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Google rumoured to be building AI business in China
 As the country sets out its ambitious goals to be the world leader in the field by 2030, the US tech giant is quietly looking to get its own foothold established

Output: Google is thought to be building a team of artificial intelligence (AI) specialists in China, after of job advertisements were noticed searching for key machine learning technicians in Beijing. In July, the Chinese government set out a plan to overtake the US and become the global leader in AI by 2030. China's AI application market is projected to grow 50% annually, compared to the 20% forecast across the global market, according to McKinsey. The sector is predicted to be worth CNY150bn ($23bn) by 2020, the Chinese government said.


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Dubai development accepting bitcoin for sales of off-plan flats
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A 250 million pound ($325 million) luxury development has been launched in Dubai — and the people behind it don't mind if you pay in bitcoin. Announced Wednesday by British entrepreneurs Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman, Aston Plaza and Residences spans more than 2.4 million square feet and is split across two 40-storey residential towers. Its developers claim that it will be the "first major development" to be priced in the virtual currency bitcoin. "Being a designer for 21 years, it's a real passion of mine as the design side, and it's great to be partnering up together as well to launch this. And this is the first major global development where you can purchase in bitcoin," Mone told CNBC in an interview last week ahead of the announcement. "Previously there's been an apartment here and there's been a house here and there, but never a £250 million development, so it's really exciting to be involved in." Mone founded the lingerie brand Ultimo in 1996 through her company MJM International. She now owns the interior design firm Michelle Mone Interiors, which will be responsible for building main walkways and reception areas.

Aston Plaza and Residences

She is also a lawmaker in the U.K.'s upper chamber of parliament, and was appointed by former Prime Minister David Cameron two years ago.

Why bitcoin?

Mone's partner Barrowman, who is chairman of the Knox Group of companies, said that the pair chose bitcoin as part of the virtual token's emergence as a more "mainstream" means of investment. "I've been invested in the crypto world for the last couple of years really, and it's a sector I've watched grow and emerge," the venture capitalist told CNBC in an interview. "So I see it coming to that stage where the early adopters are giving way to a more mainstream application of cryptocurrency, and therefore it's a logical extension to take land and buildings and effectively offer people the opportunity to pay in cryptocurrency or bitcoin rather than just fiat currency." Barrowman said the "crypto world" would warm up to the property development as investors who don't wish to live in the property can receive a nine percent return on their investment after completion. "And that finds favor with how the crypto world operates, they like to be rewarded discounts, on ICOs (initial coin offerings), to allow them to buy into things. And I just think it's quite groundbreaking what we're doing," he added.

It's the currency of the future. Michelle Mone British entrepreneur and parliamentarian

Several governmental authorities have expressed concern over a lack of regulation for cryptocurrencies. On Monday, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) was just one of several Chinese authorities to announce a clampdown on initial coin offerings (ICOs). ICOs are used by start-ups to raise funds by flogging off new digital tokens. But, addressing regulatory concerns about the virtual cash, Mone said that she would not be getting involved in bitcoin if it wasn't a trustworthy investment. She said: "It's the currency of the future. And I think because everything is logged and registered, everything's transparent, that I wouldn't be getting involved in it — especially from the House of Lords element, I'm a baroness — so I wouldn't be getting involved in it if it was a kind of 'dodgy' industry."

Aston Plaza and Residences

She referred to several laws which have been put in place to try and regulate cryptocurrencies. The Isle of Man, a small independent island between England and Ireland, introduced its own legal framework to force crypto businesses to fall into compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) laws in 2015. Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in July that federal securities laws could apply to token sales.

'Not a gimmick'

Mone refuted the idea that the bitcoin-priced development was a "marketing gimmick". "It's not a gimmick. These people do want to buy things with their bitcoin," she told CNBC Wednesday morning. "So we're here, they can buy a studio apartment, a one bedroom, a two bedroom, they can go online right now … and buy that apartment within minutes." She added: "These people have had bitcoin right from the very start, years ago, and at the start of the year in January it was (worth) $800 a bitcoin. Now, yes it's dipped slightly, but it's around … $4,500 at the moment." The hit a low of $4,037 on Tuesday, down 20 percent from its all-time high of $5,000 over the weekend.

watch now

It managed to make a recovery Wednesday, currently trading at $4,519, according to CoinDesk's price index.

