Bite-size news and insight from UK business and tech – including funding, deals and appointments
Published: April 1, 2026 at 3:37 pm
The biggest tech stocks winner on the FTSE 100 index in March was IG Group Holdings PLC.
The only other tech and engineering stocks on the London Stock Exchange’s premium index to gain value in the month were BAE Systems, The Sage Group, Entain and Vodafone Group.
The biggest tech, investment and engineering losers on the index were M&G, Rolls-Royce Holdings and Rightmove.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 3:36 pm
The top three winners on the FTSE 250 index in February were tech and investment stocks, specifically Trustpilot Group PLC, Raspberry Pi Holdings PLC and Trainline PLC.
The biggest losers on the London Stock Exchange index which have an association with the tech sector were finance firm Shawbook Group Plc, telecoms company Gamma Communications PLC and technology retailer Currys PLC.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 1:00 pm
London Stock Exchange Group has announced a multi-year cloud collaboration with Dell Technologies.
The deal will see LSEG optimise its existing on-premises infrastructure and build a new private cloud platform.
The new platform will strengthen resilience and performance across a number of LSEG’s data & analytics and markets platforms that operate outside of LSEG’s existing public cloud environments.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 12:21 pm
Scotland’s industry-led technology accelerator STAC has completed its second investment round, backing three companies whose technologies sit at the heart of national priorities – from quantum computing and housing management to offshore wind infrastructure inspection.
The £772,000 round, co-invested by STAC Invest syndicate, brings investment to Quantcore Technologies, Vuabl and Airspection.
All three have completed STAC’s intensive 18-month accelerator programme with Vuabl and Airspection establishing their first HQ’s at thebeyond, STAC’s 22,000 sq ft technology hub at Skypark in Glasgow.
Quantcore Technologies receives £250,000 from STAC Invest in a £2.5m co-investment round. A spin-out from the University of Glasgow, Quantcore is the only company in the UK manufacturing niobium-based superconducting circuits, operating from the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre. Its technology is central to the quantum hardware supply chain that UK government strategy now explicitly depends upon.
Vuabl receives £222,000, co-invested by STAC Invest. The company has developed software that uses the LIDAR sensors built into modern smartphones to scan properties and generate comprehensive condition reports, covering 3D modelling, energy performance (EPC ratings), structural condition and early detection of damp or mould.
Airspection receives £300,000. The company has developed an autonomous drone that harnesses wind as energy to fly in extreme weather conditions, hovering with precision over offshore wind turbines to carry out structural inspection and maintenance surveys. It removes the need to send engineers into hazardous environments and dramatically cuts the cost and time of inspection at scale.
Beyond offshore wind, the technology has clear applications in surveying critical national infrastructure, power lines, railway networks and coastal assets, immediately following extreme weather events, enabling faster damage assessment and recovery at low cost.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 11:47 am
Semarion, a University of Cambridge spin-out company from the Cavendish Laboratory, has raised £2.9 million.
The firm combines materials engineering and cell biology to tackle unmet drug screening needs.
The fundraise was led by Parkwalk, and joined by The FSE Group, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Oxford Innovation Finance, Found Capital, Cambridge Capital Group, and Start Codon.
The investment will facilitate commercial expansion and scale manufacturing of the company’s SemaCyte platform which enables adherent cell models to be handled as assay-ready, barcoded reagents for more flexible, data-rich, scalable drug discovery.
Semarion’s technology has already been adopted by leading global pharmaceutical organisations, including top 10 pharma companies, across the US and Europe, with multiple pilot programs progressing towards broader commercial rollout.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 11:37 am
Databricks has announced plans to invest more than $850 million in the UK over the next three years, significantly expanding its presence.
The data and AI giant will quadruple its London office footprint with a new 137,000-square-foot headquarters which will act as the company’s new EMEA hub.
Databricks has a growing UK and Ireland team of over 500 people, and this is expected to surpass over 1,000 people over the next few years.
Strategically located in Fitzrovia, the expanded space continues to place Databricks at the heart of the UK data and AI ecosystem, strengthening partnerships with many customers in the region, including Unilever, Rolls Royce, Nationwide, Virgin Atlantic, Department for Education, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Octopus Energy and Flo Health.
Its local customers include over 50% of the FTSE 100 Index.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 11:14 am
UK running specialist SportsShoes.com says building a native app has driven up revenues and deepened customer loyalty.
The retailer – founded in 1982 and now a £100 million-plus business – developed the app as part of a broader shift away from legacy systems towards a composable digital architecture.
SportsShoes.com says the move improved commercial performance and reduced reliance on paid acquisition, without increasing internal headcount or compromising brand control.
