Technology news in numbers

$7bn

Deliveroo’s valuation following a $180m series H funding round led by Durable Capital Partners and Fidelity Management & Research Company ahead of a “potential” initial public offering (IPO).

80,000

The number of .eu domains that have been suspended by EURid following the end of the Brexit transition period. It has suspended websites and related email addresses belonging to some 50,000 UK-based users following the European Commission’s decision that .eu domains must be registered in the EU or by an EU citizen.

18%

The percentage by which personal data loss incidents at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have increased in a year, according to official figures.There were 546 reported incidents where data was lost, disclosed without authorisation or disposed of insecurely in the 2019-20 period.

$4.1bn

The amount of venture capital and growth private equity that was invested in UK fintech across 408 deals in 2020.

27%

The percentage of British adults that have opened an account with a digital-only bank, a percentage increase of 16% on last year’s figures according to research by Finder.

$10m

The amount Ticketmaster was fined after “repeatedly” accessing the computer system of a rival company using stolen login credentials.

Top story

Boohoo snaps up Debenhams as ecommerce feasts on high street

In 1778 Debenhams opened its first shop in London and over the centuries its department stores grew to become a staple of the high street. Fast forward 242 years and the British multinational retailer has been snapped up by Boohoo, an online fashion retailer founded in 2006.

To be more precise, Boohoo has acquired the Debenhams brand and its website, jettisoning the firm’s remaining 118 physical stores and up to 12,000 jobs. It comes after years of financial struggle for Debenhams in what has become a familiar story for bricks-and-mortar retailers. The rise of ecommerce giants such as Amazon have increasingly eaten into high street revenues, but the pandemic has provided the knockout blow to those that have struggled through previous turmoil.

Debenhams administrator FRP Advisory said the £55m secured from Boohoo is “the best outcome for Debenhams’ stakeholders”.

For Boohoo, it’s an opportunity to acquire a 242-year-old brand for a fraction of its prior valuation; in 2011 it was valued at £1.6bn.

“This is a transformational deal for the group, which allows us to capture the fantastic opportunity as ecommerce continues to grow. Our ambition is to create the UK’s largest marketplace,” said Boohoo executive chairman Mahmud Kamani.

Feeding on the remains of the high street is familiar territory for Boohoo and other ecommerce players.

It has previously gobbled up struggling high street brands Oasis, Coast and Karen Millen, but again leaving the bricks and mortar stores on the scrap heap. Many have been left wondering what the high street will look like once pandemic restrictions are lifted.

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Image credit: Jasty / Shutterstock.com

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