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London Officially Crowned the Biggest UK “Suntrap” City!

A new study by the team at Betway provides the ultimate sun-seekers travel guide by revealing the best spots for guaranteed sun, with The Big Smoke coming out on top as the biggest suntrap in the UK.

Taking a seedlist of some of the most populated cities around the world, the team ranked them on their sunshine credentials to discover which are the best spots to catch some rays. 

The team considered various factors when ranking each city, such as the average number of daylight hours in the year, which month of the year has the most sun, average annual temperature, the number of beaches/distance to the nearest beach, average annual rainfall and how windy the area is (km).

Although the weather in the UK is famously unpredictable, those living in London have slightly more exposure to sunshine compared to other parts of the country, with the English capital scoring 44.6/70 overall in the report.

The report found that London has one of the highest annual average temperatures in the UK, coming in at 11.1°C.

Reading follows closely behind as the second biggest suntrap in the UK, with an overall score of 39.6/70. The report found that Reading has one of the highest number of average annual daylight hours in the UK, with an average day length of 11:15.

Manchester was ranked the third biggest suntrap in the UK, with an overall score of 29.6/70. Although the ‘rainy city’ didn’t score too highly for average annual temperature, least amount of rainfall or number of sunshine hours, the report found Manchester comes out on top as the least windy city in the UK, with an average speed of 15.8km.

See how the top 10 UK cities ranked in the report: 

 CityScore /70
1London 44.6
2Reading39.6
3Manchester29.6
4Bournemouth28.7
5Brighton28.5
6Liverpool27.6
7Bristol26.1
8Birmingham25.8
9Derby25.7
10Plymouth23.8

The ‘SunTrap Cities’ report conducted by Betway reveals which cities around the world are the best spots for guaranteed sun. To find out more, please visit: https://blog.betway.com/casino/suntrap-cities-the-sunniest-places-in-the-uk-and-beyond/

Pure Drinking Water Without Single-Use Plastics: Unique Bluewater Rainwater Harvesting and Purification Tech by Innovative EV Charging Hub to Bring Drinking Water to Drivers

Bluewater, a global leader in innovating healthy and sustainable water purification and beverage solutions for home, HORECA, and public dispensing applications, are making history with a world-first rainwater harvesting and filtration system. The Scottish city of Dundee will see a state-of-the-art system installed for drivers, using a new EV charging station.

The new charging hub at Clepington Road, central Dundee, features an on-site solar canopy that can provide power for both the electric vehicle charge points and the Bluewater system.  Rainwater that falls on the canopy is collected and processed using multiple stages of advanced water filtration and purification technologies to create chilled and purified drinking water vended from the two on-site Bluewater dispensers. 

“The new EV Hub with Bluewater hydration solutions in Dundee is a game changer because it will provide clean water for the city’s residents and visitors for free, while reducing pressure on municipal resources and helping to build greater water resilience,” said Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri, one of Sweden’s foremost environmental entrepreneurs.  Rittri added, “In the past, drivers went to a petrol station, filled up the car and often at the same time ended up purchasing a beverage in a single-use plastic bottle.  The Dundee project represents the future of the service station, in being not only zero-emission but also zero-single-use-plastic.” 

Rittri believes the global problem of environmental pollution by plastics and chemicals – increasingly apparent in both marine and freshwater ecosystems – can be fixed using human ingenuity, which is why he is building a purpose-driven beverage organisation focused on innovating creative approaches to using water sustainably.  Bluewater represents the world’s most sustainable drinking water solution that ends the need for environmentally damaging single-use plastic bottles, and their associated high-carbon production and transportation. 

