Sectors
£15B UK Plan Spurs Solar, Battery, Heat Pump Growth
The UK government has unveiled its long-awaited Warm Homes Plan, pledging £15 billion over the next five years to fund solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage for households. The initiative aims to triple the number of homes with solar panels and lift one million people out of fuel poverty. It also introduces new rights…
Capital One Bets $5B on Brex for Business Banking Innovation
Capital One (NYSE: COF) announced Thursday that it will acquire San Francisco-based fintech firm Brex in a $5.15 billion stock-and-cash deal. The acquisition strengthens Capital One’s position in business payments and expense management, areas where software-driven finance platforms have been gaining ground. Strategic RationaleThe acquisition brings Brex, a fast-growing fintech startup, into one of the…
Experienced Biotech Executives Launch New Rare Disease Startup
Another rare disease startup is entering the market, this time backed by a group of executives who have been here before. Mendra, a new biotech led by former BioMarin and Escient Pharmaceuticals executives, has raised $82 million in a Series A round led by OrbiMed, 8VC, and 5AM Ventures. The company says the capital will…
Rio Tinto Links Mining to Clean Energy in Utah
Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) has turned on a 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah. Along with a 5MW array finished in 2023, the site now has 30MW of solar capacity—enough to supply electricity for about 1,000 homes and cut Scope 2 emissions by 20,000 tons of CO₂, or the equivalent of taking…
Investors Bet on India’s Clean Energy Boom
India is electrifying faster than China did at the same stage of development. Per person, it uses less coal and oil than China did back in 2012. That means the country can grow without relying on fossil fuels as much. For investors, this shift is worth paying attention to. Kingsmill Bond from Ember points out…
Ledger Plans 2026 IPO Amid Renewed Crypto Surge
Ledger, best known for its hardware wallets, is quietly preparing for what could become one of the more notable crypto IPOs of the next cycle. According to people familiar with the matter, the company is weighing a potential U.S. listing, possibly on the NYSE, with 2026 emerging as an early target rather than a firm…
China Becomes New Hunting Ground for Obesity Drugs
Corxel’s latest funding round lands at a time when U.S. and European drug developers are increasingly sourcing new medicines from China. Over the past few years, both large pharmaceutical companies and venture-backed biotech firms have shown a willingness to license compounds discovered in Chinese labs and move them quickly into Western clinical programs. That strategy…
Electricians, Plumbers, and Technicians See Pay Soar From AI
Artificial intelligence is changing the way work looks in the United States. While many routine office jobs could disappear, roles in construction, electrical work, plumbing, and other hands-on trades are seeing higher demand. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says this surge comes from the massive buildout of AI infrastructure, including data centers, chip factories, and server…
Compliance Warning Hits Airwallex as Regulator Steps In
Australia’s financial crime watchdog, AUSTRAC, has told payments firm Airwallex to hire an external auditor. The regulator cited concerns that the company’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls may not be up to scratch. The move targets a period from January 2024 to the present. AUSTRAC said it suspects the firm’s monitoring systems aren’t fully…
U.S. Lawmakers Restrict AI Chip Sales Amid Security Concerns
Lawmakers on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee moved forward this week with the AI Overwatch Act, first introduced in December. The legislation would give Congress final say over exports of high-performance AI processors to adversary nations. The bill comes shortly after the White House unveiled new export rules allowing certain AMD and Nvidia GPUs…
