Traditional industries are accelerating their digital transformation through a wave of tech acquisitions worth more than $120 billion since 2021, new data from FounderNest shows.

The energy sector dominates the trend with $114.8bn in deals, as non-tech companies like TotalEnergies and BP acquire startups in renewables, storage and carbon capture to modernise operations and advance clean energy goals.

Other sectors are also stepping up their tech investments, with healthcare and medical device firms having spent $2.3bn on AI and imaging technology.

Automotive companies have invested $2.1bn in autonomous driving and mobility tech, and financial institutions are targeting FinTech acquisitions to expand their capabilities.

The UK’s largest exam board has expanded its reach into apprenticeships and adult learning by acquiring 500-strong Realise Training Group

AQA’s acquisition will see Sheffield-based Realise operate as an independent subsidiary of the not-for-profit charity, helping AQA deliver on its goal to support education “in its broadest sense”.

The company already trains more than 18,000 learners annually across sectors such as early years, healthcare, business and transport, while also running adult skills programmes across regions including West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

The FTSE 100 index has hit an all-time high ahead of anticipated interest rate cuts and slowing inflation.

Perhaps the standout performer is HSBC Holdings PLC, which has seen its shares rise more than 3.5% today after the bank raised its full-year returns guidance.

The group’s Q3 underlying profit before tax rose 3% to $9.1 billion, ahead of forecasts. Revenue also grew 3% to $17.9bn.

That was despite the bank making a $1.1bn provision linked to the Madoff securities fraud.

 

Risers:

Airtel Africa – +10.15%

Goodwin – +9.76%

HSBC Holdings – +3.57%

Spirax Group – +3.42%

Anglo American – +2.33%

Fallers:

Bodycote – -4.95%

W.A.G Payment Solutions – -3.94%

C&C Group – -3.82%

Carnival – -3.70%

Genuit Group – -2.86%

London-based Fairlight Capital Partners has taken a minority stake in Singapore FinTech Noviscient, which is looking to reshape how boutique and emerging fund managers build institutional-grade hedge funds.

Noviscient’s platform, FundBox.ai, offers a complete digital infrastructure for fund creation, compliance, administration and reporting, helping new managers go live in as little as two months and cut operating costs by up to 70%.

The system allows funds to start with as little as $2 million in capital while maintaining full institutional quality.

The investment from Fairlight, which specialises in seeding and scaling investment firms, will support the company’s global expansion and technology innovation.

Author: Trovene Hartley, chief people officer, Capital City College

It is not surprising that Amazon has made this announcement. With the ever-increasing rise in the implementation and widening adoption of generative AI, this is the future.

The need for certain skillsets is already declining and will continue to decline over time and there will be an increase in the demand for other skills.

I think the difference in what we see unfolding now than in previous times is the sheer pace of the change unfolding around us.

With the move to increasing adoption of mass automation we will see mass unemployment across the globe and increasingly turbulent economic conditions as we all struggle to adapt and keep pace.

It is critical now for there to be more investment in sectors like further education to train and equip the current and future generations with skills that complement the change that we see sweeping across the globe.

LegalTech Tessaract has secured £4.6 million in funding led by Mercia Ventures with support from Fuel Ventures, as it looks to change how law firms manage operations.

The startup’s cloud-based platform integrates case management, billing, finance and collaboration tools into one unified system, in an attempt to help firms replace manual processes with automation and insight.

Founded in Singapore by Cherilyn Tan, the business is relocating its global headquarters to the UK as part of its expansion strategy.

The funding will support product development, client success operations, and the introduction of AI-powered process optimisation and financial intelligence tools for modern legal practices.

London-based LegalTech Robin AI has been put up for sale after falling short of its fundraising targets, putting nearly 200 jobs at risk.

The move follows reports that the firm cut a third of its workforce after failing to close a planned £38 million funding round.

The business, which has previously been backed by Nik Storonsky and Tom Blomfield, founders of Revolut and Monzo respectively, is now listed on an insolvency marketplace as it explores rescue options.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

eCommerce giant Amazon is to cut up to 14,000 corporate jobs globally – and says AI is the reason.

The US-headquartered firm employs 75,000 people in the UK. Those impacted are to hear from the company today.

Amazon made billions in profit in its latest results but said it wishes to “remove layers, increase ownership, and realise efficiency gains”.

Senior vice president of people experience and technology, Beth Galetti, told staff: “Some may ask why we’re reducing roles when the company is performing well.

“What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before.”

Meta, TikTok and Snap have agreed to comply with Australia’s social media ban for under-16s – the first of its kind in the world.