Bluewater UK Events and Venues Managing Director, Philip Russell, noted that Bluewater purification solutions have been verified in independent testing to efficiently remove PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ from tap water, providing peace of mind to consumers by removing up to 99.99% of health-threatening microplastics and chemicals such as toxic PFAS from tap water.  The tests were carried out by Bluewater and verified by the independent worldwide bio-analytical testing group Eurofins.  Russell added, “Fear of what is in tap water has driven millions of people worldwide to use bottled water, but research continues to show the potential health concerns associated with frequent use of bottled water.”  A study published in the journal Water Research and led by Johns Hopkins University researchers detected PFAS substances in 39 out of more than 100 bottled waters tested.  And in 2022, a French study showed that 78 percent of French bottled mineral water tested by the environmental group Agir pour l’Environnnement contained microplastics. 

The combination of low-carbon and sustainable technology solutions being deployed at the new public EV charging hub in Dundee resulted from a unique collaboration between Bluewater, Dundee City Council, and traffic technology group SWARCO.  The new hub features as the latest instalment of Dundee’s efforts to become the greenest city in Europe by investing in sustainable EV structures with 3.9 public EV charge points per square mile. The Bluewater Rainwater harvesting system integrates rainwater storage, controls, pumps, and mains water backup and was developed in close partnership with GRAF – a global market leader in rainwater harvesting technologies. 

In other innovations, the Bluewater system also includes an integrated digital signage solution with weatherproof 55-inch high-resolution video screens, allowing the EV charging hub operator to share information with users filling their reusable water bottles.  The media platform enables enhanced customer experience and the dissemination of high-value business and public service information, which can be used to give advice on how to avoid plastic and live a more sustainable lifestyle.  The screens operate using a built-in secure and stable cloud-based digital signage software developed by Bluewater partner Visual Art, an international leader in digital signage solutions.  The platform gives users complete control of a digital fleet no matter how many screens or where in the world they are located.

Special film by Yeni Rakı Global for the Centennial of the Republic: “Let’s honor our Republic at every table we will set this year”

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Yeni Rakı Global celebrates the centennial of the Republic with a film themed unity and solidarity. Yeni Rakı’s centennial celebration film, which was released on its global social media accounts across Europe on Monday, April 24, emphasizes the message “Let’s honor the Republic not just on October 29, but at every table we will set throughout 2023”.

In a film targeting foreign markets and Turkish citizens living abroad, Yeni Rakı Global, a brand distributed by Mey|Diageo in 30 countries worldwide, calls for the celebration of the Republic’s 100th anniversary by coming together every day, with open arms, at every table set outside the homeland.

The film, shot in Europe and Turkey, captures the enthusiasm of people celebrating October 29th anywhere and everywhere all around the world: on the beach, subway, boat, shops, streets, homes, and roads with their partners, family and friends, and significant others, waving flags, raising glasses, singing, hugging, and embracing. Emphasizing that the first century of the Republic deserves to be celebrated throughout the entire year, not just on a single day, the film sends the message “Let’s honor the Republic in all tables we will set throughout 2023, no matter where you are in the world”.

Tolga Karaçelik directed the commercial film for BLAB İstanbul.

Those living abroad can watch the film on Yeni Rakı Global’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and on Yeni Rakı Germany’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts.

CREDITS:
Brand: Mey|Diageo
Advertising Agency: BLAB İstanbul
Production Agency: Public Film
Director: Tolga Karaçelik
Post Production: İmaj
VO: Nejat İşler
Music: Comfortnoise

WePlay Ventures announces the launch of Europe’s biggest Acceleration Program for Gaming Startups

WePlay Ventures has launched Europes largest Game Acceleration Program. The game studios will be trained on various aspects of game development during the three-month program. Upon completion of the program, the studios will have the opportunity to receive investments.

London — WePlay Ventures, which recently expanded its operational region to Europe and Central Asia, has launched the largest Game Acceleration Program in Europe in collaboration with key players in the gaming ecosystem. Early-stage gaming studios that develop games for mobile, PC, console, and Web3 platforms in Europe, Central Asia, and Turkey will be able to apply to the program.

During the three-month program, studios will receive training in finance, business development, and strategy, as well as technical areas such as development, art and game design. They will have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals and benefit from their experiences. The gaming studios that successfully complete the program will have the opportunity to test their games with the world’s largest publishers and receive investment from WePlay Ventures.

