Small businesses are bracing for what they describe as an “unprecedented cost crunch” in April, with more than a third warning they may shut down or scale back operations as a raft of higher expenses take effect.The Federation of Small

The owners of Virgin Media O2 have agreed a £2bn takeover of challenger fibre network Netomnia, marking a significant step towards consolidation in Britain’s crowded broadband market.Liberty Global and Telefónica, alongside InfraVia Capital through their Nexfibre joint venture, will acquire

Household energy bills are forecast to fall by around £117 from April, as government policy changes outweigh modest increases in wholesale prices.Energy consultancy Cornwall Insight predicts that the Ofgem price cap will drop 7 per cent to £1,641 a year

Boohoo Group has launched a £35m share placing as it seeks to strengthen its balance sheet and support its long-running turnaround, sending its shares down 10 per cent in early trading.The Manchester-based fast-fashion retailer, which rebranded last year as Debenhams

UK inflation slowed more sharply than many had feared in January, falling to 3 per cent and bolstering expectations that the Bank of England could resume cutting interest rates as early as next month.Data from the Office for National Statistics

UKAI, the UK’s trade association for the AI industry, has appointed global communications agency Centropy PR as its agency of record.The group, which represents companies of all sizes with an interest in AI, from startups to industry leaders, supports firms

Battery Ventures has raised $3.25bn in fresh capital to invest in technology companies worldwide, as it doubles down on artificial intelligence and enterprise software opportunities.The new vehicle, Battery Ventures XV, was oversubscribed and closed in a single round, marking one