Project to be completed by September 2019

Output: Aston Plaza and Residences, an Isle of Man firm, has launched a £250m luxury residential development in Dubai with the option to buy properties in bitcoin. It claims to be the first major development to be priced in bitcoin. The partners, Baroness Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman, are keen on bitcoin and foresee investors wishing to ditch the volatility of bitcoin for a safe return and a real asset. The development is set to be completed in September 2019 and initial starting prices of the flats are $133,918, or 30 bitcoin. The development includes 1,000 flats and a shopping centre.


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Mercedes-Benz Van invests $50m in Uber competitor Via
 Daimler

For almost a decade, Mercedes' parent company, Daimler, has been preparing for a future where fewer people buy a car.

In 2008, the German automaker launched Car2Go, a car-sharing service that amassed two million members in October 2016.

Last April, Daimler launched Moovel, a series of apps that allow users to book and pay for public transportation and see how well it integrates with other transit options, such as bike- or ride-hailing services, to get to a final destination.

And now Daimler is investing in Via in order to launch the ride-sharing service in London by the end of the year and other European cities to follow. Via and Daimler did not disclose the funding amount in its Monday announcement, but Mercedes-Benz Van will invest an additional $50 million in Via as part of the new partnership.

The Via partnership is just the latest in a series of Daimler investments geared at preparing for the decline of car ownership. Via is essentially an on-demand bus by allowing users to book a ride in a shuttle that's heading in the same general direction.

"By deepening our cooperation with Via, we are thus taking the next logical step in the context of our strategy for the future and are expanding our range of new mobility services," Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, wrote in a statement.

The percentage of households without a car has increased slightly in the last five years, the most recent data from the American Census Bureau shows. Experts in the auto industry expect the trend to continue as millennials increasingly elect to live in cities where it's expensive to own a car.

A recent study showed people use cars less frequently when a ride-hailing service is available.

Daimler got a head start on the pivot to mobility services, but other automakers have since followed suit. Toyota recently invested in Grab, an Uber competitor in Southeast Asia. General Motors, Ford, and BMW have all launched their own car-sharing services.

It's still unclear whether or not the death of car ownership is imminent or still a more distant reality.

Although no-car households are becoming slightly more common, a 2016 Strategic Vision Study found that millennials would still rather own a car than rely on ride-hailing services. In 2014, millennials bought more cars than Generation X for the first time.

Still, car companies seem to think the threat is big enough to warrant multi-million investments in mobility services. How these services will ultimately affect public transit, congestion, and car-spending habits in the long-term remains to be seen.

Output: German car maker Daimler has invested an estimated $50m in on-demand shuttle bus service Via though its Mercedes Benz Van division. It plans to launch the service in London by the end of the year before a wider European roll-out. Volker Mornhinweg, the head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said: "We are taking the next logical step in the context of our strategy for the future and are expanding our range of new mobility services." The move follows General Motors, Toyota, Ford and BMW, which have also launched or invested in vehicle-sharing services.


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Microsoft, Google patent tech for identifying trendsetters
 New patents aim to identify and encourage online experts and influencers — with implications for brands and content creators.

Where is this data coming from? Start your free trial today Email Where is this data coming from? Start your free trial today Email

The CB Insights Patent Search Engine surfaced two patents this week that prove Google and Microsoft are eager to inject quantitative tech into the “Influencer Economy.”

Google applied for a patent focused on pinpointing, notifying, and rewarding “trendsetters” – aka early consumers of online content that ends up goes viral. In addition, this identification could ultimately help Google predict what content may go viral.

Microsoft applied for a patent focused on detecting, classifying, and scoring “experts” for their expertise on specific topics based on their online activity.

Both patents address common pain points of the social media ecosystem: Consumers want to be recognized for being first to notice and share videos, memes, or other content before they go viral. At the same time, brands want to be able to identify high-value influencers who they can tap into for their social-media marketing and business development efforts. And finally, a system for better predicting virality would also be extremely useful to content creators.