Physical workspaces will be available in 13 countries

The Game Acceleration Program, created in collaboration with Europe’s top gaming companies, stands out from other programs due to its emphasis on securing the best investment and publishing opportunities. The program aims to foster knowledge-sharing and synergy among participants in the region. While the program will primarily take place online, physical workspaces will be available in 13 countries. Further details on the countries and program will be announced soon.

“We aim to find the most promising yet overlooked gaming studios”

Explaining that they are excited to have been working on this program for a long time, WePlay Ventures Managing Partner Bora Koçyiğit said; “At WePlay, we are committed to supporting early-stage gaming studios in every way we can. We have recognized that these studios require strategic and financial guidance, which forms the foundation of our Acceleration Program.”

“In collaboration with leading stakeholders in the European gaming ecosystem, we have created what we believe will be Europe’s largest game acceleration program. We are confident that the program will surpass expectations and benefit the entire gaming industry in the region,” he added.

Click here to apply and check out the program.

Contact: Oyku Uygan, [email protected]

Manchester-Based Property Investment Firm, Alliance Investments, Reveals a Second Luxury Development Project in Birmingham

Alliance Investments, based in Manchester, has unveiled its second Birmingham project. Neighbourhood Heights will be situated in Edgbaston – just minutes away from the city centre.

EXT ALL2301 Morville View 3 Final 1

The growing Manchester-based property investment firm has launched the initial available apartments in its most recent luxury development venture in Birmingham, Neighbourhood Heights. The project will entail the construction of 81 one- and two-bedroom apartments, and is scheduled to commence in Q2 of 2023.

Designed by architects with vast experience in the city, Neighbourhood Heights is exactly what Birmingham needs and is set to be the ideal home for young professionals, families and first-time buyers.

With a forecasted completion date of Q2 2025, and a GDV of £20.5m, Neighbourhood Heights will deliver a mix of comfort, connectivity and stylish interior design combined, to create homes that exceed expectations.

In addition to the first-class homes on offer, residents can also enjoy roof gardens, a communal lounge and work from home spaces, a community manager and a dedicated residents’ app which can be used to create clubs and forums, promote local businesses, manage tenancies and more.

Located in the Ladywood area of Edgbaston, one of Birmingham’s most well-known and popular areas. It is also a part of the city that is changing fast thanks to the huge amount of investment underway.

INT ALL2301 Morville 1BED Bedroom final 01 1

All apartments at Neighbourhood Heights will be available for sale through Alliance Investments from 24th April 2023, with properties available from £203,496.

Ronald Garrett, Managing Director of Alliance Investments states:

“Our team are delighted to be launching the sales of our second development project in Birmingham.”

“We have a proven track record of the area due to our previous sell out of Park Gate, and are confident of another successful project within Birmingham, due to a 27% house price increase for the city forecast by 2026”

To find out more about investing in Birmingham or purchasing a home within Neighbourhood Heights, please contact Alliance Investments here: https://www.alliance-investments.com/nbhd-heights

True Global Ventures 4 Plus Rebrands Its “Follow On Fund” to “Opportunity Fund” to Deepen the Focus on the Best Generative AI and Web3 Leaders

Generative AI is not just about text or chat tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Bard, nor is it just about creating new images and videos. Web3 is also not just about play-to-earn (P2E) gaming, or Decentralised Finance (DeFi).

Singapore – True Global Ventures (TGV) announced the strengthening of commitment to Generative AI beyond just Web3 with our latest rebranded fund, the “TGV 4 Plus Opportunity Fund”. This rebranding is to better position ourselves to leverage the best growth-stage Generative AI and Web3 investment opportunities during the current market conditions.

Generative AI goes deeper than just text based chats, with more fundamental use cases for productivity gains, additional revenue streams, and even creating unfair competitive advantages for many organisations if they know how to harness them correctly.

Industry transforming technologies like Generative AI are now being used in many more traditional industries like property management, legal firms, consulting advisory, customer service, construction, etc.

