Avatar photoJames O'Brien

James is a London-based technology journalist covering the UK and Irish startup scenes. He specialises in fintech, AI and healthtech, tracking the deals, founders and investors driving innovation across Britain and Ireland's dynamic and internationally connected tech hubs.

Charlotte Tilbury Founder Threatens Contract Renegotiation as Puig Acquisition Talks Complicate

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Charlotte Tilbury’s founder is threatening to renegotiate her contract with Puig, which owns 78.5% of the British makeup brand. The founder holds the remaining 21.5% stake and is invoking a change of control clause ahead of potential acquisition by Estée Lauder. In 2024, Puig valued the entire brand at approximately 4 billion euros when it purchased an additional 5.4% stake for 215 million euros. The founder’s remaining stake could be worth around 850 million euros at current valuations, which may deter Estée Lauder from proceeding with the acquisition of Puig.

UK Healthtech Startup NEX Health Intelligence Raises €1 Million to Expand AI-Powered Infection Prevention Platform

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NEX Health Intelligence, a healthtech startup, has raised €1 million in pre-seed funding to develop an AI-powered infection intelligence platform designed to help hospitals detect, predict and prevent healthcare-associated infections. The platform has already supported infection safety across more than 40,000 patient admissions internationally and is currently working with NHS organisations in the UK and hospitals in Southeast Asia.

Monzo hits £1bn gross profit milestone as UK digital bank accelerates European expansion into Spain

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Monzo, the London-based digital bank, has achieved £1bn in gross profit for the first time and announced its third consecutive year of profitability with a 20% rise in adjusted profit before tax to £172.6m. The fintech is expanding aggressively across Europe, having launched in Ireland in April with 100k customers on the waitlist and announcing Spain as its next market with offices in Barcelona and Madrid. The bank recorded 3m new customers this year and saw business banking customers grow 45% to over 905k.

Ryanair Reports Record €2.26 Billion Net Profit as Fuel Hedging Strategy Shields Against Market Volatility

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Ryanair announced record net profits of €2.26 billion for fiscal year 2026 (ending March 31), a 40% increase driven by reduced expenses and higher revenues from passenger growth and fares. The airline projects stable ticket prices during peak summer months and increasing confidence in jet fuel supply despite Middle East tensions. The company’s conservative fuel hedging strategy (80% of FY2027 fuel hedged at $67/barrel) protects margins as spot prices exceed $150/barrel. CEO Michael O’Leary’s contract extension negotiations through 2032 are nearing completion.

Fin Launches Operator, an AI Agent to Manage Its Customer-Facing AI Agent

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Fin (formerly Intercom) announced Fin Operator, an AI agent that manages the customer-facing Fin AI agent. The product targets support operations teams, automating data analysis, knowledge management, and agent debugging. It runs on Anthropic’s Claude models and includes a human approval system for all proposed changes. The company recently rebranded from Intercom to Fin, signaling that AI agents are now the core business. Fin generates 100 million ARR and is growing at 3.5x, accounting for roughly a quarter of total company revenue.

Adfin Secures $18M Series A to Expand AI-Powered Payment Automation Platform

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Adfin, a British fintech startup co-founded by Romanian engineer Ciprian Diaconasu, has raised $18 million in Series A funding led by Index Ventures. The platform helps businesses reduce payment delays, with clients seeing only 9% of invoices paid late compared to the 63% average in the UK. Total funding reached $30 million in under two years of operation.