Since going live, the app has attracted close to 300,000 downloads and, at peak periods, can account for up to 20% of total revenue.
App users consistently outperform web-only customers, with higher conversion rates, higher average order values and increased purchase frequency, the firm says.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 9:40 am
The Competition and Markets Authority has launched a strategic market status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem.
Hundreds of thousands of UK businesses and public sector organisations use its software including Windows, Word, Excel, Teams and, increasingly, AI assistant Copilot.
An SMS designation, administered under the Digital Markets Competition Regime, would allow the CMA to act on a major concern from its 2025 cloud market investigation – Microsoft’s use of software licensing reducing competition in the cloud.
It says it would also provide a route to ensuring a level playing field among providers at a critical moment, as AI-driven innovation reshapes competition in productivity software.
The CMA added that, following engagement with Microsoft and Amazon, the tech giants have set out actions on cloud egress fees and interoperability to support greater choice for businesses and public sector organisations in the UK.
It claims these changes will reduce expense and effort for UK customers when using more than one cloud provider.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 9:32 am
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has appointed Wayne Jones OBE as its new chair, succeeding Phil Cusack.
The new chair is a past president and long-time board member of the Chamber, and his appointment comes at a pivotal time in the organisation’s history.
Jones also serves on the Liverpool Manchester Railway Partnership Board, holds the title of Global Ambassador for Manchester, and is the founder of his own consultancy business.
He said: “Greater Manchester has always been a place that punches above its weight, and the Chamber has a vital role to play in making sure businesses here have the support, the platform and the representation they deserve.
“I am proud to take on this role at such an important time for the organisation, and I am looking forward to getting to work.”
Emma Holt, president of the Chamber, added: “Wayne has been part of the foundation of this organisation for a significant period. He knows what we stand for, he knows what Greater Manchester needs, and he has the credibility and the drive to help us move forward with purpose. We are delighted to welcome him into this role.”
Published: April 1, 2026 at 9:20 am
Mike McTighe has stepped down as chair of FTSE 100-listed IG Group Holdings after six years in the role.
The online trading platform and education provider first announced the move last September, and the FCA has now confirmed the appointment of his successor, Andrew Barron.
Writing on LinkedIn yesterday, McTighe said: “It is with some sadness that today (March 31) is my last day as chair of IG Group plc.
“Yet I am also very pleased to be handing over the role to Andrew Barron, who, with great skill, will lead the board through the next chapter of the company’s story.
“At the end of the day, we are simply stewards of the shareholders’ assets. Our duty is to leave the company in a better place than when we found it.
“As I reflect on the last six years, we have collectively achieved a great deal. When I took up the role in February 2020, the share price was £6.69. Yesterday, it closed at £14.30, an increase of 113.75 per cent over the period.
“In addition, we have returned £1.35bn to shareholders by way of dividends and share buybacks over the same period. The total shareholder return generated equates to 154.8 per cent, or a CAGR of 16.4 per cent.
“Finally, the company was promoted to the FTSE 100 on March 4, 2026. Not too shabby all in all!”
Published: April 1, 2026 at 9:20 am
A UK firm transforming the way the legal sector operates has been acquired.
HyperLaw, which is located on the Staffordshire Technology Park in Stafford, was founded by experienced tech entrepreneur Mike Washburn in 2014.
Washburn previously launched and sold ScriptSwitch for £50 million. In 2022 he said he had invested more than £1.3m in the development of HyperLaw, a provider of advanced case preparation and bundling software.
Now it has been acquired by Australian company Legal Ready, described as a global leader in litigation management technology.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 9:06 am
Leading growth investor Synova has exited technology-enabled security solutions provider Orbis Protect at a 3.2x return.
DC Advisory advised Synova, a UK-based growth capital and private equity firm, on the sale of Orbis Protect to PE firm Tiger Infrastructure Partners.
Synova invested in Orbis in 2021, helping drive a period of transformational growth, marked by expansion into Europe, entry into new market segments and continued development of its proprietary AI-enabled technology platform.
During Synova’s ownership period, revenue and EBITDA have grown by 172 per cent and 214 per cent respectively.
Published: April 1, 2026 at 7:17 am
OptiBiotix Health plc has reported a rise in revenue and profits.
The AIM-quoted life sciences business develops products which reduce hunger and food cravings, enhance the gut microbiome, and sweet fibres as healthy sugar substitutes.
In the 2025 calendar year revenue was up 30% to £1.13m, with an 82% in gross profit to £603,000.
