Acquires

• A UK regulator is calling for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to conduct a formal review of AI-driven tools being utilized within the finance sector. • In a separate strategic move, ING has acquired a 40% stake in a Spanish wealth management firm to expand its regional presence. • South Korea has officially transitioned to 24-hour trading for the Korean won, aiming to increase market accessibility and liquidity.

• Quarterhill has acquired the tolling solutions business from Conduent to expand its service offerings. • The acquired business specializes in providing tolling services for government transportation agencies, primarily operating in the United States and the United Kingdom. • This strategic move allows Quarterhill to integrate established government infrastructure services into its portfolio, strengthening its presence in the transportation sector.

London Theatre Company founded in 2017 by Hytner and former National Theatre colleague Nick Starr has been sold to company that owns 20-plus venues in UK and abroadThe Bridge theatre in London, opened in 2017 by the former National Theatre duo Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr, has been acquired by Trafalgar Entertainment in a sale that also includes the Lightroom venue for immersive art shows. Trafalgar Entertainment now owns the duo’s London Theatre Company (LTC).“After nine years, it feels like the right time to be moving on,” said Hytner, who described establishing the Bridge theatre – which has a flexible 900-seat auditorium – as a “thrilling experience”. Hytner directed several of the Bridge’s hits, including its opening promenade-style production of Julius Caesar and a long-running Guys and Dolls which ended with the audience dancing alongside the actors. Away from the Bridge, Hytner recently directed Giant at the Royal Court – which transferred to the West End and Broadway – and is staging James Graham’s new play, The Standard of Living, in the West End in September. Continue reading...

• SpaceX has agreed to acquire Anysphere, the developer of the AI coding assistant Cursor, in an all-stock transaction valued at $60 billion. • The deal, which converted from an option into a signed merger agreement on June 16, preempted a $2 billion funding round that would have valued Cursor at $50 billion. • This massive acquisition highlights SpaceX's strategic push to integrate advanced AI coding capabilities into its operations and software ecosystem.

• Meta Platforms has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup, in a $2 billion deal announced on May 7, 2026, focusing on autonomous agents that plan and execute complex tasks. • Manus specializes in agentic AI technology, enabling systems to independently handle multi-step processes without constant human oversight. • The acquisition positions Meta to expand its AI portfolio amid intensifying competition in generative and autonomous AI development globally.

• Meta acquired ARI, a US-based robotics AI startup, to bolster its efforts in humanoid robots and physical artificial general intelligence. • The deal focuses on developing software for real-world machine control and agentic systems. • This acquisition positions Meta as a leader in embodied AI, competing with rivals in robotics hardware and software.

• Datavault AI, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, revealed plans on May 4, 2026, to acquire CyberCatch AI for undisclosed terms to enhance AI-driven threat detection. • The deal bolsters quantum-resistant risk mitigation and real-time anomaly detection capabilities across finance, healthcare, and defense sectors. • Acquisition addresses rising AI security gaps, as enterprises face 40% more sophisticated attacks per recent reports.