- Cliff Equity
- Posts
- 📈 Beauty Tech’s £350m IPO Gives City a Glow-Up
📈 Beauty Tech’s £350m IPO Gives City a Glow-Up
Google Drops AI Pledge, Picks Up Power
This is Cliff Equity, the UK’s business newsletter that keeps you informed on what’s important in tech, business and finance in less than 5 minutes
In today’s stories:
Beauty Tech’s £350m IPO Gives City a Glow-Up
Google Drops AI Pledge, Picks Up Power
US Postal Service Hits Pause on China Parcels!
The summary: The Beauty Tech Group’s £350m IPO could give London’s stock market a much-needed boost, as the booming beauty gadget industry, soaring revenues, and global ambitions make it a glowing opportunity for investors.
The details:
Beauty meets the big leagues – The Beauty Tech Group, home to celeb-loved gadgets like CurrentBody, is eyeing a £350m London IPO in 2025, giving the sluggish stock market a much-needed glow-up.
Manchester’s beauty empire expands – With brands like ZIIP Beauty and Tria Laser now in its arsenal, the company raked in over £100m in revenue last year, up from £80m, with 77% of sales coming from international markets.
A market on the rise – The beauty tech industry is booming, with global sales forecasted to hit a 17% annual growth rate until 2026, and The Beauty Tech Group keen to ride the wave.
Gearing up for a grand entrance – Backed by Berenberg bankers and boasting partnerships with Harrods and Manchester University, CEO Laurence Newman is ready to take his LED wands and laser gizmos to the London Stock Exchange.
Why it matters: A £350m IPO from a fast-growing beauty tech firm could give the London Stock Exchange a much-needed facelift, proving it’s still an attractive home for ambitious UK companies. With global beauty gadget sales set to surge and The Beauty Tech Group already raking in over £100m, investors might fancy a slice of the glowing profits. If successful, it could also stop Britain’s top firms from packing their bags for Wall Street, showing there’s still some life left in the City’s listing scene.
The summary: Google’s AI ethics are getting a makeover, with national security now in the mix, big money flowing in, and a future where AI isn’t just answering search queries—it’s shaping global power plays.
The details:
Google’s parent, Alphabet, has quietly dropped its AI pledge to avoid “harmful” uses—meaning AI-powered weapons and surveillance tech are now on the table. So much for “Don’t be evil.”
Execs James Manyika and Demis Hassabis argue that AI should “support national security,” as democracies must lead the charge—because nothing says ethical AI like geopolitics.
With AI now as ubiquitous as smartphones, Google is splashing $75bn on AI projects this year—far more than Wall Street expected—while its Gemini AI muscles in on search results and Pixel phones.
Back in 2018, Google employees revolted against AI military contracts. Fast forward to 2025, and it seems the company's moral compass has been recalibrated… to "Do the necessary thing."
Why it matters: Google quietly shifting its AI ethics goalposts signals a future where tech giants prioritise power plays over past promises—expect AI to show up in warfare and surveillance sooner rather than later. With billions pouring into AI, control is shifting from cautious researchers to corporate and political interests, making the race less about innovation and more about who wields the sharpest algorithm. If employees once stopped Google from militarising AI, they might find it harder to put the genie back in the bottle this time.
The summary: Trump’s tariff frenzy is stirring up global trade, with China fighting back, Mexico and Canada striking deals, and supply chains bracing for a rather bumpy ride ahead!
The details:
The US Postal Service has slammed the brakes on parcels from China and Hong Kong, just as Trump cranks up the tariff war—because nothing says ‘free trade’ like a surprise delivery ban.
Trump’s latest tariff tantrum slaps 10% levies on Chinese goods, while Beijing retaliates with duties on US energy and an investigation into Google—because why settle for one trade war when you can have several?
Mexico and Canada dodged Trump’s tariff hammer—for now—by promising tougher border controls and a crackdown on fentanyl. Canada’s even getting a ‘fentanyl tsar’—because apparently, that’s a thing now.
China isn’t just filing a WTO complaint—it’s hitting back with fresh export controls on key rare metals, making life difficult for industries that rely on them. Tariffs: the "most beautiful" word in Trump’s dictionary, but an absolute nightmare for global markets.
Why it matters: Trump’s tariff tirade isn’t just a political flex—it’s a seismic shake-up for global trade, potentially driving up costs for businesses and consumers alike. With China slapping back and tightening its grip on crucial rare metals, supply chains could get messier than a Sunday roast gone wrong. Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico’s last-minute manoeuvres to dodge tariffs show just how much economic chaos one man with a love for trade wars can conjure.
Trending stories
How would you rate today's edition: |