Susie Ma, the former Apprentice finalist who went on to build one of Britain’s biggest independent beauty brands, has rewarded herself with a £20 million payday after a stellar year for her Tropic Skincare business. The 36-year-old entrepreneur, who bought back Lord Sugar’s 50 per cent stake in 2023, paid herself dividends totalling £18.2 million in 2024, with a further ...
Microsoft has unveiled its largest ever UK investment, committing £22 billion over the next four years to build Britain’s biggest artificial intelligence supercomputer and expand its data centre network. The announcement, timed to coincide with President Trump’s state visit, dwarfs other Big Tech pledges and forms the centrepiece of £31 billion in new US-led tech investment. Half of Microsoft’s spend ...
Challenges are not just obstacles; they are opportunities waiting to be unlocked. Businesses are under pressure to adapt to shifting markets, evolving customer needs and emerging technologies. Those that succeed often do so by leveraging smart platforms designed to streamline processes, enhance decision-making and drive innovation. From Problems to Possibilities Every challenge presents a chance to think differently. Rising operational ...
Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit remains strong, with 84 new companies launched every hour in the first half of 2025, according to fresh analysis from SME lender iwoca. The annual Business Hotspots report, which draws on Companies House data, found that more than 363,000 businesses were registered between January and June 2025. However, this marked a 21% fall compared with the same ...
French deeptech specialist Cailabs has raised €57 million in fresh funding to accelerate its industrial expansion and cement its position as a global leader in laser communications. The financing round, announced in Rennes today, was led by the European Investment Bank (EIB), which contributed €37 million, alongside €20 million from investors including Definvest and Fonds Innovation Defense (the French Armed ...
Britain has dropped further down the world’s innovation league table, falling to sixth place in the latest global rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo). The UK was ranked fifth last year and fourth in 2024, with the latest slip raising fresh concerns about the country’s ability to remain competitive against fast-rising rivals. The annual Global Innovation Index ...
Tottenham-based e-commerce brand Vanquish Fitness has secured a £1 million trade loan from NatWest, guaranteed by UK Export Finance (UKEF), in a move designed to accelerate its growth and expand its reach in international markets. Founded in 2014, Vanquish has carved out a niche in the competitive athleisure and gym wear market, supplying high-quality active streetwear to a global customer ...
When Gyve Safavi and Mark Rushmore first met on a speedboat in the south of France — with advertising tycoon Sir Martin Sorrell also on board — few could have predicted that the chance encounter would spark a £24 million sustainable toothbrush business. Their brand, Suri, now boasts celebrity fans including Sir Jony Ive and the Kardashians, and is stocked ...
Google has unveiled plans to invest an additional £5 billion in the UK over the next two years, in a move it says will help expand the country’s artificial intelligence economy, create thousands of jobs and accelerate breakthroughs in science and technology. The announcement coincides with the state visit of US President Donald Trump, during which major technology and energy ...
Britain’s labour market showed fresh signs of cooling in August as payroll employment fell again and the pace of wage growth slowed, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people on payrolls dropped by 8,000 to 30.3 million in August, following a revised fall of 6,000 in July. Over the past 12 months, ...