The new Google and Microsoft patents help put data behind identifying, rewarding, and encouraging social media influence.

Innovation Summit: (N+1) Trends Download this presentation from the CB Insights Innovation Summit to see the technologies, business models and distribution innovations that you should watch for in the next 5 to 10 years. Email

Google’s “trendsetter” patent was filed in May 2017 and published on August 17, 2017. The Microsoft patent was filed in February 2016 and published August 31, 2017. Both patents pose benefits for internet users and the platforms they utilize, but they have as many differences as similarities. We explore the patents in detail later in this post.

Both patents detail ways to “score” users for their trendsetting (in the case of Google) and expertise (in the case of Microsoft). Google’s patent makes mention of awarding a digital “trophy or badge” – or even a “coupon or cash” reward – to an early consumer of content that goes viral. Microsoft’s patent creates an Expert profile for a user once his or her expertise has been identified and classified.

Scores, badges, and the like are highly popular among social media users and active members of forums like Reddit and Quora. Much like Twitter’s “Verified” badge, Google’s and Microsoft’s patents could lead to sought-after identifiers for social media users as “Experts” or “Trendsetters.”

By building a system to identify and reward trendsetting and expertise, Google and Microsoft could also advance network-effect benefits that can help high-value people or content be identified sooner:

Google’s “trendsetter” patent incentivizes internet users to “seek out and share content that they think will become popular” because doing so boosts their potential to earn rewards, or to make said content go viral.

The Microsoft “expert” patent creates an Expert Profile for a user once an individual or entity hits a “topic score over a certain threshold” based on their online activity. If having an expert designation is desirable to the user, he or she could be incentivized to create and share more original content.

Once implemented, both innovations could also be leveraged for gamification and monetization opportunities around content creation, consumption, and data-sharing. Notably “influencer” startups saw a record high in investments this year.

Read on for explanations of the individual patents, and remember when you share this article that the Experts at CB Insights were the Trendsetters who gave these insights to you first.

Google Patent: Notifying Users That Were Early Consumers Of Popular Media Content

Google’s patent 20170238156 encompasses identifying, notifying, and rewarding individuals (based on historical data) for being among the first X% of users to access a content item of any type – video, document, image, etc. – once that item has been ranked as popular or viral, based on the number of times it has been accessed.

The patent notes two types of trendsetters that could be identified and notified – “trendsetters that were responsible for the rise in popularity of a popular content item can be differentiated from those who were merely early viewers of the content item.”

The diagram below shows how the system could be structured – envisioning a “trendsetter platform” and “notification system” that would be embedded into a content platform, with quotas set to issue notifications or awards at predetermined thresholds or times.

The system factors in different parameters for judging a user’s status around an interaction with a given piece of content. It also addresses several different use cases that could impact how a content provider rewards a Trendsetter:

Source – Did Tom introduce the link to the content into the social network, or was he among the first to click the link once it was already introduced?

Threshold – Is Tom one of the first content consumers to watch the video all the way through? Or one of the first to make it 75% of the way through it?

Demographics – Is Tom the first person in his city/state to watch the video? Was he among the first X% of men in the US to watch?

The patent notes that trendsetter status/notifications can be shared at the user’s discretion or if it aligns with the objectives of the content provider.

Notifications can also integrate with additional information on content consumption history to tell “Erin” other videos she should watch.

Further components address the integration of predictive functionalities – suggesting that ongoing identification and notification of trendsetters could ultimately help content providers predict or infer which ones will ultimately become viral.

Microsoft Patent: Expert Detection in Social Networks

Microsoft’s patent 20170249388 focuses exclusively on recognizing and classifying experts for their subject-matter expertise based on their online activity. It notes that social media has made individuals’ niche expertise far more valuable than in prior eras – making it crucial to ID experts with “high recall and high precision.”

In the patent, Microsoft outlines a system that collects and clusters linked topics to differentiate them, detect the type of content, and then process the domain of expertise it falls under.

Microsoft envisions the process as looking like the figure above, noting that the technology “may be applicable to any social network structure and should, therefore, work on any software that supports such user structure (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, email, etc.).”