Based on TGV’s research, unfortunately many organisations and investors have not prioritised leveraging these disruptive solutions, and so we believe there is still an opportunity for large value creation in these generative AI companies.

The latest fund was previously known as the “TGV 4 Plus Follow On Fund”, which had its first close of US$146 million in June 2022. The General Partners committed over 40% of the current total fund size.

In addition to investing in Web3 leaders with a roadmap to employ Generative AI, the TGV 4 Plus Opportunity Fund will now also invest in growth-stage companies that specialise in Generative AI.

TGV has been investing in early-stage AI companies since 2011, making it an integral part of our investment thesis. While we only started investing in Web3 in 2016, many of the AI companies that we have previously invested in or tracked are now becoming mature and entering their growth-stage phase.

Several of our portfolio companies have already implemented Generative AI solutions into their businesses, particularly in the gaming and open Web3 Metaverses sectors. These solutions can quickly generate new landscapes, virtual items, avatars, non-playable characters, music, and more.


True Global Ventures has also implemented our own Generative AI strategy to use tools to help the fund and our portfolio companies be more efficient in sales, compliance, legal, marketing, communications, etc. The content and topics for our global online conferences also leverage Generative AI, where we usually have 400-500 participants join and weigh in with their diverse views. Now, Generative AI challenges these speakers to create even better content to share.

The TGV 4 Plus Opportunity Fund has invested in two global market leaders so far:

  1. Ledger, the global leader in the digital asset self custody space, which secures more than 20 percent of the world’s digital assets and 30 percent of the world’s NFTs with zero hacks ever. There is also data that shows that Ledger is an anti-cyclical company. During Terra/LUNA, FTX and SVB incidents, its hardware revenue sales went up, showing a high correlation to Gold ETF index price increase.
  1. Animoca Brands, global leader in Web3, which champions true digital asset ownership in the entertainment and open metaverse segments, having gained various accolades including being on the Financial Times (FT) ranking of High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2023 and Fortune’s Crypto 40 list.

We are glad to rebrand the fund as we see new and good opportunities. Contrary to the popular wait-and-see approach, with a curated pipeline of investments, we select industry leaders with attractive valuations and the potential to generate good returns. Through our global network of partners, we then help them turn real winners in a rapidly growing market,” says Konrad Wawruch, Managing Partner of the TGV 4 Plus Opportunity Fund.


Managing Partner of the TGV 4 Plus Opportunity Fund, Fredrik Adolfsson adds, “We believe that the growth equity market offers significant opportunities for investors, such as family offices, to gain exposure to transformative technologies. Technologies such as Generative AI and Blockchain could make their existing portfolio companies much more efficient and effective, giving them an edge and a competitive advantage.


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About True Global Ventures

TGV4 Plus Opportunity Fund (“Opportunity Fund”) completed its first closing in June 2022 for US$146m. The Opportunity Fund General Partners (GPs) who lead the fund and its Investment Committee, invest more than US$62m of their money into the fund. This represents a total GP commitment of over 40% of the total fund size, one of the highest in the Venture Capital industry.

The Opportunity Fund focuses on investing its capital into selected TGV 4 Plus base fund companies. Some of the existing portfolio companies include Ledger, The Sandbox, Animoca Brands, Chromaway, GCEX, etc. 


The utilisation of Artificial Intelligence, including Generative AI, and web3 technologies like Blockchain, have become integral components for our portfolio companies. These cutting-edge technologies are being leveraged as competitive advantages to drive transformative change and deliver proven products.

TGV has its focus in 20 cities globally, mainly in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Stockholm, Paris, London, San Francisco, New York, etc. Visit us at https://www.tgv4plus.com/, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Inquiries: [email protected]

Research shows vehicle cloning is on the rise in the UK

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Platehunter, a leading seller of DVLA private number plates, have shared their findings relating to the vehicle cloning epidemic in the UK, as cases continue to rise. The research seeks to bring further light to recent DVLA data showing that 12,300 UK citizens, between January 2021 and September 2022, received either fines, penalties or letters for misdemeanors involving other vehicles displaying their registration.


