Business

Barclays Eagle Labs and Sustainable Ventures launch National Climate Tech Accelerator to supercharge UK’s green innovation economy The UK’s climate tech sector is set for a major boost as Barclays Eagle Labs and Sustainable Ventures officially launch the National Climate Tech Accelerator (NCTA) — a nationwide programme designed to fast-track the growth of the UK’s most promising climate and sustainability startups. Applications opened in early November, and more than 80 high-potential climate tech founders from...

Netflix has agreed a £54 billion deal to buy Warner Bros, setting the stage for one of the biggest and most transformative mergers the entertainment industry has ever seen. The streaming giant confirmed on Friday that it had reached a $72 billion agreement to acquire Warner Bros Discovery’s storied film and TV assets, including HBO — the home of Succession, The Last of Us and Game of Thrones. If approved by US regulators, the takeover...

HMRC’s newly strengthened tax informant reward scheme — unveiled in last month’s Budget and launched with immediate effect — is facing an early backlash from business owners who warn it could trigger a wave of malicious claims and cost the Revenue far more than it recovers. The scheme gives HMRC the power to pay informants 15–30% of additional tax recovered above a minimum threshold of £1.5 million, excluding penalties and interest. Officials say the measure...

Megan Habina is the Founder and CEO of Valkyrie Fitness & Nutrition, a company dedicated to helping women in first responder, military, and healthcare roles build strength, balance, and confidence through practical fitness and nutrition coaching. Based in New Jersey, Megan’s journey began in Vineland, where she grew up working in her family’s restaurant and learning the value of discipline and determination. Before starting her business, Megan served as a Class I and Class II...

Britain’s small business leaders are embracing a new ethos of marginal gains, with fresh research revealing how the so-called “1% mindset” is quietly shaping a new wave of SME growth. According to Adobe, which has launched its Adobe Express ‘One Better’ movement alongside entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, more than 90 per cent of SME owners familiar with the term believe that making small, continuous improvements delivers measurable benefits to productivity and profits. Often associated with elite...

Britain is on the cusp of an entrepreneurship surge that could reshape the workforce and inject billions into the economy, according to new research revealing that one in ten adults plans to start a business within the next year, the equivalent of more than 5 million people. The findings, published in the Entrepreneurship Revolution report from Block and Public First, paint a picture of a UK increasingly powered by independent enterprise, side-hustles and digital-first microbusinesses....

Two of London’s oldest and most storied food markets, Smithfield and Billingsgate, are set to begin a new chapter in the Docklands after the City of London Corporation confirmed Albert Island as their future home. The decision marks a dramatic turnaround after both markets appeared destined for closure last year when rising costs forced the Corporation to abandon a £740 million relocation plan to Dagenham. At the time, traders feared the historic meat and fish...

The Bank of England has warned that the global race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure is increasingly being fuelled by debt, creating a growing risk to financial stability if the current AI boom turns into a market correction. Governor Andrew Bailey said valuations of AI-driven technology companies were now approaching levels last seen during the dotcom bubble in the US, and levels not seen since the financial crisis in the UK and EU. The Bank’s...

Mercedes-Benz has placed a significant vote of confidence in the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector after confirming a £20 million partnership to develop high-performance electric vehicle technology, creating 150 skilled jobs across Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The German manufacturer will invest £10 million of its own capital, matched by a further £10 million from the UK government, to develop next-generation high-power drive systems for electrified and hybrid performance cars. Crucially, the work will draw on Formula 1...

Selling beyond your home market sounds simple until real customers start paying in currencies your system barely understands. A smooth global checkout relies on more than showing the right symbol or converting a total at the last second. It depends on tools that read regional habits, manage shifting rates and keep the payment step feeling familiar no matter where the shopper sits. When those pieces line up, the process feels effortless. When they do not,...