Using the above structure, the expert detection process would:

Identify the expertise of a person or entity by analyzing online activity and then categorizing their expertise (or lack thereof) on a given set of topics

Create profiles that may include shared links, activity timelines, and so on, which are then configured to be searchable so users can be identified based on a granular understanding of their areas of expertise

Enable users to browse and search for expertise data via the “expert interfaces”

Based on the diagrams in the patent, the system appears to show expertise categories starting broad during the search process, then drilling down into more granular subject matter areas.

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Output: Microsoft and Google are investing in technology to help them identify and predict social media trends, patent applications have revealed. Google has applied to patent systems for spotting and rewarding "trendsetters" who spot and share content that then gets picked up more widely, which could help the company predict what will go viral. Meanwhile, Microsoft has applied to patent similar systems for identifying social media "experts" on different topics, based on their activity. Together, the two innovations provide new opportunities for users to be rewarded, and to more effectively monetise content.


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Redrow Redrow keen to work with government on future of help-to-buy scheme
 Housebuilder Redrow says it’s looking forward to working with government to consider the future of the help-to-buy subsidy scheme beyond 2021. You bet it is. Since former chancellor George Osborne in 2013 committed to helping homebuyers purchase new properties with a deposit of only 5%, Redrow has reported record profits every year.

The latest annual numbers – and a share price that has improved threefold since 2013 – shows how wonderful life has become for big housebuilders. You’d almost think Redrow was producing high-tech consumer gadgets. Operating margins are running at 19% and return on capital employed has hit 26%. About 40% of its private sales are to help-to-buy purchases, which is typical for the sector.

After an improvement of a quarter in pre-tax profits to £315m, the company hiked its dividend by 70% and said there’s plenty left in the tank. Profits will rise to about £430m by 2020 and the dividend can be almost doubled again “subject to market conditions remaining unchanged”.

The obvious question is why on earth the government, having spent £4.6bn already, would wish to continue with help to buy after 2021. Yes, the scheme has allowed some people to buy homes who would not otherwise have been able to do so, but the clearest beneficiaries of the stimulus to prices have been housebuilders’ shareholders and executives.

Back in 2013, one justification was the limp state of the mortgage market. That no longer applies. The banks are well-capitalised, high loan-to-value mortgages have returned and the Bank of England these days frets about too much lending, not too little.

Osborne’s other argument was that more demand for houses would increase supply. The numbers suggest modest success, even if some of the increase would have happened anyway. But the point now is that withdrawing help to buy overnight wouldn’t obviously cause the housebuilders to down tools for fear that non-subsidised houses would sell for slightly less. A return of capital of 26% is splendid but it is still worth getting out of bed for 15%.

Before ministers commit to renewing help to buy on the same terms, they should recall the warning by Lord King, former governor of the Bank of England, in 2014: “This scheme is a little too close for comfort to a general scheme to guarantee mortgages. We had a very healthy mortgage market with competing lenders attracting borrowers before the crisis, and we need to get back to that healthy mortgage market ... We mustn’t let this scheme turn into a permanent scheme.”

Ditching help to buy outright in 2021 may be undesirable since there is a fair case that first-time buyers still deserve a leg-up. But, as even wiser housebuilders concede, too many houses qualify for help to buy. Current ceilings are set at £600,000 and 20% of the value of mortgage. Both figures could usefully be cut in half before the scheme becomes an addiction.

No embarrassment of riches for Bell Pottinger

There’s an intriguing detail to the Bell Pottinger tale, which we have just reported: the now-disgraced PR outfit is understood to have inserted an “embarrassment clause” in its contract with the Guptas to the effect that it expected to be compensated if other clients defected as a result of its work in South Africa.

The clause suggests somebody at Bell Pottinger was dimly aware of the risk in running a campaign that stirred racial tensions and was deemed unethical and unprofessional by industry trade body, the Public Relations and Communications Agency.

How, though, did Bell Pottinger ever expect to make a claim? Quantifying the lost earnings would be almost impossible and, as the firm is now discovering, exposure was bound to cause a stampede to the exit by clients. The chance of getting a penny out of the Guptas in these circumstances was always roughly zero.

