The Rundown: Edition 2
Edition 2: 27 June 2025
Welcome to The Rundown, a snapshot of news, views and intel from the fast-growth tech and investment scene.
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Publishing giant Zanichelli Editore launches €60m initiative
ZNEXT will build and acquire tech businesses focused on unlocking human potential in sectors including EdTech, Future of Work, Lifelong Learning and Wellbeing. Tech.eu
£1.8m Seed for drug discovery startup OutSee
Empirical Ventures-backed funding round in AI-based predictive genomics company will help to uncover new therapeutic targets. Tech.eu
Zeelo looks to the US after $23m fundraise
$80m revenue fleet and route optimisation company – an InMotion Ventures portco – will target autonomous vehicle market. The Times
CIBC Innovation Banking supports Wint Group acquisition
Debt finance package has helped private equity house Norvestor complete deal for the Swedish accounting software company. IT Brief
Tech ecosystem reacts to Industrial Strategy
10-year plan has received a mixed response, as focus on clean energy, defence and advanced manufacturing were praised for boosting the wider economy while lower investment into quantum R&D compared to France and Germany prompted concern. UKTN
National Security Strategy will boost tech sector
Cyber, AI, quantum, space, biosecurity, hypersonic systems and maritime innovation will feed into three strategic pillars. The Times
Nato Summit 5% commitment sparks defence ‘tech race’
Artificial intelligence and drone technology development will be key to Rapid Adoption Action Plan. Euro News
British Business Bank announces £6.6bn for innovative companies
Part of the Industrial Strategy, the government’s economic development bank will invest primarily into companies in the eight priority sectors over four years. UKTN
“Best-in-class venture capital must seek out hidden gems of innovation”
Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek on the fund’s Sift approach that has seen a mere 11% failure rate, compared to 65-75% in the broader market over 25 years. Venture Capital Journal
Why CVCs naturally gravitate to the “Crown Jewels” of science and technology: universities
In a review of the GCV Symposium (with video), Cambridge Innovation Capital’s (CIC) Andrew Williamson, Northern Gritstone’s Duncan Johnson, and Oxford Science Enterprises’ Ed Bussey joined a panel to talk spin-outs. Global Corporate Venturing
“What concerns me most is the technology sector”
Rigby Group Co-CEO Steve Rigby talked to Sky News Business Live and has said the government needs to commit more to AI following publication of the Industrial Strategy. LinkedIn
Why being underestimated as UK founders is a “secret weapon”
Definely CEO Nnamdi Emelifeonwu discussed how the UK can maintain its top tech hub position globally by showing how founders here deliver substance over ‘noise’ through running capital-efficient businesses out of necessity. TechRound
How ‘Digital Custodianship’ can protect Britain’s crumbling infrastructure
Mind Foundry’s Director of Civil Infrastructure Tom Bartley explored how AI can augment deep human expertise to maintain the ageing post-war structures built for the modern era by training models to forecast when defects need to be addressed. The AI Journal
BusinessCloud published its take on the most innovative green tech creators, with the EnviroTech 50 ranking for 2025. Topping the index was Catagen, which has applied its technology to emissions testing in the mobility sector in a bid to improve air quality in our cities. Other notable companies included Concrete4Change, which has novel technology to help the construction industry achieve Net Zero and waste monitoring system specialist Greyparrot.
Just two weeks on from its $1.1bn acquisition by IonQ, quantum computing leader Oxford Ionics has been recognised by the World Economic Forum as a 2025 Technology Pioneer. The company was selected for its patented approach to building quantum computers which uniquely relies on electronics instead of lasers to control its qubits, resulting in world records in all three of the field’s ‘super metrics’.
Private markets platform Treble Peak held its Summer Forum at the National Liberal Club, where a panel discussed “The Great Fragmentation” and how the business community should respond to the fast-changing geopolitical climate. A high-profile panel concluded Europe must recapture autonomy in energy, infrastructure, defence, and digital platforms.
As part of Pride Month, Netcompany UK hosted a Queer in Tech panel focusing on the importance of diverse voices and visibility in tech spaces and how it can help to drive powerful impact and innovation.
Finally, for those wanting to know what strategy the government is likely to deliver next, we hear it will be the Defence Industrial Strategy, meaning that six of the eight sector-focused plans will have been published. Expect that in the week to come, leaving just the Life Sciences and Financial Services plans.