Bite-size news and insight from UK business and tech – including funding, deals and appointments
Published: April 8, 2026 at 9:28 am
Aptitude Software Group plc has put itself up for sale as it reports a fall in revenue and profits.
The FinTech, headquartered and listed in London, reported a 15% drop in statutory operating profit to £4.8 million for the 2025 calendar year.
Revenue fell 7% for the period to £65m while cash and equivalents at year-end were £29.6m, down 3%.
Published: April 8, 2026 at 7:53 am
WHOOP, the human performance company, has announced a multi-year partnership with football giants Paris Saint-Germain.
The European champions, who host Liverpool tonight (April 8) in a Champions League quarter-final, have named WHOOP as the premium partner of the club’s men’s and women’s teams and its official health and fitness wearable.
Last week, the tech giant announced it had raised $575m in Series G funding at a $10.1bn valuation.
UK-based GP Bullhound took part in the round, alongside high-profile investors including Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Rory McIlroy, Niall Horan, Karen Wazen and Virgil van Dijk.
As part of the partnership, Paris Saint-Germain players will have access to WHOOP advanced wearable technology, delivering continuous health insights into key physiological metrics including heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, strain and stress.
These insights translate into personalised recommendations designed to help optimise training, recovery and overall performance.
Published: April 7, 2026 at 10:09 pm
Award-winning dealmaker Nick Cowles has joined Alvarez & Marsal as managing director of the firm’s EMEA corporate finance team.
Cowles, who went on gardening leave after leaving his role as CEO of Zeus Capital in September 2025, will lead Alvarez & Marsal’s newly formed public company advisory group.
He’ll be working with legendary dealmaker Jonathan Boyers, who is head of corporate finance for EMEA at Alvarez & Marsal.
Cowles said he was ‘fully recharged and energised for this exciting new chapter’.
Published: April 7, 2026 at 9:06 pm
Car finance FinTech Zuto is on track to hit £100m turnover this year after another stellar performance.
The Manchester-based firm saw turnover rise by 34 per cent from £61.8m to £83.1m in the financial year to the end of June 2025.
Over the same period, EBITDA rose from £7.2m to £11.4m.
The company continues to gain market share, with one in 16 used car purchases currently financed through its platform.
In October 2025, Bridgepoint, one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, became a majority shareholder in the business.
The investment will accelerate the development of Zuto’s platform and support further product expansion.
David Parsons, CFO at Zuto, said: “We are primed for future growth, with the market continuing to recognise the simplicity and transparency of our model and new exclusive partnerships being secured.
“The Bridgepoint investment is a strong validation of that, and we’re excited to continue transforming the car finance market with their backing.”
Published: April 7, 2026 at 11:58 am
Foresight Group has announced a £4m growth capital investment into SAMP Technology Holdings (t/a Asset Performance Partners) alongside investment from Lloyd’s Central Fund.
APP is a leading technology-enabled engineering group providing technical services and software to the energy, infrastructure and speciality insurance sectors.
APP employs 103 staff and is headquartered in the UK with operations in South Africa, the US and West Africa.
Commenting on the investment, Andrew Carr, CEO of APP, said: “Our team is more committed than ever to advancing asset performance and strengthening risk-transfer strategies alongside equity owners of energy and power infrastructure.
“Strong electricity and energy systems are the foundation of thriving societies, and we are dedicated to enhancing our products and services to unlock greater value from both existing and new power, energy, and infrastructure assets.
“The investment from Foresight and Lloyd’s of London marks an exciting new phase in APP’s journey that will unlock further growth and help us support our customers with our unique, full-service offering.”
Published: April 7, 2026 at 8:56 am
The fight for control of Physiomics plc has turned nasty ahead of a showdown vote later this month.
Last week the firm’s chairman Dr Jim Millen was accused of “personally derailing” a boardroom coup led by activist investor Michael Whitlow, and of “throwing his fellow directors under the bus at every opportunity to cling to control”.