Hellawell slow out of the blocks at Sports Direct

If Keith Hellawell, chairman of Sports Direct, was serious about the commitment he gave a year ago to earn the respect of outside shareholders, there was one easy course of action open to him: he could have met a few rebels.

It is amazing, therefore, that one complaint from Hermes echoes last year’s grumble. The fund manager is “greatly concerned about the lack of one to one engagement” and the “missed opportunities to build positive and constructive relationships with interested third party minority investors”.

Hellawell may still survive Wednesday’s vote, but it doesn’t sound as if he has tried terribly hard to save his job.

Output: Redrow Homes is looking forward to working with the UK government to outline the future of help-to-buy schemes beyond 2021, the homebuilder has said. The government has already spent £4.6bn ($6bn) on subsidies for those seeking to buy their first home, and will soon decide whether or not to continue the programme. Since the scheme was introduced in 2013, Redrow has reported record profits each year and dividends are up by 70%. The company's profits will rise again to about £430m by 2020, it said. About 40% of Redrow's sales are help-to-buy purchases.


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UTC-Rockwell deal at risk from Boeing's opposition threat
 WASHINGTON - Aerospace giant Boeing raised concerns Tuesday about the merger of US-based industrial conglomerate United Technologies and aviation equipment supplier Rockwell Collins, saying it could use its weight with regulators to scrutinize the deal.

Boeing said it was concerned the deal announced Monday would not be in the best interests of the company.

"We intend to take a hard look at the proposed combination of United Technologies and Rockwell Collins," Boeing said in a statement.

The company said it is "skeptical" whether the deal between two major suppliers to the aerospace industry "would be in the best interest of -- or add value to -- our customers and industry."

If Boeing decides the merger is "inconsistent with those interests, we would intend to exercise our contractual rights and pursue the appropriate regulatory options to protect our interests."

Both companies are significant suppliers to Boeing and "their first priority should be delivering on existing cost, schedule and quality commitments for their customers and ours."

In the $30 billion deal, including debt, United Technologies (UTC) will offer $140(R1812.45) per share Rockwell Collins, or $23 billion in addition to debt recovery.

UTC Chairman and CEO Greg Hayes said the deal would "enhance customer value."

United Technologies, headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, has an annual turnover of $58 billion and employs more than 200,000 people.

UTC's aerospace activities represent a total turnover of $14.5 billion. It already owns Pratt & Whitney which makes aircraft engines and had revenue of $15.1 billion.

Rockwell Collins, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, manufactures electronic equipment for cockpits and cabins. It has annual turnover of $6 billion and employs 19,000 people. Last year it acquired the American group B/E Aerospace for $6.4 billion.

This latest deal comes after the acquisition of France's Zodiac Aerospace by its compatriot Safran in May.

The industry changes come as aircraft manufacturers are pressuring subcontractors to lower prices on equipment.

Output: The proposed $30bn merger of United Technologies (UTC) and Rockwell Collins could be at risk due to strong opposition from aerospace giant Boeing. Boeing said the deal between industrial conglomerate UTC and aviation supplier Rockwell Collins would not be its best interests and warned it could pursue regulatory options to scrutinise the deal. UTC CEO Greg Hayes said the deal would "enhance customer value".


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Third of parasites could be eradicated by climate change
 Climate change could wipe out a third of all parasite species on Earth, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date.

Tapeworms, roundworms, ticks, lice and fleas are feared for the diseases they cause or carry, but scientists warn that they also play a vital role in ecosystems. Major extinctions among parasites could lead to unpredictable invasions of surviving parasites into new areas, affecting wildlife and humans and making a “significant contribution” to the sixth mass extinction already under way on Earth.

The new research, published in Science Advances, used the collection of 20m parasites held at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of National History in the US to map the global distribution of 457 parasites. The scientists then applied a range of climate models and future scenarios and found that the average level of extinctions as habitats become unsuitable for parasites was 10% by 2070, but extinctions rose to a third if the loss of host species was also included.

“It is a staggering number,” said Colin Carlson at the University of California, Berkeley, who led the new work. “Parasites seem like one of the most threatened groups on Earth.” The severity of the impact varied with the different climate scenarios. For example, a 20% loss of parasite native ranges in scenarios where carbon emissions are rapidly cut in the future rises to 37% if emissions continue unchecked.