Additional research into the issue by Platehunter found that vehicle cloning has been on the rise for much longer. Their data indicates that 4,021 complaints of vehicle cloning were made in 2018 and 9,384 in 2019. They also found that a staggering 7,400 complaints were reported in 2020 when the Covid pandemic was at its apex.


Vehicle cloning occurs when someone steals or duplicates the private number plates of a vehicle that doesn’t belong to them. Criminals engage in vehicle cloning in order to commit other crimes using the car or to get out of traffic or parking fines. Crimes committed with stolen number plates may lead police to the legal owner of the car. Some criminals will also use vehicle cloning to sell a stolen car to an unsuspecting buyer.


Platehunter Sales Director Jon Kirkbright says, “People come to us because they’ve had the police on their doorstep asking why they made off from a garage without paying. Others have had speeding fines in London when they’ve never been there – all because someone has cloned their plate and used it to commit crimes.”
An uptick in Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology may be propelling the growth of cloned vehicles. Criminals will now target a car of the same make and model and clone the private number plate, making it more difficult for police to catch them. They can also target a vehicle with a clean record and clone the registration.


Police have advised the public to inform the DVLA immediately if they suspect their private number plates have been cloned. Platehunter is making it easy for victims of cloned vehicles to get new private number plates so they can return to the road with peace of mind.


Kirkbright says, “We’ve seen a 300% increase in the purchase of replacement car registration plates in the last 12 months. Buying a cheap number plate from platehunter.com will resolve all problems that come with having a number plate cloned. Best of all, it can be done the same day resulting in no further issues.”


For more information on obtaining new private plates at affordable prices, visit platehunter.com.

Royal Warrant Holder Introduces – NEW! Sandringham Wool Collection of Mattresses

The ‘Sandringham Wool Collection’ of deluxe handcrafted mattresses, created by Royal Warrant holders Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co., will bring new relevance to hyperlocal sourcing. Fully traceable wool is used in its bedding and mattresses from Aberfield sheep that graze on the Royal Estate.

Pre-industrial revolution, hyper-local sourcing was the only way for consumers and cottage industries to source their goods and raw materials- for director Amanda Oldfield when establishing Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. nearly twenty years ago- this was a key aspiration for the business.

Handmade to order in their workshop, all Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. bed frames are sculpted by hand from 100% British iron sourced from steel merchants within a 50-mile radius. “When we founded Wrought Iron, my philosophy was- look after your local business economy, and it will look after you”, Amanda adds. But hyperlocal sourcing also makes good business practice “being close to our suppliers and having them source the raw materials from within the British Isles, and we can hold a key focus on quality and ensure the miles travelled are kept to a minimum.” Amanda’s philosophy of hyperlocal sourcing exceeds all expectations in this new collaboration using wool from the flock on The Sandringham Estate. 

Although there’s no defined industry standard for the classification of ‘hyper-local’ sourcing, less than 100 meters from your front door certainly lives up to the expectations of this term. 

“For many years, I have been puzzled by mattress manufacturers looking overseas to source their wool when this country has an abundance of fleece. In the past, I’ve asked about wool being traceable back to the farm, and I have often been told- we don’t have the facility for that in this country!” Amanda adds, “Rubbish, I thought. Walking to work one day and surrounded by the organic pastures in North Norfolk, I thought to myself – surely there’s a way.” 

Working closely with The Sandringham Estate, the Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. have developed a limited collection of wool mattresses that are traceable back to the farms at Sandringham and, more so- traceable back to the individual bale of wool. 

“Authenticity and transparency are essential to our family company. The new collection, named ‘The Sandringham Wool Collection’, will use only fleece from the Estate within these mattresses,” adds Amanda. “This means once we have used the full yield, there will be a natural wait until next year’s yield before we start production adding to the collection again.” 