Towards the end of the week, Physiomics agreed to requisition a general meeting allowing shareholders to vote on whether to remove its entire board and replace it with new directors including Whitlow.
However the requisition notice included a stinging letter from Dr Millen which he used to attack the credibility of the proposed new directors.
Whitlow has responded to those claims with stinging criticism of the company’s board.
Published: April 7, 2026 at 7:30 am
Distology founder and CEO Hayley Roberts told The Naked Founder podcast about the personal cost her divorce had on her and her business
Professionally, she founded specialist IT cybersecurity distributor Distology in 2015, growing turnover to £63m, with 50 staff and offices in the UK, Netherlands and Germany.
Numerous awards followed and the proud mother of three grown-up children forged a reputation as one of the most respected voices in the industry.
Then she got divorced, and everything changed.
Roberts is one of a growing number of female founders to get divorced and has opened up about her experiences in the latest episode of The Naked Founder podcast.
She said: “I’ve changed a huge amount through my 20s, 30s, 40s that I think you start on a road of wanting to achieve something and be with somebody forever.
“But forever is actually a really long time nowadays. I think that what happens is we change the path in which we take, we change the desires we have, we change the goals that we have.
“I think you either evolve together or you evolve apart. And it’s a bit like somebody explained it to me once. It was like one degree of separation so you’re on a railway track.
“You don’t notice a change of one degree straight away but as you go further down the track, that one degree gets wider and wider. I think you suddenly just look and go, ‘I don’t know whether I want this anymore’. It’s a horrible thing to go through.”
Published: April 6, 2026 at 9:49 pm
A campaign to raise £500,000 in memory of Abi Godfrey, a director of Grant Thornton’s North West corporate finance business who died in February at the age of 34, has topped £60,000.
The money will be used to support her baby son, Leo, and her family.
On May 28, her former colleagues at Grant Thornton will be taking part in the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge in her memory.
A JustGiving page aiming to raise £500,000 was launched by Alex Parry and has already raised £63,730.
More than 200 people have now donated.
You can donate here.
Published: April 6, 2026 at 9:40 pm
Fast-growing cybersecurity recruitment firm Hubscale has strengthened its Manchester headquarters.
In the last year, the company has grown from one office with nine staff to three offices around the world and 26 staff.
After securing an office in London, Hubscale has acquired the leasehold of a 3,825 sq ft office on the fourth floor of Annex, 15 Quay Street.
Elliott White, founder of Hubscale, said: “We’re really pleased to be moving into Annex. It’s a natural next step for us as the team continues to grow.
“Manchester’s been a brilliant place for us so far. There’s a strong talent pool here and a real sense of momentum, which fits how we like to work.
“The new office gives us the room to keep building the team, but just as importantly it’s somewhere people will actually enjoy being day to day.”
LEVEL advised Hubscale on the leasehold acquisition.
Joe Averill, managing director at LEVEL, said: “We’re delighted to have supported Hubscale in securing space at Annex.
“Manchester continues to attract high-growth, innovative businesses, and this deal reflects the ongoing demand for well-located, high-quality office space in the city centre.”
Freya Sharpe, commercial surveyor at JLL, said: “We’re pleased to have secured Hubscale as a tenant at Annex.”
Published: April 6, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Investor Mercia Ventures is the latest sponsor of BusinessCloud’s new Founder 250 list.
Mercia Ventures is one of the UK’s leading seed and Series A investors and is looking to back ambitious founders.
They join our three other sponsors – leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK, fast-growing law firm CG and property specialist OBI.
BusinessCloud’s Founder 250 list is searching for the UK’s top 250 founder-led or founder-influenced businesses that are truly moving the dial – whether that influence comes from a founder as CEO, chairman or in another board role.
To qualify, companies must have a significant UK presence, be cash-generative, and have been founded no later than 2024.
While not essential, judges will also favour businesses with a clear purpose, including B Corp status, ESG strategies or a commitment to charity or social impact initiatives.