“Parasites are obviously a hard sell,” said Carlson. “Even if you are grossed out by them – and there are obviously downsides for individual hosts and for humans – parasites play a huge role in ecosystems.” They provide up to 80% of the food web links in ecosystems, he said. Having a wide range of parasites in an ecosystem also means they compete with one another, which can help slow down the spread of diseases.

“If parasites go extinct, we are looking at a potential massive destabilisation of ecosystems [which] could have huge unexpected consequences,” Carlson said, with other parasites moving in to take advantage. “That doesn’t necessarily work out well for anyone, wildlife or humans.”

One example of the complex role parasites can play is a hairworm that lives in grasshoppers in Japan and tends to lead its host to jump into water, where the grasshoppers become a major food source for rare fish. “In some subtle ways, parasites are puppeteers,” Carlson said.

The research analysed more than 50,000 records of the 457 parasite species, which the researchers believe provides a representative picture. But, with more than 300,000 species of parasitic worms alone known to exist, working out the specific impact of parasite extinctions on diseases is complex and remains to be done.

“It is difficult to summarise the net consequence, as we know so little about most parasites,” Carlson said. “Climate change will make some parasites extinct and make some do better. But we would argue the overall phenomenon is dangerous, because extinctions and invasions go hand in hand.”

Anna Phillips, the curator of the Smithsonian’s parasite collection, said: “As long as there are free-living organisms, there will be parasites. But the picture of parasite biodiversity in 2070 or beyond has the potential to look very different than it does today based on these results.”

Output: A third of parasite species could be eradicated by climate change, according to the most comprehensive study of the subject so far. Such an extinction could cause “a potential massive destabilisation of ecosystems” and could make a “significant contribution” to the ongoing sixth global mass extinction. The research used collections at the Smithsonian Institution to map the global distribution of 457 parasites and then applied a range of climate models. The average level of extinctions was 10% by 2070, rising to a third if loss of host species was also included in the calculations.


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Tap water across the world contaminated with plastic
 Microplastic contamination has been found in tap water in countries around the world, leading to calls from scientists for urgent research on the implications for health.

Scores of tap water samples from more than a dozen nations were analysed by scientists for an investigation by Orb Media, who shared the findings with the Guardian. Overall, 83% of the samples were contaminated with plastic fibres.

The US had the highest contamination rate, at 94%, with plastic fibres found in tap water sampled at sites including Congress buildings, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters, and Trump Tower in New York. Lebanon and India had the next highest rates.

European nations including the UK, Germany and France had the lowest contamination rate, but this was still 72%. The average number of fibres found in each 500ml sample ranged from 4.8 in the US to 1.9 in Europe.

The new analyses indicate the ubiquitous extent of microplastic contamination in the global environment. Previous work has been largely focused on plastic pollution in the oceans, which suggests people are eating microplastics via contaminated seafood.

“We have enough data from looking at wildlife, and the impacts that it’s having on wildlife, to be concerned,” said Dr Sherri Mason, a microplastic expert at the State University of New York in Fredonia, who supervised the analyses for Orb. “If it’s impacting [wildlife], then how do we think that it’s not going to somehow impact us?”

A magnified image of clothing microfibres from washing machine effluent. One study found that a fleece jacket can shed as many as 250,000 fibres per wash. Photograph: Courtesy of Rozalia Project

A separate small study in the Republic of Ireland released in June also found microplastic contamination in a handful of tap water and well samples. “We don’t know what the [health] impact is and for that reason we should follow the precautionary principle and put enough effort into it now, immediately, so we can find out what the real risks are,” said Dr Anne Marie Mahon at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, who conducted the research.

Mahon said there were two principal concerns: very small plastic particles and the chemicals or pathogens that microplastics can harbour. “If the fibres are there, it is possible that the nanoparticles are there too that we can’t measure,” she said. “Once they are in the nanometre range they can really penetrate a cell and that means they can penetrate organs, and that would be worrying.” The Orb analyses caught particles of more than 2.5 microns in size, 2,500 times bigger than a nanometre.

