Archive for December 2019
UK to establish new watchdog to regulate tech giants after Brexit, amid calls to curb their power
The UK will create a new regulator next year, tasked specifically with monitoring and regulating large tech companies following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the Financial Times reported Wednesday. The watchdog will wield new powers to enforce a code of conduct for tech giants. The move was recommended in a review of large […]
Belgian firm Odoo raises $90m to develop and expand its business software platform
The Belgian firm Odoo has raised $90 million to fund product development and global expansion for its all-in-one business software, according to Tech.eu. Odoo Enterprise offers 30 applications to help businesses of every size run nearly every aspect of their company, from accounting to manufacturing, project management, marketing, human resources, and eCommerce, to name just a […]
The startup behind TikTok trials new music app, taking aim at Spotify and Apple Music
A new music streaming app from the company behind TikTok could soon challenge the dominance of Apple Music and Spotify, according to The Independent. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has been trialing the app in Indonesia and India, nations with some of the world’s largest populations, where users are already familiar with the company’s video-sharing platform TikTok. Called Resso, […]
London startup Portify raises £7m, offering credit building and financial tools for self-employed and gig workers
The London fintech startup Portify has raised £7 million in a Series A funding round, for its platform to help gig economy and self-employed workers manage their finances, according to TechCrunch. In addition to financial planning with Open Banking to track and plan finances through a mobile app, the company also wants to help workers access credit […]
Waymo acquires the UK firm Latent Logic, using ‘imitation learning’ to help self-driving cars learn human behavior
Waymo has acquired the UK artificial intelligence firm Latent Logic, giving Alphabet’s self-driving car company its first foothold in the UK, according to The Guardian. With roots at Oxford University, Latent Logic specializes in a type of machine learning called imitation learning, which models the behavior of human drivers and pedestrians to help emulate and react to […]
Paris startup Outsight raises €18 million to develop 3D sensor cameras for smart cities and self-driving cars
The Paris-based startup Outsight has raised €18 million in seed funding, tying for the largest seed funding round in Europe this year, to develop AI-powered, 3D sensor cameras for drones, autonomous vehicles, and smart city infrastructure, according to Venture Beat. Outsight’s 3D Semantic Camera can not only perceive, but also interpret its surroundings and environment. It […]
Social media platforms should ‘open up’ algorithms to combat fake content, says Vĕra Jourová
European Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová says tech companies need to work harder to eliminate fake accounts and the spread of disinformation online, following a report Friday from a NATO research group showing that fake content is still thriving on most platforms, according to Politico. The report from the Latvia-based Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence showed […]
Regulators should prohibit cryptocurrencies like Libra, EU finance ministers say in joint statement
Digital “stablecoin” currencies like Facebook’s Libra project shouldn’t be permitted until regulators can assess and address the risks involved, according to a joint statement from Europe’s finance ministers. The statement solidifies past skepticism voiced by EU authorities, and likely amounts to a de facto ban on stablecoins—cryptocurrencies that, unlike bitcoin, are tied to an asset such as conventional currencies. […]
UK startup Otta raises £850k in seed funding, to help job seekers find the most relevant opportunities
The UK-based startup Otta has raised £850,000 in seed funding for its job search and recruitment platform, according to TechCrunch. The company’s platform prioritizes the needs of job seekers, an approach they say is long overdue in a recruitment market worth £35 billion in the UK and $150 billion in the US. They’ve now raised seed […]
Boris Johnson signals he could favor excluding Huawei from the UK’s 5G networks
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signaled that he shares US security concerns over involving the Chinese firm telecom Huawei in Britain’s 5G network, according to The Guardian. His statement suggests he could move to exclude the company from a role in building the network, in the clearest indication yet of his stance on the issue, […]