The global shift to widespread use of generative AI highlights its immense value. This limelight has not come without critics, with leading figures in AI discussing the risks associated and how AI may pose a threat to humanity.
Academia’s ‘ivory towers’ suggest a detachment from the practical concerns of business and societal issues. However, boundaries between the academic and corporate worlds are becoming increasingly blurred.
In the face of a global slowdown, European public-to-private (P2P) transactions increased 43% YoY in the first half of 2023, as tracked by Mergermarket at the end of June. P2P transactions almost matched IPOs in 1H23, totalling 53 and 57 transactions respectively.
Recent analysis done by PitchBook shows that 36% of top-flight clubs in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have private capital ownership in some form. These investors include private equity and venture capital funds as well as consortiums of high-net-worth investors.
Given the number of current players as well as new entrants in the IT services market, private equity investors are encouraging ‘buy and build’ strategies to inorganically grow their investments. According to EY, over half of all private equity deals within the IT services industry were buy and build acquisitions in 2022.
In recent years, corporate venture capital (CVC) has emerged as a dynamic force in the investment landscape. Last year, CVCs participated in 21.7% of all European VC rounds, the highest annual percentage to date, according to PitchBook.
Following an increase in unusual weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere this summer – including record heat waves across Europe – many have started to wonder what a future shaped by climate change might look like.
Physical cheques never gained popularity in Africa, though they remain in use in America; why is this? Slow transportation links, fraud, and limited access to formal banking were to blame on the continent.
Being ‘ahead of the curve’ often suggests that a company possesses innovative qualities, setting it apart from its competitors. Yet, proclaiming this without solid evidence could raise eyebrows among potential investors.
As rumours of the discovery of gold spread across the nation, the first millionaire of the California Gold Rush was not mining the gold itself but capitalising on the miners’ needs, selling picks, shovels, and pans. Companies can turn to this metaphor to evaluate whether their business model will stand the test of time, rather than chasing short-lived trends and ‘striking gold’.