UKTN

Klarna replaces over 1,000 roles with AI in 'attrition' downsizing. ❗️ The Stockholm-based group has adopted an “attrition” downsizing policy wherein departing staff are no longer replaced with new hires as more responsibility is handed to automation. Klarna told UKTN that no layoffs have taken place, nor will take place as part of the company’s emphasis on the role of AI. Instead, roles are being eliminated at the point staff choose to leave. A spokesperson said these roles cover various departments, however, engineering was said to be the least affected. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/euZUMA7h 🔗 #klarna #layoffs #ai #engineering #downsizing #UKtech

📢 Calling all Norfolk and Suffolk tech ecosystem stakeholders 📢 Have your say in the latest UKTN regional tech report. We're collecting views, insights and experiences from as many people as possible to best represent the two tech ecosystems. So if you're involved in tech in Norfolk or Suffolk in any capacity (founder, employee, investor, service provider, startup support etc), please complete the relevant survey below. ➡️ Norfolk: https://lnkd.in/ecExMr98 🔗 ➡️ Suffolk: https://lnkd.in/en6ySQdK 🔗 Your responses will be anonymous by default, but you also have the option to: 💡 Nominate 'key players' including ambitious startups, tech success stories, support organisations, investors ⭐️ Put yourself forward to be named and quoted in the report itself 🔎 Share info about your own business for the opportunity to be included in the report Please share the survey with your networks and other relevant contacts. Please tag others in the comments for visibility 💬 Survey closes September 2nd. Suffolk County Council Norfolk County Council Tech East Connected Innovation Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership Anglia Capital Group Abbianca Nassar née Makoni Oscar Hornstein #UKtech #suffolk #norfolk #startups #VC #journorequest

Immigrants play 'critical' role in UK startup economy. ❗️ Immigrants play a “critical” role in the UK startup economy and must be protected, according to a new think tank report. Over a third (39%) of the UK’s top 100 fastest-growing companies have a founder born outside of Britain, according to research from the Entrepreneurs Network. This is despite immigrants making up less than 15% of the total UK population. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ewENnesh 🔗 #startup #economy #report #growth #immigrants #UKtech

Meet the ex computer scientist who just got her startup Wisdom acquired. 🔎 Wisdom, a VC-funded, audio-first social discovery app powered by AI, has announced its acquisition. Founded by Dayo Akinrinade in 2021, Wisdom initially connected people from all walks of life by democratising mentorship and was described as a blend between Clubhouse and MasterClass. The app allowed users to log on and find live conversations they could join, ask questions, or listen to on-demand. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e3uE-8jH 🔗 #startup #app #acquisition #vc #funding #UKtech

Government invests £4m in AI to help teacher workload. 💡 The UK Government has unveiled a £4m investment in a new generative AI initiative aimed at easing teacher workloads. The project will aggregate government documents, including curriculum guidelines, lesson plans, and anonymised pupil assessments, to train AI systems. The primary goal is to develop AI tools that assist teachers with marking, creating classroom materials, and managing routine administrative tasks. This will allow educators to concentrate more on direct student interaction and reduce their out-of-hours work. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eU2hg5Qi 🔗 #ai #government #funding #investment #generativeai #UKtech

London-listed Ocado Group launches robotic warehouses in Australia. 🇦🇺 Online grocery retailer Ocado has opened two robotically operated customer fulfilment centres in Australia. The centres, which have been developed with the Ocado Smart Platform using AI and automation, were opened in partnership with Australian supermarket chain Coles. The Melbourne and Sydney robotic warehouses are part of a 2019 deal signed by the firms and have faced repeated delays due to construction issues. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eXQhk-xk 🔗 #ai #automation #development #robotics #ocado #delivery #UKtech

OakNorth secures regulatory approval to market products in the US. 🇺🇸 The fintech unicorn announced on Tuesday its application had been authorised by the Federal Reserve and the New York State Department of Financial Services. OakNorth, which in March posted a pre-tax profit of £187.3m for 2023, has been keen on expanding its digital banking footprint in the US. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ebKbimDc 🔗 #regulations #fintech #regulations #unicorn #digitalbanking #footprint #UKtech

How tackling the digital skills gap will supercharge Scottish tech – Karen Meechan, CEO, ScotlandIS. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎙 Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS, discusses how Scotland’s tech industry, made mostly of small and medium-sized enterprises, is indeed thriving but is struggling to grow as the supply of digital talent is not meeting demands. Meechan has worked with ScotlandIS – an industry body supporting the nation’s tech sector – for 20 years. Meechan explains how bodies like ScotlandIS are working towards plugging the digital skills gap but need more support from the government at a local and UK-wide level. ➡️ li.sten.to/s7ep8 🔗 Sponsored by HSBC Innovation Banking. #UKTNpodcast #podcast #government #digitaltalent #digitalskills #skillsgap #tech #scottishtech #sme #UKtech

Sunswap Secures £17.3m to decarbonise the 'cold chain'. 📈 Sunswap, a clean tech startup aiming to decarbonise the cold chain by manufacturing a refrigeration system that breaks free from what it calls “legacy” technology, has secured £17.3m. The company, based in Leatherhead, Surrey, has built an ‘Endurance’ unit for articulated lorries, which are large vehicles consisting of two main parts: a tractor unit and a semi-trailer. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eENS9fi2 🔗 #technology #cleantech #climatetech #startup #funding #investment #UKtech

Podcast: How tackling the digital skills gap will supercharge Scottish tech – Karen Meechan, CEO, ScotlandIS. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💬 This week’s UKTN Podcast guest is ScotlandIS CEO Karen Meechan. In this episode, Meechan discusses how a shortage of digital skills is holding back an otherwise thriving tech ecosystem in Scotland. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eYCUMccJ 🔗 #scotland #digitalskills #ecosystem #scottishtech #skillsgap#UKtech