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  • 📈 GSK's £50m Bet: Vaccines vs Cancer

📈 GSK's £50m Bet: Vaccines vs Cancer

£32M Fuels Amplience’s Digital Domination

January 27, 2025

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:

  • GSK's £50m Bet: Vaccines vs Cancer

  • £32M Fuels Amplience’s Digital Domination

  • £25M Boosts iplicit’s Bid to Top Sage!

The summary: GSK and Oxford are teaming up to tackle cancer at its roots with cutting-edge vaccines, aiming to turn groundbreaking science into lifesaving breakthroughs (and a tidy profit, naturally).

The details:

  • GSK bets £50m on cancer vaccines: Partnering with the University of Oxford, the pharma giant is exploring if vaccines can halt pre-cancerous cells in their tracks before they turn nasty.

  • A tumour’s Achilles’ heel: Using Oxford’s expertise in neoantigens (tumour-specific proteins), researchers aim to teach the immune system to sniff out and destroy dodgy cells before they go rogue.

  • mRNA magic at work: With personalised vaccines already being tested, cutting-edge mRNA tech is turning tumour genetics into tailor-made treatments, albeit at a steep cost.

  • Big ambitions, bigger stakes: Backed by ministers and university bigwigs, the programme hopes to rewrite cancer’s grim script while offering a lucrative edge in the booming cancer vaccine race.

Why it matters: GSK and Oxford are plotting a pre-emptive strike on cancer, potentially turning it from a devastating diagnosis into a preventable inconvenience. By blending cutting-edge mRNA wizardry with tumour-specific tech, they’re giving our immune systems the cheat codes to stop cancer before it starts. If they crack it, we’re looking at a revolution in medicine—and pharma profits to match.

The summary: Amplience’s £32 million boost is set to supercharge e-commerce with AI-driven content, slicker shopping experiences, and a clear lead in the digital retail race.

The details:

  • London-based Amplience has bagged £32 million from AshGrove Capital, bringing its total funding to over £210 million and fueling its mission to revolutionize e-commerce content with generative AI.

  • Founded in 2008, the platform helps retailers in EMEA and North America deliver top-notch digital experiences via CMS and DAM tools, slashing production costs and boosting sales conversions.

  • Fresh cash will accelerate Amplience’s growth, enhance its AI-powered content production features, and solidify its leadership in making shopping less painful and more profitable.

  • With backing from AshGrove, Farview, and Octopus, the company’s management team is well-equipped to navigate its next chapter, promising smoother experiences for customers and investors alike.

Why it matters: E-commerce thrives on speed, slick experiences, and content that actually converts—Amplience is doubling down on all three with a hefty cash injection. By blending generative AI with content management wizardry, they're helping retailers ditch clunky shopping experiences that scare off customers. With heavyweight investors on board, it’s a sign that the future of shopping lies in smarter, faster, and more seamless digital interactions.

The summary: With £25M in the bank and a sleek, cloud-native approach, iplicit is shaking up the UK’s cloud accounting scene, leaving Sage and its competitors scrambling to keep up.

The details:

  • A shake-up in the books: Sage, the stalwart of UK cloud accounting, is facing a mid-market mutiny. Enter iplicit, a London-born contender armed with £25M and ambitious plans to disrupt the £2B market.

  • From scrappy startup to serious threat: Since 2019, iplicit has enjoyed over 100% year-on-year growth, proving that mid-sized businesses are ready to ditch clunky legacy systems for sleek, scalable solutions.

  • Sage under siege: With big dogs like NetSuite and Microsoft nibbling at Sage's enterprise turf and Xero ruling the SME roost, iplicit now aims to claim the mid-market crown.

  • What’s in your ledger?: While Sage and co. cater to specific niches, iplicit is positioning itself as the go-to for ambitious mid-market firms who’ve outgrown entry-level options and are itching for cloud-native freedom.

Why it matters: Sage might have ruled the roost for years, but iplicit is charging in with a fresh, cloud-native approach that’s got the mid-market buzzing. With £25M in fresh funding and rapid growth, iplicit’s not just playing catch-up—it's gunning for the crown. As businesses tire of clunky, outdated systems, the future of cloud accounting looks more like a competitive race than a monopoly.