Operating costs – including selling, R&D and patent costs, but excluding non-cash shared based payments – were stable at £2.6m.
Published: March 31, 2026 at 4:12 pm
UK-founded cashback marketplace OnBuy has accelerated its European expansion, launching eight new markets across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic and Switzerland.
The move brings OnBuy’s total European presence to 21 countries. It says this gives UK retailers fast access to millions of additional customers.
The expansion follows OnBuy’s expansion into 12 initial European markets, which it says have delivered 152% quarterly sales growth and a 300% increase in average monthly site visits in the second half of the year.
Published: March 31, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Manchester business Parker Neal Ltd has launched a cybersecurity platform to protect supply chains.
Secure Assured is described as a next-generation Software-as-a-Service platform purpose-built to tackle the escalating security challenges facing modern supply chains.
Supply chain attacks have grown by more than 300% over the past three years, with high-profile incidents affecting critical infrastructure, financial services, and government organisations worldwide.
Regulatory pressure is intensifying: the EU’s DORA regulation, the updated NIS2 Directive, and the UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill all place explicit obligations on organisations to manage the cyber risk of their supply partners.
The platform is based on a fixed-price low-cost tiered model – including a free tier – with unlimited supply chain mapping.
Published: March 31, 2026 at 12:20 pm
WHOOP, the human performance company, has 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.
WHOOP is currently hiring over 600 new roles including an UK/EU marketplaces lead to drive eCommerce growth internationally.
The tech firm recently expanded its office in Limerick, Ireland, to further support its European growth.
The company will be using the Series G raise to fuel further US growth and international expansion across Europe, the GCC, Latin America, and Asia.
Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, said: “Our raise brings together the world’s most sophisticated investors, leading health institutions, and iconic global athletes behind the mission to unlock human performance and healthspan.
“We are building the personal health platform that people use to improve their health and livelihood.”
Published: March 31, 2026 at 12:17 pm
9fin has become the UK’s latest unicorn after raising almost £130 million in Series C funding.
Total funding raised by the firm – described as an AI-native platform for global debt markets – now exceeds $250m.
HarbourVest led the round with participation from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and earlier investors Redalpine, Highland Europe, Spark Capital and Seedcamp. It will expand 9fin’s proprietary dataset and support continued growth in the United States.
The London FinTech, founded by former J.P. Morgan banker Steven Hunter and Deutsche Bank engineer Hussam EL-Sheikh, has been valued at $1.3 billion by the investment.
Published: March 31, 2026 at 11:53 am
A well-known figure from the Manchester tech scene has been banned as a company director until 2033.
Jack Mason is a former CEO of Dreamr, which he co-founded with Mylo Kaye. The app developer went insolvent in 2019 owing hundreds of thousands of pounds to HMRC.
Mason subsequently co-founded Inc & Co, a disparate collective of digital businesses, with Scott Dylan and David Antrobus.
In 2021, Mason directed eight companies to move more than £12 million through unauthorised Barclays bank overdrafts to companies controlled by Dylan and Antrobus.
Mason failed in his duties as director to prevent those unauthorised overdrafts, the Insolvency Service said.
In 2024 the trio were each handed 22-month prison sentences for breaching freezing orders connected to these overdrafts. The judge accused them of “lying prolifically” to cover up their actions.
Only Dylan – now based in Dublin, and formerly based in Salford – has been jailed to date, after serving half of his sentence. Mason, 36, continues to live in Barcelona.
Published: March 31, 2026 at 11:35 am
Private equity-backed professional services firm Leonard Curtis has strengthened its M&A team with the appointment of Ed Fenwick.
Fenwick joins with a strong track record in accelerated M&A and restructuring advisory, having spent his last two years in S&W’s advisory team.
Prior to that he spent four years at EY, where he worked on high profile clients in the TMT, energy and retail sectors, leading several audit teams and developing a strong foundation in financial and operational analysis.
He will be based in the firm’s London office.
Published: March 31, 2026 at 11:08 am
World-leading private equity investor Accel-KKR has acquired a majority stake in AccessPay.
The deal for the Manchester FinTech realises an exit for Maven Capital Partners.
AccessPay, a bank integration and payment automation provider, said the deal – for an undisclosed sum – opens the door for it to pursue growth via strategic acquisitions.
AccessPay was founded in Manchester by Ali Moiyed as the first cloud-based BACS software in the UK. In 2014 Anish Kapoor joined as CEO and has led the business since that moment. He will continue as CEO following the fresh investment.
Kapoor was previously the co-founder and CEO of Yuuguu, a remote desktop tool which he exited to telecommunications firm Powwownow in 2010.
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