Barclays Stories

UK Stories

Barclays stories

UK IT firms eye defence growth as confidence rises

A Barclays survey found 62 per cent of IT and telecoms firms expect more defence work, but skills and funding gaps still hinder growth.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • 2 days ago

Fintech

Rezolve Ai partners Zilch on retail offers platform

Nearly 6 million Zilch users will see retail offers and rewards embedded in their payments journey as Rezolve Ai widens Reward's reach.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • 4 days ago

Data Analytics

Earthmark launches brand environmental ratings directory

Shoppers can now compare environmental performance across more than 25,000 brands after the directory began turning corporate disclosures into simple scores.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • This month

Customer Experience

UK banks vow to improve access to basic bank accounts

FCA findings show vulnerable customers are still missing out on basic bank accounts, prompting nine banks to tighten offer and application processes.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • This month

Physical Security

Veritech secures Barclays funding for growth plans

Refinancing will free up capital for the Southampton security firm to expand its control centre, technology and service lines.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • This month

Small Business

eCapital UK appoints Mark Finn as group managing director

The promotion gives eCapital UK a national lead as smaller firms struggle to secure working capital from traditional lenders.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • This month

Data Protection

UK Finance backs bank app digital ID verification pilot

Customers could soon verify their age, address and identity through banking apps, as lenders test a voluntary check-sharing service to curb fraud.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last month

Manufacturing

mthree buys CAPSLOCK to boost cyber skills training

The deal gives employers more access to cyber and AI training as breaches rise and skills shortages deepen across finance, tech and government.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Last month

eLearning

Techskills backs SoftSkillingIt with new work-ready mark

The accreditation reflects rising employer demand for measurable people skills as firms struggle to fill gaps in communication, adaptability and teamwork.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last month

Data centers

UK innovation firms eye growth at home despite delays

Delayed procurement is making revenue visibility harder for UK innovation firms, even as 56 per cent plan their next growth phase at home.

By Sean Mitchell • 5 min read • Last month

Fintech

UK Payments Initiative launches recurring bank scheme

Recurring bank payments could soon replace some cards and direct debits as UK Payments Initiative rolls out a new open banking scheme.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Data Protection

UK firms boost cyber & AI spending, Barclays survey

Confidence in defence remains patchy as 68 per cent of UK business leaders plan higher cyber spending and 46 per cent fear new tools widen threats.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Wed, 27th May 2026

Small Business

52 bank branches to close across Britain this month

More towns risk losing face-to-face banking as 52 branch closures across Britain are due this month, led by Santander and NatWest.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Thu, 21st May 2026

Hyperscale

Iceotope raises USD $26 million in Series B funding

Rising AI hardware heat loads are pushing data centres towards liquid cooling, and Iceotope's latest cash injection is aimed at scaling its systems.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Sat, 16th May 2026

Smart Cities

Bristol tech festival relaunched as city-wide Brazen

Bristol tech festival Brazen to span five days across the city with new BID backing, as organisers target wider links between innovation and culture.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Mon, 11th May 2026

Global Stories

Barclays stories

Fintech

Ant International adds Hang Seng to Alipay+ network

Hong Kong users of Hang Seng's mobile app can now pay abroad through Alipay+, widening access to merchants in more than 55 markets.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • 2 days ago

Digital Transformation

Persistent launches EUR 81 per share bid for Nagarro

The planned takeover would value Nagarro at a near-triple-digit premium and could expand Persistent's European footprint if shareholders back the bid.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 5 min read • Last month