London-based brand growth consultancy G=mc2 has secured backing from private equity firm Mobeus Equity Partners in a deal advised by Initium Corporate Finance.

The firm works with major brands including JBL, Danone, Heineken, Santander, Volvo, Pandora, L’Oreal and Unilever, using AI-driven consumer intelligence to inform category growth strategy, brand positioning, communications and innovation.

Its proprietary platform Visible gathers around 10,000 images per hour and can cluster roughly 40,000 data points in 20 seconds, which is then combined with insight from its 30-person team of consultants.

Workspace Group chief executive Lawrence Hutchings is stepping down with immediate effect, with Charlie Green set to take over as CEO on 2nd February.

Green is best known as the co-founder of The Office Group (now Fora), which he grew into one of the UK’s largest flexible workspace operators with more than 70 locations, including through Blackstone’s majority investment in 2017.

The London-listed business, which focuses on flexible and sustainable workspace across the capital, said it is also preparing for a finance leadership change, with Tom Edwards-Moss due to join as CFO designate on 23rd February.

Outgoing CFO Dave Benson will remain in post until the end of April to support the handover.

XP Power has reported a pick-up in orders in the final quarter of 2025, with Q4 order intake rising 29% year-on-year to £57.9 million and revenue edging up 2% to £61.2m.

For the full year, order intake climbed 24% to £225.9m, but revenue fell 7% to £229.7m.

The group said profit and earnings per share are expected to be in line with market forecasts, supported by improved second-half trading and a year-end order book of £116.1m.

It also confirmed it will exit the RF market following lower returns and new US export controls restricting sales to key Chinese customers from 2026, with the wind-down expected to take around three years and supported by a £16.4m pre-payment for planned 2026 deliveries.

The listed firm has also completed construction of a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia, due to become operational in 2026, and has shut its Kunshan site in China.

GlobalData has appointed Rachel Higham as an independent non-executive director.

Higham brings more than 30 years’ experience in the IT sector, having held senior roles at Marks & Spencer, WPP, BT and Vodafone.

The appointment comes as part of wider board changes at the AIM-listed company, with long-serving non-executive directors Annette Barnes and Andrew Day set to step down ahead of its full-year results on 2nd March.

Both will not stand for re-election at the 2026 AGM, after serving on the board for more than nine years.

Higham will replace Day, while a further appointment to succeed Barnes is expected to be announced shortly.

WH Smith is set to appoint former Balfour Beatty boss Leo Quinn as executive chairman from 7th April, subject to shareholder approval.

Current chair Annette Court will step down after the retail giant’s AGM on 2nd February, with senior independent director Simon Emeny will act as interim non-executive chair in the meantime.

Quinn brings more than two decades of experience leading listed UK businesses, most recently overseeing a major turnaround and growth programme at Balfour Beatty.

The news comes two months on from the resignation of CEO Carl Cowling, who left after accounting inconsistencies in supplier income recognition within its North America division were identified.

Marshalls said 2025 adjusted profit before tax is expected to be in line with market expectations of £43.6 million, as the group delivered full-year revenue of £632m, up 2% year-on-year.

Building Products and Roofing Products both grew 4% over the year, while Landscaping Products slipped 1%.

The group said its Landscaping Products improvement plan remains on track to deliver £11m of annualised cost savings, with £3m achieved in 2025.

The Yorkshire-headquartered firm ended the year with net debt of £138m.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Outgoing CEO TS Anil is reportedly set for an expanded role at Monzo following a shareholder revolt.

In a surprise announcement in October, Monzo said Anil would step down in February 2026 and be succeeded by former Google and Standard Chartered exec Diana Layfield, who had originally been lined up to lead its UK business.

However, reports claimed that Anil was effectively ousted by the company’s board after a disagreement over its IPO plans.

Now the FT is reporting that Monzo will keep Anil on with more authority than initially planned. He is also likely to remain on the board, insiders told the publication.

Author: Patrick Killeen

M&C Saatchi’s shares have risen by more than 6% to 132.96p in the first 80 minutes of trading despite the group reporting a fall in annual revenue.

Investors have seemed to focus on cost savings, profitability and signs of improving momentum going into 2026.

In an unaudited trading update for the year to 31st December 2025, the advertising and marketing business said like-for-like net revenue is expected to fall around 7%, or around 2.5% excluding Australia.

It has already had well-documented struggles Down Under, with the company cutting its 2025 outlook in November as a result.

In September, M&C Saatchi said that it was taking ‘significant actions to reshape the Australia business’ – new leadership, the closure of an unprofitable full-service media business as well as restructuring – with £12 million of annualised cost savings set to be made.

Reported net revenue for the year is now expected to come in at £210m, with operating profit of £26m.

The company said it delivered on its target of £12m of annualised cost savings in the second half of the year.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Defaqto, a provider of financial product ratings and market intelligence, has acquired Pearson Ham Group’s market pricing business for £11 million.

Defaqto says the move significantly enhances its portfolio of data and technology solutions for the UK retail financial services and insurance industries.

The acquisition, completed through Defaqto’s parent company Fintel plc, brings together product and pricing data to create a ‘unique’ proposition for insurers, advisers and consumers.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Auction Technology Group has rejected a fresh takeover approach from its largest shareholder FitzWalter Capital, saying the latest 400p-per-share proposal still undervalues the business.

In a statement released today, the business said it had not received a formal letter setting out the full terms of FitzWalter’s indicative £491 million cash offer, with FitzWalter’s adviser Macquarie Capital confirming it would not provide one and that the board should make its own assumptions about the conditions attached.

