Welcome, I am Fabrice Iranzi and this is issue 1.
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But first, This is what we have on the menu today:
- London Reclaims Top Spot in European Stock Exchanges thanks to the successful initial public offering (IPO) of budget computer maker Raspberry Pi.
- Amazon-Powered AI Cameras Used to Detect Emotions on UK Trains Spark Privacy Concerns Over Emotion Detection.
- Spotless Water, a Dorset-based startup that supplies ultra-pure water (UPW) for cleaning equipment, has secured a £3.6m investment.
- YouTube announced that they will begin to test a new feature called Notes that lets users add context to videos will help combat misinformation.
- 26 European industry groups have raised concerns over potential discrimination in the proposed EU cybersecurity certification scheme (EUCS) for cloud services.
Let us get to it:,
This Monday we learned that the UK-based Raspberry Pi, the budget personal computer maker did more than an initial public offering on June 11th when it debuted as a public company on the London Stock Exchange; it contributed to pushing the London Stock Exchange to the first place again.
London has returned to the top European spot in Bloomberg’s index of exchanges with a combined value of £2.51tn, making it the sixth-largest in the world.
Commentators attribute that surge to the turbulence created by the announcement made by Macron about the election. The surprise election called by the French President caused the combined value of France’s listed firms to drop to £2.47 trillion.
I am not a capital market analyst or commentator, but after hearing the story I was hooked, as people have begun to revive old debates on the decline in IPO activity in London, particularly in the tech sector, since its record year in 2021.
During my research, it became evident that some prominent British tech firms, like Arm and Imagination, have chosen to IPO in foreign markets for higher valuations, especially in the US.
According to news website UKTN, even companies like London-listed biotech e-Therapeutics are considering switching to a foreign market due to a lack of UK institutional interest.
If London-listed tech companies are considering switching, will London keep its first position in Europe?
But interestingly, a survey by equity management platform Ledgy, involving 2,500 companies, revealed that 72% of British tech firms still prefer the London Stock Exchange for going public. This is despite the recent buzz suggesting that the US market might be more appealing.
Did you know that over the past two years, eight UK train stations, including London’s Euston and Waterloo, and Manchester Piccadilly, tested AI surveillance technology?
Yes, thousands of UK train passengers likely had their faces scanned by Amazon software during widespread AI trials, writes Wired Magazine.
Network Rail was involved in the trials, using AI to detect safety incidents and reduce certain types of crime. Between five and seven cameras or sensors were included at each station. But at Leeds train station, 350 CCTV cameras are connected to the software for monitoring safety risks.
The AI trials included demographic analysis and emotion detection (happy, sad, angry) using Amazon’s Rekognition system. AI trials aimed to send automated alerts to staff for certain behaviors.
AI researchers have warned that emotion detection technology is unreliable. In October 2022, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office warned against the use of emotion analysis technology.
Privacy experts are concerned about the lack of transparency and debate over AI use in public spaces.
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Have you ever heard about Ultra Pure Water?
It refers to water that has been purified to an extremely high degree, typically through advanced filtration and purification processes.
This Monday, I discovered “Spotless Water”, a startup based in Dorset.
Spotless Water specializes in providing ultra-pure water through a network of self-service stations across the country.
Spotless Water serves industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, laboratories, and more, where water purity is critical.
The company just secured a £3.6m investment to further expand its operations. YFM Equity Partners, based in Leeds, provided the funding.
Founded in 2016, Spotless Water distinguishes itself as an eco-friendly solution in the UPW sector, distributing its purified water through self-service stations equipped with proprietary automation software.
YouTube introduces a new feature:
YouTube is introducing a new experimental feature called “Notes” that allows viewers to add context and information under videos, reports TechCrunch.
This feature is similar to Community Notes on X (formerly Twitter), aimed at providing clarity such as identifying parodies or distinguishing older footage from current events.
The launch of this feature coincides with a pivotal U.S. election year, with YouTube aiming to combat misinformation, especially concerning the 2024 election and the rise of generative AI.
The initial pilot of Notes will be available on mobile devices in the U.S. and in English.
YouTube anticipates potential mistakes during the testing phase, including mismatches or incorrect information in notes, and plans to learn from user feedback and improve note quality.
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Last but not least,
A new cybersecurity certification system for cloud services in Europe is making waves.
26 European industry groups have raised concerns over potential discrimination in the proposed EU cybersecurity certification scheme (EUCS) for cloud services.
Signatories of the joint letter include influential chambers of commerce from EU countries and sector-specific associations representing payment institutions, industries, banks, digital businesses, and startups.
The certification is set to introduce a new system meant to help governments and companies choose secure cloud providers.
However, some European industry groups are worried that the rules might unfairly target big American tech companies like Amazon and Google.
They want the system to be fair and not discriminate against any companies.
Industry groups support an inclusive EUCS adhering to non-discriminatory principles and industry best practices to ensure access to resilient cloud technologies for global competitiveness.
The debate includes discussions on data sovereignty, with EU cloud vendors advocating for stringent requirements to protect Europeans’ data from unlawful access by non-EU governments.
Thank you for tuning in today, innovate and stay consistent – let us meet for the next episode.