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January reopened Europe’s deal engine, with scale back in focus. From Zurich’s £7.67bn approach to Beazley to Deutsche Börse’s €5.35bn Allfunds agreement, buyers prioritised distribution, fee resilience, and control. Private markets consolidation accelerated, while mining mega-merger talks reminded boards that 2026 could still deliver surprises. Across the continent, scrutiny intensified.
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US and India strike trade deal easing tariffs and reshaping energy flows. Washington will cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18% as New Delhi commits to ending purchases of Russian oil, a move already reverberating across equity markets, energy supply chains, and bilateral trade expectations.
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Zevero acquires Inhabit to enhance sustainability advisory services. Carbon accounting startup Zevero has acquired Inhabit, a provider of sustainability solutions, to bolster its advisory capabilities. The transaction will integrate Inhabit’s tools and services, enhancing Zevero’s platform with advanced automation and data visualisation.
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UK leaders link agentic AI adoption to reviving economic productivity growth. A House of Lords summit has called for wider deployment of agentic artificial intelligence to support small businesses and lift productivity, as the UK economy continues to show limited momentum following a subdued second half of 2025.
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Gateshead-based Thrift Energy Group has transitioned to employee ownership status. The retrofit specialist becomes one of the UK’s largest employee-owned businesses in its sector, as founder Derek Campbell steps back from day-to-day leadership following more than four decades in the industry.
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A new platform aims to expand women’s access to capital. Scottish entrepreneur Veenoo Sharma has unveiled a global initiative designed to increase women’s access to investment, influence, and policy networks, with its first public launch held at the Houses of Parliament earlier this month.
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Gumtree has partnered with GBG to streamline business onboarding processes. The marketplace is using GBG’s Know Your Business technology to verify home services providers faster, strengthen trust and safety, and support growth in one of its fastest-developing categories.
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Holmes Noble and MRA form partnership focused on board-ready leadership development. The alliance combines executive search with accredited coaching programmes, responding to persistent weaknesses in succession planning and high failure rates among newly appointed senior leaders.
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RAIDS AI has launched commercially following a successful beta testing phase. The AI safety monitoring platform is now live, targeting organisations deploying artificial intelligence across regulated and high-risk environments.
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The United States has officially exited the Paris Agreement. This makes the U.S. the only country to have left the pact, marking its second withdrawal. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature increases to below 2°C.