Business
First NFT integrated agency launched in Manchester
The first NFT-focussed integrated agency has officially launched in Manchester.
Anna and Alex Moss, directors and co-founders of digital marketing agency FireCask, have joined forces with two co-founders in the crypto space – Alexander Golombeck and Sheraz Ashiq – to unveil NFTU: A company specialising in collaboration, production, marketing and tools within the NFT (non-fungible tokens) industry.
The self-professed goal of the company is to build a bridge between the digital and traditional word of arts through accessibility, education, trust and creativity, and ‘help facilitate NFT adoption to the masses’.
NFTU has already secured a number of high-profile clients – including an NFT artist who will be handling the world’s first ‘utility token’ drop.
NFTU also has also recruited several big names to its Board of Directors, including music producer Eddie Kramer (who’s worked with Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Bad Company and The Beatles) and media creative Tim Searle (2DTV, Baby Cow Animation with Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, Tiger Aspect Productions, Beano Studios, CBBC, Aardman Animations).
The NFTU board also stars Nunan and Cartwright – a three generational family of independent artists – and Selena Støback, a Social Impact Director with a wealth of experience supporting civil society, NGOs and NFPs.
Also on the company board is Adam Malach – Head of Cyber Security Advisory at The Post Office and a results-driven professional experienced in InfoSec assurance, vulnerability management, operations, incident response, network security and compliance.
Co-Founder & CMO Anna Moss said: “This is such a new and exciting industry to be a part of and I am looking forward to working with new and established artists to help them reach new audiences.
“I love the idea of working with traditional artists and helping guide them through the world of NFTs as well as working with those who are already established.”
Fellow Co-Founder Alex Moss added: “The NFT space is an interesting and crazy place to be. Navigating the ecosystem and discovering the curations you need is becoming increasingly more complex in a metaverse that is already complicated to begin with.
“NFTU is going to help true creatives produce and collaborate on NFTs that will stand the test of time. We’re already excited about some of the collaborations we have in production at the moment and can’t wait for them to drop.”
Fellow Co-Founder Alexander Golombeck said: “NFTs merge trust and creativity in a seamless way; and have the opportunity to make the concept of ownership more transparent and equitable.
“At NFTU we aim to bring together ideas from all over the world – to produce and market NFTs that create and hold both financial and cultural value.”
Business
Deliveroo is set for a multi-billion dollar buyout from a takeaway rival
Danny Jones
UK takeaway service Deliveroo is set for a massive takeover by a fellow delivery business rival, said to be worth several billion.
The British multinational is known nationwide, occupying one of the biggest market shares alongside competitors Just Eat and Uber Eats, but now the takeaway delivery service is set to be swallowed up by an even bigger brand based in the US.
As reported on Tuesday, 6 May, American delivery firm DoorDash – the biggest of its kind in the States – looks set to complete an estimated £2.9 billion buyout, which will see Deliveroo folded into their growing global portfolio.
This massive deal will see the company’s presence in more than 40 countries further consolidated, already serving somewhere in the region of 50 million customers every month.
According to the likes of Reuters, Bloomberg and BBC, DoorDash is offering 180p per share, which is a 44% increase on Deliveroo’s share price from the point when initial takeover talks were made public in April 2025.
Speaking in a joint statement on the impending buyout, the two firms said: “The combination with Deliveroo will strengthen DoorDash’s position as a leading global platform in local commerce.”
Founded by chief executive Will Shu back in 2013, Deliveroo is now considered one of the big three in the food delivery industry’s UK scene, but is set to get much bigger under the DoorDash umbrella.
As for DoorDash, CEO and co-founder Tony Xu went on to add: “Coming together with teams that have similar visions and values accelerates our work to achieve that mission. Deliveroo is just such a team and one that I have long admired.
“Like DoorDash, Deliveroo is obsessively focused on their customers – consumers, merchants, and riders. They work day in and day out to improve their consumer value proposition, bring new services to local businesses, and offer flexibility and support to riders.”
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This isn’t the only big move they’ve made even just this week; in fact, the giant not only purchased Deliveroo but also New York’s restaurant technology company, SevenRooms Inc., which means they have forked out over $5bn in roughly five hours.
Put simply, this seriously big business and even bigger money that could make a big impact on UK hospitality and culinary convenience.
Obviously, full ratification via the SEC and so on is yet to be announced, but it looks like pretty much a done deal already.
So yeah, be prepared to see the name DoorDash being advertised up and down the country a lot more moving forward.
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Featured Images — @shopblocks/Focal Foto (via Flickr)
Business
Global sportswear brand PUMA to open new UK HQ in £87m Manchester development
Emily Sergeant
PUMA is set to open its new UK headquarters right here in Manchester.
It has been announced that the global sportswear brand has agreed a 20,000 sq ft lease of cutting-edge workspace in what is turning out to be one of the city’s most exciting destinations for technology, digital innovation, and creative businesses, Circle Square.
Set to take shape on the Oxford Road Corridor, PUMA’s new HQ will be in the £87 million development being brought forward by Bruntwood SciTech – which is a joint venture between property developers Bruntwood, L&G (Legal & General), and Greater Manchester Pension Fund.
No.3 Circle Square, which is where PUMA will be calling home, forms the latest phase of the neighbourhood’s ‘masterplan’, offering 15 floors of new workspace focused on innovation businesses.
According to developers, the building is currently finalising construction and will open this summer.
PUMA may already have an existing small presence in Manchester, but this move sees the brand relocate its UK HQ from London to Manchester.
The new Manchester HQ will be home to the company’s sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, people and operations, and direct to consumer departments.
PUMA says its new Manchester base will allow it to work side-by-side with existing forward-thinking and disruptive businesses and institutions that are already located at the Circle Square campus, and in the wider city centre, and provide it with new opportunities to collaborate and innovate as it continues to focus on innovation and advancing performance.
The location will also put PUMA on the doorstep of the city’s world-leading academic institutions too, giving it access to Manchester’s top STEM and creative talent in the city.
“The move to Circle Square and state-of-the-art facilities on offer forms a key part of our strategy for providing PUMA’s employees with a first class working environment with top facilities and amenities,” commented Lucynda Davies, who is PUMA’s UK Managing Director, as the new UK HQ was announced this week.
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“Being surrounded by such a strong line up of industry was an important factor, and to find somewhere in the heart of Manchester’s thriving tech community is exactly what we hoped for.
“We’ve already experienced many of the gains that a thriving city like Manchester affords… and now, through our new UK HQ, we look forward to further integrating ourselves in the city’s innovative community.”
Featured Image – Bruntwood SciTech
The Manc -
6th May 2021 