After meeting on 18th January, the board said it had unanimously concluded that the offer “fundamentally undervalued” ATG and its future prospects, advising shareholders to take no action.

The latest development comes days after FitzWalter made a remarkable 12th approach for the London-listed business.

The bid marked a 48% premium to the firm’s undisturbed share price of 270p on 2nd January, although the stock has since climbed sharply and is now trading at over 350p.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Christie Group plc has completed the disposal of its visitor attraction software business Vennersys.

Christie, which has operated for more than 125 years, is today a provider of professional & financial services, as well as stock & inventory systems & services to the hospitality, leisure, healthcare, medical, childcare & education and retail sectors.

Vennersys provides ticketing and electronic point-of-sale solutions to UK visitor attractions. As at 31st December 2024, Vennersys held gross assets of £1.43 million and generated a loss before tax and extraordinary items of £1.57m.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Ashtead Technology has reported a strong year of trading in 2025 as it benefited from improved project activity across the global offshore energy sector.

The listed subsea technology specialist expects full-year revenue to come in at around £203 million, up 21% year-on-year, with the second half of the year about 5% stronger than the first.

The news, released this morning, has caused its shares to jump by 13.6% in the first 40 minutes of trading today to 380.5p.

Allergy Therapeutics plc has reported an increase in half-year revenues.

The allergy immunotherapy specialist expects revenue for the six months ended 31st December 2025 to be £36.3 million (2024: £34), representing growth of 7%.

During the period, the group received marketing authorisation in Germany for Grassmuno, the first subcutaneous grass pollen immunotherapy approved under the TAV programme. Commercialisation commenced in January 2026 and sales momentum is expected to accelerate further in the second half of the financial year.

Cambridge Cognition Holdings plc has reported a drop in revenue in its latest annual results.

For the 12 months to 31st December 2025, revenues were £9.4m, down 10% on the prior year. Its adjusted EBITDA loss was in line with market expectations (2024: loss of £43k).

The neuroscience technology company, whose digital cognitive assessments drive scientific discovery, accelerate drug development and improve patient care, said however that new sales orders in the year were up 73% to £12.8m (2024: £7.4m), while the order book at year end was up 25% to £16.9m (2024: £13.6m).

The firm raised £1.1m via a share placing in August. Rob Baker was appointed CEO two months ago.

Former Dyson director Hervé Dehareng has been appointed chief executive of Luthmore, the startup developing zero-emission boiler technology.

Dehareng spent almost two decades at Dyson, including serving as innovation director and helping to launch products such as the bladeless fan and the popular Dyson hand dryer.

At Luthmore, he will lead development of the firm’s battery-enabled boilers, designed to reduce household reliance on gas heating.

Founded in 2022, the Chippenham manufacturing firm has raised over £12 million from investors including the British Business Bank via the FSE Group-managed South West Investment Fund.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Auction Technology Group (ATG) has moved closer to a potential takeover after FitzWalter Capital said it is considering an astonishing 12th approach to acquire the company.

The group’s largest shareholder is plotting a cash offer of 400p per share, valuing the London-listed firm at £491 million.

The latest proposal represents a 48% premium to ATG’s undisturbed share price of 270p on 2nd January and marks an escalation in a long-running standoff between the company and its biggest investor.

That 270p share price has now been dwarfed, with the FTSE firm’s shares currently trading at around 365p as of 1:30pm today. 

It has once again been boosted by an update in the saga, with its stock up by over 13% so far today. 

FitzWalter has made repeated approaches in recent months, with ATG confirming earlier this month that it had rejected 11 proposals since September 2025, including an offer of 360p per share on 23rd December 2025. 

Why did THG’s share price fall 9% after positive trading update?

Nitin Passi: The startling return of Missguided’s founder

Will Cody Gakpo investment prove a healthy one? 

Investor slams ATG over ‘extreme shareholder value destruction’ 

Oxford Nanopore shares rise as revenues set to rise to £224m 

Haydale acquires SaveMoneyCutCarbon in £24m deal 

EQT takeover rumours boost Oxford Biomedica share price 

BusinessBite live tech blog 

Ninety One has reported assets under management (AUM) of £159.8 billion on 31st December 2025, up from £152.1bn at the end of September.

The figure is also higher than the £130.2bn it reported a year earlier.

The London and South Africa-headquartered firm will publish its Q4 FY26 AUM update on 16 April 2026.

Essentra has reported a solid finish to FY25, with revenue growth in the final quarter and improving order intake, as it continues to target faster-growing markets such as energy transition and digital infrastructure.

The global components manufacturer expects full-year revenue to rise 2.5% on a constant currency like-for-like basis, with adjusted operating profit in line with market forecasts of £32-32.4 million.

Growth was led by EMEA, supported by a strong performance in Turkey, while the Americas saw modest gains and APAC dipped slightly due to tougher comparisons in China.

The Oxford firm also highlighted progress on its acquisition of US cable protection specialist Device Technologies.

Gutology, the oral health startup behind a gut-friendly toothpaste, has raised £1.8 million to support international growth.

The business was founded by former radio presenter and Gutology Podcast host Ollie Gallant, who launched the brand after years of digestive health issues led him to focus on the role of “good bacteria” in overall wellbeing.

Its Oral Biome+ toothpaste is designed to support the mouth’s microbiome and is now a top 10 product on Amazon UK, as well as the best-selling toothpaste at Planet Organic.

The funding, from Mercia Ventures-backed Midlands Engine Investment Fund II alongside Active Partners and angel investors, will help the London-based business expand into the US and Germany, build new retail partnerships and increase clinical research as it grows its wider oral care range.