Sheffield- and London-based fintech Bumper has closed a Series B extension reported at about $11m, led by Autotech Ventures with participation from OEM venture arms including InMotion, Porsche, Suzuki and Shell Ventures, as it pivots from a single-product BNPL lender to a broader dealer payments and software platform across Europe.…

The contractor will roll out Microsoft 365 Copilot across its UK operations in a phased £7.2m programme focused on automating routine assurance, boosting consistency and testing safety and productivity gains beginning on the A9 project. London-based contractor Balfour Beatty has committed £7.2 million (about $9.6 million) to deploy Microsoft’s AI…

On 15 August 1945 London and towns across Britain exploded in spontaneous celebration after Japan’s surrender. Archival photographs and film capture dancing crowds, makeshift bonfires and royal appearances at Buckingham Palace, even as officials urged sober remembrance for the vast wartime losses. It was, by eyewitness and archival account, one…

Stockholm’s rule‑breaking restaurant Punk Royale has confirmed a permanent London site at 6 Sackville Street, with a planned opening on 12 September 2025. Known for caviar served from the hand, disco lights and immersive theatre, the move formalises years of pop‑ups and a sold‑out residency into the group’s first permanent…

Hubber, founded by three former members of Tesla’s UK Supercharger team, has secured £60m in equity to build 30 modular, planning‑approved high‑power charging hubs across major UK cities, starting with a Lewisham site due to open 20 August 2025 aimed at fleets and other urban operators. Hubber, a start‑up founded…

IndiGo will launch Heathrow services from 26 October 2025 using damp‑leased Boeing 787‑9s, accelerating an already fast‑growing UK–India market and testing the low‑cost long‑haul model on one of Europe’s most competitive, premium routes. IndiGo’s decision to add London Heathrow to its long‑haul network from 26 October 2025 underlines how dynamic…

Duolingo has absorbed NextBeat’s 23‑strong London studio in a talent‑first deal aimed at accelerating its gamified Duolingo Music product, establishing a UK foothold and bolstering interactive course design amid a wider AI‑led pivot. Duolingo has quietly moved to deepen its play in music education by scooping up the 23‑person team…

A woman with serious health problems was left traumatised when a man forced his way into her home near the Britannia International Hotel in Marsh Wall on 13 August, an incident that has intensified local anger and highlighted policing challenges as the hotel is prepared to house asylum seekers. A…

App‑led, self‑guided treasure and scavenger hunts have surged across UK towns and cities, becoming a go‑to activity for families, hen parties and corporate groups — but big‑prize promotions and platform marketing risk changing a low‑stakes pastime into a competitive, commercial market. If you spot someone in a busy city centre…

A 26‑year‑old resident of a Four Points by Sheraton hotel being used for asylum seekers near Gatwick has been remanded after being charged with three alleged sexual assaults in west Surrey amid wider tensions and protests over the use of hotels for temporary accommodation. A 26‑year‑old man living at a…

Planning filings suggest nearly 100 new UK data‑centre sites are in the pipeline — a surge driven by cloud and AI demand that raises fresh questions over grid capacity, water use, local opposition and who will pay for the costs. The United Kingdom is on the cusp of a sharp…

Lidl will lift its national entry‑level hourly rate to £13 from 1 September 2025 and pay £14.35 within the M25 — 2p higher than Aldi — in the latest round of reciprocal pay rises as both discounters expand their UK store networks. Lidl has moved to match Aldi’s headline pay…