million takeover bid from fellow listed firm Brave Bison.

Founded 25 years ago, the marketing effectiveness research firm confirmed that it is in talks with the group – its largest shareholder – but has now rejected two potential offers.

Brave Bison, parent company of SocialChain, said the possible cash-and-share offer values System1 at £43.1m, equivalent to 20x FY26 operating profit and a 65% premium to its share price prior to the announcement.

It said the enlarged group would generate net revenues of £79m and adjusted EBITDA of £14m.

Brave Bison currently owns 28% of System1, having made a strategic investment in March which included a share exchange with System1’s founder, John Kearon, who now has an 8% shareholding in Brave Bison.

Spirit Healthcare, a UK healthcare services and products provider, has secured a £2 million debt finance package from the British Business Bank’s Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF II) for the East and South East Midlands, managed by Maven Capital Partners.

Spirit Health works with the NHS, patients and healthcare providers to improve access to care, enhance efficiency and reduce costs across the healthcare system.

The funding will support Spirit Health’s next phase of growth as it expands its NHS-facing products and services designed to help improve patient outcomes, reduce system costs and support teams delivering the care.

Spirit Health provides diabetes care products, including blood glucose meters and test strips, insulin pen needles and continuous glucose monitoring systems, complemented by clinical education, implementation support and medicines optimisation services. By combining products, technology and clinical expertise, the business helps the NHS deliver practical and cost-effective improvements in patient outcomes.

Concurrent Technologies Plc expects to report record results for the first half of 2026.

The designer and manufacturer of computer products, systems and mission critical solutions – used in high-performance markets by some of the world’s major OEMs – said that for the six months to 30th June 2026 it expects revenue of approximately £23.1m (H1 FY25: £21.1m).

Profit before tax is expected to come in at approximately £3.3m (H1 FY25: £2.7m).

First-half trading at Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc was below management’s expectations yet revenue grew 10% year-on-year (12% on a constant currency basis).

The nanopore-based sensing technology firm said that for the six months ended 30th June 2026, revenue is expected to be approximately £116.5 million.

In China revenue declined 16%, ‘reflecting enhanced export control restrictions and changes to commercial operations in the region, and the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, where revenue declined approximately 14%’.

Outside China and the Middle East, group revenue growth was approximately 16% (constant currency).

The government says four global cloud service providers are to be brought under a new regime from today to help strengthen the resilience of the UK’s financial system and protect services supplied to millions of people and businesses.

As banks, insurers and financial market infrastructures become increasingly reliant on cloud services, disruption at a major supplier could affect multiple firms at the same time, potentially impacting services customers depend on.

To help guard against this risk, the Government has designated Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services and Oracle as Critical Third Parties (CTPs).

The designation means the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority will work together to jointly oversee the critical services they provide to the financial sector, helping reduce the risk of widespread disruption and strengthening collaboration across the financial services ecosystem.

Designated third parties will be subject to oversight by the UK financial regulators, helping to ensure they have robust arrangements in place to identify, manage and recover from operational disruption affecting critical services used across the financial sector.

Shares in Safestay plc jumped 100% in one day after news broke of a potential takeover.

Real estate investment firm Infill Capital Partners revealed that it is considering a £40.9 million take-private move for the platform for booking hotels and hostels.

The deal may include a cash offer and an unlisted share alternative. 

Safestay says it has provided ICP with access to limited due diligence materials and discussions remain ongoing. No firm offer has been made.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Cambridge Innovation Capital has appointed Dr Ilana Wisby as entrepreneur in residence.

Dr Wisby co-founded Oxford Quantum Circuits and led the firm as CEO for seven years until 2024.

Now, in her own joking words on LinkedIn, she has “defected twice… first, to the other place, Cambridge; second, and rather more scandalously, to the other side of the table”.

 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

A British maritime defence company has become the UK’s latest unicorn after raising $175 million (£130m) at a $1 billion valuation.

Kraken Technology Group – not to be confused with Kraken, the technology platform founded within Octopus Energy Group which demerged at the end of last year – is developing uncrewed surface vessels and payload capabilities.

Now rapidly expanding localised manufacturing facilities around the world, last year Kraken secured several significant contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence, NATO European partners and USSOCOM, with its platforms now deployed in support of multiple ongoing conflicts. 

 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel is to become the largest shareholder in Vodafone Group plc after agreeing a £4.4 billion deal with e& (formerly Etisalat).

Niel, whose family group’s telecom investments and businesses span 26 countries in Europe and Latin America, has agreed to buy the Emirati telecoms giant’s 16.2% shareholding through newly created acquisition vehicle Vega.

The largest private investor in the telecoms sector in Europe, Niel’s family group has 139 million subscribers, 45,000 employees, €24bn of annual revenues and more than €9bn of EBITDAaL. Assets include iliad, Salt, Monaco Telecom, Eir, Tele2 and Millicom.