Japanese Food Exports in First Half of 2025 Hit Record High
The record figures were pushed up in part by a 22% increase in exports to the US from a year earlier, as focus intensifies on the implementation of a US trade deal agreed last week aimed at closing the trade gap between the two countries.
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Business Wire
a few seconds ago
- Business Wire
Approov Closes £5M Series A Funding to Redefine Mobile App Security for the AI Era in Round Led by Maven Capital Partners
EDINBURGH, Scotland & PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Approov Limited, a leading innovator in mobile app and API security, has successfully closed a £5 million (US$ 6.7 million) Series A funding round. The investment, spearheaded by the Investment Fund for Scotland, managed by Maven Capital Partners ('Maven'), also saw participation from Souter Investments, and existing investors Lanza techVentures and Scottish Enterprise. Mobile ecosystems face AI-driven threats and regulations like the EU Digital Markets Act and UK laws. Independent app and API security is urgently needed. Approov delivers essential trust across fragmented platforms including non-GMS Android & HarmonyOS. Share This funding milestone enables Approov to bolster its Research & Development team in Edinburgh, driving the creation of advanced technologies to secure mobile applications and APIs against evolving threats in real time, including those powered by AI. The company's patented app attestation solutions protect apps from tampering and fraudulent API access, offering a critical defense in today's rapidly shifting cyber threat landscape. 'As the threat landscape continues to evolve, developers and enterprises alike are recognizing that mobile app security cannot be an afterthought. This funding marks a pivotal moment in our mission to ensure that every mobile app instance is authenticated and that backend APIs are protected from fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access.' — Ted Miracco, CEO of Approov Addressing Mobile Security Amid Global Regulatory Shifts The timing of this investment is particularly significant as global regulatory landscapes are undergoing transformative changes. The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers (DMCC) bill are reshaping the mobile app ecosystem, paving the way for competition beyond the app store duopolies controlled by Apple and Google. Approov's technologies empower developers to securely distribute apps directly to consumers, bypassing traditional gatekeepers and reclaiming up to 30% of revenues typically lost to platform fees. 'As mobile ecosystems face AI-driven threats and new regulations like the EU Digital Markets Act and UK consumer laws, the need for strong, independent app and API security is urgent. Approov delivers essential trust across fragmented platforms, including non-GMS Android and HarmonyOS. Maven Capital Partners' investment reflects growing recognition that API protection—across any device or OS—is key to securing digital infrastructure in this new cyber risk era.' — Dr. Edward Amoroso, CEO, TAG Infosphere; Former Chief Information Security Officer, AT&T Key Driver in This Investment Round Was Approov Intellectual Property Approov's patented solution provides real-time app attestation and runtime API protection, preventing exploits from tools such as rooted devices, emulators, app tampering frameworks, and credential stuffing bots. Trusted by global customers in healthcare, fintech, connected vehicles, and e-commerce, Approov helps ensure secure digital engagement even in the most hostile environments. 'Approov is a leading innovator in mobile app and API security with proven applications in multiple target sectors. With their strong IP and the growing demand for API-level defences across the industry, the business is uniquely positioned to lead this next era of mobile security. We look forward to working with Ted and the team to drive the business forward at such an exciting point in the company's growth journey.' — Craig McGill, Investment Manager, Maven Capital Partners, UK, LLC. 'This investment validates Approov's vision of a safer mobile app ecosystem. With increasing cyber risks driven by AI, Approov solutions provide the robust, scalable security mobile developers need to protect their applications and API communications. We are grateful for the confidence our investors have shown and are excited about the opportunity to expand our footprint in this critical market.' — Dr. Lucio Lanza, Chairman, Approov Limited and Founder Lanza techVentures About Approov: Approov's app attestation technology has been adopted by major organisations in high-stakes industries, demonstrating its real-world effectiveness. By reducing API attacks by over 95% and preventing bot attacks, man-in-the-middle exploits, and app tampering, Approov is creating a safer digital ecosystem. For more information about Approov's mobile security solutions, please visit ABOUT MAVEN CAPITAL PARTNERS LLP Maven (a subsidiary of Mattioli Woods plc) is a leading private equity house focused on the provision of flexible funding for high growth businesses, and one of the most active SME investors in the UK. Headquartered in Glasgow, and with offices throughout the UK, Maven has over 100 investment and support professionals providing a truly nationwide coverage. Maven has over £790 million funds under management and available to invest, and manages assets for a variety of client funds, including Venture Capital Trusts, MBO Fund, UK regional fund mandates, and Maven Investor Partners, a syndicate of institutional, family office and experienced investors. ABOUT THE INVESTMENT FUND FOR SCOTLAND Operated by the British Business Bank, the Investment Fund for Scotland (IFS) provides a mix of debt and equity funding. IFS will offer a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. It works alongside the in-region small business finance ecosystem, local intermediaries such as accountants, fund managers and banks, to support Scotland's smaller businesses at all stages of their development. The funds in which the IFS invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations across Scotland. Supported by Nations and Regions Investments Limited, a subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the Bank is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. Neither Nations and Regions Investments Limited nor British Business Bank plc are authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Forbes
2 minutes ago
- Forbes
The ‘9-9-6 Work Schedule' Could Be Coming To Your Workplace Soon