The new laws are set to come into effect from early December and the parent companies of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and SnapChat will soon begin deleting children’s accounts.

Facebook and Instagram will ask 450,000 account holders whether they wish for their accounts to be deleted, or the data held until they turn 16. ByteDance (TikTok) and Snap said they will take similar steps, according to Reuters.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Liverpool-based Human Magic has been bought out of administration in a pre-pack deal after struggling with challenging economic conditions.

Ben Woodthorpe and Simon Jagger of S&W Partners were appointed joint administrators on 13th October 2025, before completing the sale of the company’s business and assets to HMNMGC Ltd, a related party.

The deal guarantees continuity for the global employer brand agency’s 30 UK-based staff, all of whom have transferred to the new entity under TUPE (transfer of undertakings (protection of employment)) regulations.

The business had undergone a major transformation in recent years, rebranding from PH Creative in 2024 and expanding internationally through acquisitions.

This included Manchester-based Tap In and the employer branding arm of Sydney agency Eloquent.

The price of a Bitcoin has moved past $114,000 following a 4% increase in the past five days.

Currently up 22% in the last six months, BTC hit an all-time high of $126,270 earlier this month before falling back to $107k.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Student living platform Housr has raised £7.5 million in private financing to accelerate its product innovation and expansion across the UK and US.

The round includes backing from Ashta Capital and Juniper Equity, two Texas-based investment firms known for supporting high-growth operating companies.

The Manchester-founded startup, which grew revenues by 186% year-on-year, is on a mission to modernise student housing through technology.

Abingdon Software Group, a UK-headquartered global software group, has acquired dcs plus, one of the world’s leading providers of software solutions for the travel industry. 

Founded in 2002, Romanian firm dcs plus has grown into a global travel technology company, offering a comprehensive suite of products ranging from booking and distribution systems to mid- and back-office automation tools. 

Its solutions are used by travel companies in more than 60 countries on all continents. dcs plus is backed by venture capital firms Earlybird and Credo. 

Evelyn Partners has appointed ex-professional rugby player Chris Dean to its Edinburgh financial planning team.

Dean spent over a decade with Edinburgh Rugby Club, and with more than 150 appearances became the club’s most-capped centre in its history. His appointment in a business development role, while also training as a financial planner, further grows the Edinburgh office of the leading UK wealth management firm.

He will develop opportunities for both the financial planning and investment management teams at the Edinburgh office, strengthening relationships with key contacts and raising Evelyn Partners’ profile in the marketplace.

KR1 plans to become the first multi-asset digital asset company listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

The company is primarily focused on decentralised technologies and the staking of digital assets.

Alongside its staking operations, it also intends to invest in companies and assets in the digital asset sector and potentially enter into relevant partnerships or joint ventures.

For the financial year ended 31st December 2024, KR1 plc generated income of £12.8 million from staking activities, which represented an increase of 86.4% on FY23 (£6.9m).

Author: Jonathan Symcox

A software company listed in London for a quarter of a century looks set to be taken private.

Idox plc, headquartered in Woking, has agreed a deal with shareholder Long Path, a US-based investment manager, which values it at £340m.

Shareholders will now vote on the offer.

Long Path, a shareholder in the firm for the last seven years, holds 12% of the issued share capital of Idox. It claims to have secured the support of shareholders holding 35% of the company. 

Idox serves the public and private sectors, helping organisations to digitise complex workflows, manage critical information assets, and improve operational efficiency. It has delivered applications across areas such as planning, regulatory compliance, engineering information management, and elections technology.

Global data giant Experian has acquired KYC360 in the UK and Ireland.

It says the deal will significantly enhance its fraud and financial crime compliance capabilities.

KYC360’s suite of Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) solutions will support Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) processes – which allow clients to onboard, screen and perpetually maintain data across the entire customer base – when they are integrated into Experian’s Ascend platform.

Sheffield-based technology and IT firm, Simoda, is expanding its services to support clients across Europe, following a record year of growth and rising customer demand.

Founded in 2019, Simoda has enjoyed growth of 35% over the past 12 months and is now laying the foundations for an organic overseas expansion.

Simoda can deliver services across Europe from its base in Amsterdam and has already delivered site-wide fibre and CCTV installations for European clients, as well as a network refresh for a governmental body in France.

Capita plc today announced the launch of The AI Catalyst Stack, operationalising AI at scale and underpinning its ambition to become the first AI-enabled business process outsourcer (BPO).

It says the AI Catalyst Stack leverages Capita’s operational expertise and hyperscaler partnerships to embed AI in mission-critical services, driving faster transformation, reducing costs, and improving outcomes for citizens and customers.