The deadline for nominations is April 30.
Nominations have been pouring in since the list was launched last week while our new Naked Founder podcast entered Apple’s top 100 podcast charts.
Published: April 6, 2026 at 12:25 pm
Ten weeks ago, 20 candidates set out to become Lord Sugar’s latest business partner in the 20th series of The Apprentice.
The 2026 series started in Hong Kong and has also included tasks in Egypt and the Isle of Wight.
Now only five candidates, Priyesh Bathia, Pascha Myhill, Lawrence Rosenberg, Dan Miller and Karishma Vijay, remain to try to win Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment and mentorship.
On Thursday, the remaining five will have their business plans picked apart by Lord Sugar’s hard-nosed associates to see which two make it through to the grand final.
BusinessCloud’s executive editor Chris Maguire looks at the remaining five candidates and predicts it will be a shoot-out between social media expert Karishma Vijay and established entrepreneur Dan Miller.
Published: April 4, 2026 at 8:14 am
Estate agent Kieran McCartney was good to his word when he walked from the competition after his team failed to secure victory as project manager.
McCartney had made the promise to Lord Sugar at the end of the previous episode and went ‘walkies’ when his team narrowly lost a challenge to create a new pet product for major UK retailers.
Student wellbeing adviser and keen baker Rothna Akhtar was also fired after ending up on the losing team and failing to secure any sales.
It leaves the final five candidates – Priyesh Bathia, Pascha Myhill, PR specialist Lawrence Rosenberg, Dan Miller and Karishma Vikay – all competing for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment and mentorship.
Published: April 3, 2026 at 8:17 am
Sandy Lindsay has sold her remaining shares in Manchester-based PR and social agency Tangerine to co-CEOs Sam Gregory and Mary Harding.
Gregory and Harding have increased their shareholding to 36 per cent as a result, and the news comes just weeks after winning Head of Agency at the Campaign UK Awards.
Back in 2017, Tangerine made history when it became the first creative agency in the UK to go employee-owned.
Gregory said: “The co-CEO partnership that Mary and I have developed over the years is grounded in trust, unwavering support and a vision to make a difference.
“We have always shared a belief that our industry can be better and a determination to challenge the status quo and push it forward.
“That belief has shaped the business we’ve built: one that’s grown into a national and international force, powered by brilliant people and exceptional clients who share our ambition to stay ahead and do work that truly matters.
“Tonight, I’ll be raising a glass to all of you who’ve been part of the journey so far, but especially to Mary. I now pronounce us work wife and work wife!”
Published: April 3, 2026 at 7:28 am
Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) has appointed Rachel Laver as its new managing director.
Most recently, Laver served as chief executive officer at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, where she championed sustainability focused investment, business growth and a culture of innovation.
Prior to this, she led the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as CEO, delivering multi-million pound regeneration initiatives
She has successfully overseen £50m+ projects across the environmental, transport and education sectors, and is widely recognised for translating ambitious regional priorities into long-term, measurable outcomes.
Laver joins RDA at a pivotal moment, as Rochdale Town of Culture 2025 shines a national spotlight on the borough’s creative identity, community spirit and cultural ambition.
Published: April 2, 2026 at 4:12 pm
Manchester-headquartered delivery tech firm Sorted Group Holdings is set to be sold for £1, subject to shareholder approval.
The news comes just two years after Location Sciences completed its reverse takeover of the delivery tech platform Sorted in a £66.73m reverse takeover deal.
Since the acquisition, the board has undertaken a significant restructure, including reducing staff numbers from 90 to 37, closing its London office, and selling its Clicksit App for £775,000.
In a statement to the LSE this morning, the company said: “Notwithstanding the above progress, as a Software as a Service business that remains in its growth phase of development, it remains apparent to the board that the business continues to require significant cash consumption in order to scale and reach profitability in the medium term.
“The board believes that committing further significant investment towards enhancing elements of the business is not in the best interests of shareholders.”