The benefits of using wool as a natural fibre for clothing and upholstery have been known for decades- a natural fibre that once formed the backbone of the British Isles dating back to the Elizabethan era. Naturally hypoallergenic and heat regulating, each mattress is handcrafted using traditional techniques that date back to the origins of the first pocket spring mattress. The new Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. collection is upholstered with 100% Aberfield Wool from the Estate and other sustainable, organic and natural fibres with a 30-year guarantee.

Visit www.wroughtironandbrassbed.co.uk for more details on their new Sandringham Wool collection. 

Virtual Press Event

To celebrate the launch of their new collection of Sandringham Wool Mattresses- Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. shall be hosting a virtual press event on Thursday, 20th April, with guest speakers from Made in Britain, British Wool and Sandringham Estate.

To register attendance for this virtual event – click here

SANDSIV and CX Touchpoints Group Join Together to Drive CX Transformation in Africa

Partnership Empowers Innovative Technology and Best-in-Class Approaches for Cameroon and Beyond

SANDSIV, the global leader in Customer Experience Management (CXM) and Voice of the Customer (VoC) enterprise solutions, today revealed the launch of a partnership with CX Touchpoints Group,  a pioneering organization in the realm of Customer Experience innovation and transformation throughout Cameroon and the wider African continent.

The partnership will position both organizations to enhance and expand their customer experience offerings, delivering market-disrupting technology innovation with sandsiv+ CXM software solution and mission-critical support and competencies to enable African-based and international companies operating in the African market to provide differentiated customer experiences at every stage of the customer life cycle.

The announcement comes at a crucial time, as African organizations in different industries – telecommunications, financial services, retail, hospitality, security, and government – look to elevate their customer experience maturity level while adopting a continuous learning approach. By prioritizing customer local needs and offering tailor-made technology solutions that align with a long-term strategy, the partnership between SANDSIV and CX Touchpoints Group is committed to revolutionizing the customer experience landscape in Africa, enabling businesses to provide differentiated customer experiences and fostering long-lasting customer loyalty.

“We welcome CX Touchpoints Group to the SANDSIV family and are looking forward to an exciting new partnership. With their deep expertise in CX strategy and design, we believe we can help our customers deliver outstanding experiences that differentiate them from their competitors and drive sustainable growth”, said Mirko Buonerba, Strategic Alliances Manager of SANDSIV.

Kpunsa F. Mbinkar, Founder of CX Touchpoints Group, added: “We are excited to team up with SANDSIV to offer our clients a comprehensive and powerful CX solution that combines data, analytics, and design. We are confident that this alliance will enable us to help our customers achieve their CX goals and aspirations, and make a positive impact on their business and society.”

Discover how SANDSIV and its partners are revolutionizing CX worldwide by visiting https://sandsiv.com/partners/.

Raam Shankar appointed as co-chair of TiE Global’s sustainability arm

Equitus World founder will help magnify the message around sustainability on a worldwide stage

Equitus World founder Raam Shankar has been named co-chair of TiE Global’s Sustainability and Impact Special Interest Group (SIG). 

TiE Global, one of the world’s largest entrepreneurs networks, has chapters in numerous cities and regions across the world and has been fostering entrepreneurship for over 30 years.

Raam will help magnify the message around sustainability on a worldwide stage. 

It comes after the leader of Equitus, which has bases in Manchester, London and Bangalore, became President of TiE UK North earlier in 2023. 

He said: “Sustainability is a key component of innovation in this day and age. 

“This SIG aims to promote sustainability, sustainable practices while creating a positive impact across the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems it operates in. 

“For a business leader in the north west to be invited to be a co-chair on a sustainability initiative at a global scale is a pleasure and a privilege.”

TiE Global is a nonprofit venture devoted to the entrepreneurial life cycle in all industries and was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. 

The heart of TiE efforts lie in its five foundational programs – mentoring, networking, education, funding, and incubation.

Other TiE Global’s Special Interest Groups centre on education, manufacturing, healthcare, fintech, cybersecurity, hospitality and tourism and gaming media and entertainment.