AI startups are glorifying exhaustion for the sake of productivity, implementing the '9-9-6 work schedule' in an attempt to 'win the AI race," according to recent reports. Tekendra Parmar, writing in last month's Inc., says, 'In a bid to outpace Chinese rivals, some AI startups are adopting that country's grueling '9-9-6 work schedule.' But the future of work might actually lie in working less, not more.' Parmar adds that the '9-9-6 work schedule' could actually hurt instead of help productivity. What Is The '9-9-6' Work Schedule'? Some AI startups are taking the workplace back to the dark ages, adopting the Chinese '9-9-6 work schedule' in which employees toil 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., six days a week from Monday to Saturday. Asian companies are known for overworking their employees, causing unmanaged chronic job stress, then burnout. When burnout is unaddressed, it can lead to karoshi--the Japanese term for death from overwork. Experts are calling the 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., six-day-week culture corporate abuse. Some of America's top business leaders work relentless hours. Google's Marissa Mayer reportedly has clocked up to 130 weekly hours. Tim Cook at Apple sends emails as early as 4:30 a.m. And Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla, is known to work 120 hour workweeks. Some members of the C-Suite expect their employees to match their '9-9-6 work schedules.' In 2022, Musk was accused of corporate slavery, perpetuating work abuse and job burnout. While praising Tesla China employees for "burning the three-3 a.m. oil,' he said Americans are 'trying to avoid going to work at all.' That same year, Musk declared an end to remote work in his company, laying off nearly half of his company's 7,000 workforce. In my 2022 interview with Jenn Lim, CEO of Delivering Happiness and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Beyond Happiness: How Authentic Leaders Prioritize Purpose for Growth and Impact, she said Musk was treating people like collateral damage instead of human beings, forgetting basic human decency in the way he was handling the layoffs. I spoke with Caitlin Collins, organizational psychologist and program strategy director at Betterworks, who asserts that extreme schedules erode workplace productivity. 'The notion that working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, drives innovation is deeply misguided,' Collins asserts. 'Research consistently shows that extreme schedules don't fuel productivity, they erode it. Sustained overwork leads to burnout, cognitive fatigue and disengagement, which directly undermine the creativity and focus AI companies rely on to innovate.' A large body of research shows that more time at your desk doesn't mean more output. A British study, for example, shows that employees who put in more than 11 hour workdays are 67% more likely to have a heart attack. And employees who work more than 54 hours a week are at higher risk of dying from karoshi. The Collective Delusion Of The '9-9-6 Work Schedule' As more organizations adopt the collective delusion of the '9-9-6 work schedule,' there's a call for redefining the wellness category in corporate America. It begins with changing the collective delusion that it's a badge of honor for employees to put their mental and physical health on the line, burn themselves out or sacrifice their lives to keep their jobs. Collins argues that work-life balance isn't a 'perk'; it's a business imperative. 'Employees perform at their peak when they have flexibility, mental space and the trust to integrate work into their lives rather than sacrifice their well-being for it,' she explains. 'Gen Z and younger talent are already rejecting burnout-as-a-badge culture, and companies that cling to these outdated models risk losing their most capable people.' Bringing 'Good Trouble' To The '9-9-6 Work Schedule' The Gen Z generation is bringing 'good trouble'--a term coined by activist and senator John Lewis for nonviolent protests against unjust situations--to the '9-9-6 work culture.' They're doing their part to usher a healthy mind, body and spirit into the workplace and create the potential for a sustainable career trajectory so the company's bottom line is guaranteed. Gen Z is re-writing the rules of the workplace to make them more humane and employee-centered. Glimmers of their impact as change agents are evident in 2025. The younger generation is revising outdated practices and modernizing how work gets done, accounting for flexibility, work-life balance and human values in general. Basically, they're pushing employers to rethink how collaboration happens and initiating such workplace trends as "conscious un-bossing" and 'micro-shifts.' Gen Z is adamant that they want to be seen for who they are, not vilified for being difficult to manage, just because they assert their constructive opinions. They want professional colleagues to understand that their values and career needs are different from—not inferior to—other generations. They want corporate America to refrain from trying to turn the clock back, forcing them into old, outdated work molds. And they want an end to pressuring and threatening employees with job loss, so they don't have to work in the shadows to maintain their mental health. By 2030 experts predict that Gen Z will dominate the American workforce. I culled six science-backed changes that Gen Z advocates for a more humane workplace, indicating what they want to commit to the companies they work for and flourish in their jobs and careers: According to Christine Royston, CMO at Wrike, these shifts are more than just generational preferences. They're signals of a permanent change in workplace productivity. Royston believes Gen Z is driving the adoption of smarter, more flexible collaboration platforms. A Final Wrap On The '9-9-6 Work Schedule' In the final analysis, job production is about finding a healthy work-life balance, not a profit versus humanity proposition. And finding it will continue to be a problem in 2025 unless significant changes are made in work practices, overtime demands and inefficient meetings. The challenge for companies is to create work cultures that blend productivity and profitability with humanity and physical and mental wellness not a '9-9-6 work schedule' to clone employees as robots to win the AI race.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla's July China-made EV sales fall 8.4%
BEIJING (Reuters) -Tesla's sales of China-made electric vehicles in July fell 8.4% from a year earlier, reversing a mild increase in June, in the face of rising competition from rivals offering lower-priced new models. Deliveries of Tesla's China-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, including exports to Europe and other markets, reached 67,886 units last month, down 5.2% from June, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Monday. Its biggest Chinese rival BYD, with its Ocean and Dynasty lineups of EVs and plug-in hybrids, maintained almost flat global passenger car sales at 341,300 vehicles in July.