The disposal will take place in the form of the sale by SHL to the buyer of the entire issued share capital of SGL for a nominal cash consideration of £1 and become an AIM ‘cash shell’.
Published: April 2, 2026 at 4:10 pm
Tributes have been paid to Eamonn Boylan OBE, former chief executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
Boylan led GMCA and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) from 2017, and TfGM from 2019, through the defining years of English devolution.
Under his leadership, both GMCA and TfGM became trailblazers for devolution, unlocking new powers and responsibilities for Greater Manchester and taking buses back under public control for the first time in 40 years.
He also steered the city region through the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 and the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2023, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to local government.
He retired from GMCA in 2024, going on to serve as interim chief executive of Manchester City Council and Homes England.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This is a devastating loss, and my thoughts today are with Eamonn’s family, friends, and all those who knew him.
“Eamonn was the public servant’s public servant, and a giant of English devolution. He led from the front but was rarely in the spotlight, taking every opportunity to lift up and empower those around him.”
Published: April 2, 2026 at 1:02 pm
The chairman of Physiomics plc has been accused of ‘personally derailing’ a boardroom coup and putting himself before the needs of the company.
Physiomics is a mathematical modelling, data science and biometrics company which supports the development of new therapeutics and personalised medicine solutions.
Non-executive chair Dr Jim Millen is set to become executive chair ‘for as long as is needed’ when CEO Dr Peter Sargent departs on 29th May 2026.
Dr Millen was formerly the CEO of the Oxfordshire company from 2016 to 2024, during which time he grew the business from total income of under £300k to a peak of over £900k, as well as securing a major contract with long-term client Merck KGaA and kicking off the company’s personalised medicine initiative.
However last month Physiomics was forced to cancel a share placing and retail offer when an activist shareholder group – led by Michael Whitlow – sought to replace its entire board and accused corporate leadership of “severe erosion of shareholder value” via dilution.
A revised placing and retail offer was then announced. An insider told BusinessCloud that the dissident group has confidence in the operational team – but trust had been eroded in the corporate leadership.
Now sources have informed us of what they call a “disheartening sequence of events”.
Published: April 2, 2026 at 9:09 am
Circular economy eCommerce group Huddled is to rebrand as Peeko while it has also revealed changes in its leadership team.
Huddled Group plc, which is listed on London’s junior AIM market, will consolidate all of its existing websites into one single destination store under the new brand.
Huddled said the move will significantly reduce the company’s operating costs.
The Leigh-headquartered group acquired the Discount Dragon, Nutricircle and Boop Beauty brands with the mission of selling surplus stock and therefore reducing waste. It says that millions of perfectly good products go to waste every year due to packaging changes, excess production and cancelled orders.
Mike Ashley, previously a non-executive director at Huddled, stepped into the CEO role last summer and will now move to a part-time consultancy position and step down from the board with immediate effect.
COO Paul Simpson has also stepped down from the board and will transition to a consultancy role. Simpson co-founded Food Circle Supermarket (now Nutricircle) in 2017 with just £4,000 of startup capital from his parents’ garage and completed a 100% exit to Huddled in April 2024.
Published: April 2, 2026 at 8:59 am
Business technology solutions provider Brother UK has appointed Julie Harrison as chief commercial officer to its senior leadership team.
Harrison previously serves as head of commercial and business planning, a role she has held as part of a career spanning more than three decades with the business.
She brings extensive experience across commercial operations, including promotions, rebates and bid management, as well as sales forecasting and budget planning.
Based in Tameside, Greater Manchester, Brother UK provides print, scan and labelling technology to home users and organisations of all sizes through a partner-led go-to-market model.
Published: April 2, 2026 at 8:36 am
Monzo is pulling out of the United States to focus on the UK and Europe.
The digital bank launched in the US in 2020 with a debit card but withdrew its application for a banking licence the following year.
Despite initially claiming it still had “big ambitions” for the region, it has now taken the decision to close its accounts for existing customers by June. It has stopped onboarding new customers.
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