Microplastics can attract bacteria found in sewage, Mahon said: “Some studies have shown there are more harmful pathogens on microplastics downstream of wastewater treatment plants.”

Microplastics are also known to contain and absorb toxic chemicals and research on wild animals shows they are released in the body. Prof Richard Thompson, at Plymouth University, UK, told Orb: “It became clear very early on that the plastic would release those chemicals and that actually, the conditions in the gut would facilitate really quite rapid release.” His research has shown microplastics are found in a third of fish caught in the UK.

The scale of global microplastic contamination is only starting to become clear, with studies in Germany finding fibres and fragments in all of the 24 beer brands they tested, as well as in honey and sugar. In Paris in 2015, researchers discovered microplastic falling from the air, which they estimated deposits three to 10 tonnes of fibres on the city each year, and that it was also present in the air in people’s homes.

This research led Frank Kelly, professor of environmental health at King’s College London, to tell a UK parliamentary inquiry in 2016: “If we breathe them in they could potentially deliver chemicals to the lower parts of our lungs and maybe even across into our circulation.” Having seen the Orb data, Kelly told the Guardian that research is urgently needed to determine whether ingesting plastic particles is a health risk.

The new research tested 159 samples using a standard technique to eliminate contamination from other sources and was performed at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The samples came from across the world, including from Uganda, Ecuador and Indonesia.

How microplastics end up in drinking water is for now a mystery, but the atmosphere is one obvious source, with fibres shed by the everyday wear and tear of clothes and carpets. Tumble dryers are another potential source, with almost 80% of US households having dryers that usually vent to the open air.

“We really think that the lakes [and other water bodies] can be contaminated by cumulative atmospheric inputs,” said Johnny Gasperi, at the University Paris-Est Créteil, who did the Paris studies. “What we observed in Paris tends to demonstrate that a huge amount of fibres are present in atmospheric fallout.”

Plastic fibres may also be flushed into water systems, with a recent study finding that each cycle of a washing machine could release 700,000 fibres into the environment. Rains could also sweep up microplastic pollution, which could explain why the household wells used in Indonesia were found to be contaminated.

In Beirut, Lebanon, the water supply comes from natural springs but 94% of the samples were contaminated. “This research only scratches the surface, but it seems to be a very itchy one,” said Hussam Hawwa, at the environmental consultancy Difaf, which collected samples for Orb.

This planktonic arrow worm, Sagitta setosa, has eaten a blue plastic fibre about 3mm long. Plankton support the entire marine food chain. Photograph: Richard Kirby/Courtesy of Orb Media

Current standard water treatment systems do not filter out all of the microplastics, Mahon said: “There is nowhere really where you can say these are being trapped 100%. In terms of fibres, the diameter is 10 microns across and it would be very unusual to find that level of filtration in our drinking water systems.”

Bottled water may not provide a microplastic-free alternative to tapwater, as the they were also found in a few samples of commercial bottled water tested in the US for Orb.

Almost 300m tonnes of plastic is produced each year and, with just 20% recycled or incinerated, much of it ends up littering the air, land and sea. A report in July found 8.3bn tonnes of plastic has been produced since the 1950s, with the researchers warning that plastic waste has become ubiquitous in the environment.

“We are increasingly smothering ecosystems in plastic and I am very worried that there may be all kinds of unintended, adverse consequences that we will only find out about once it is too late,” said Prof Roland Geyer, from the University of California and Santa Barbara, who led the study.

Mahon said the new tap water analyses raise a red flag, but that more work is needed to replicate the results, find the sources of contamination and evaluate the possible health impacts.

She said plastics are very useful, but that management of the waste must be drastically improved: “We need plastics in our lives, but it is us that is doing the damage by discarding them in very careless ways.”

Output: Plastic fibres have been found in tap water from across the world, according to research by scientists for non-profit Orb Media. Of the samples from over a dozen countries, 83% were found to be contaminated by microplastics. The US was the country with the worst contamination rate, at 94%, followed by Lebanon and India. European countries including France, Germany and the UK had the lowest levels at 72%. The study led to calls from scientists for research into the impact of contamination by microplastics, which contain toxic chemicals which animal studies show are released in the body, on human health.


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UK councils to fine parents breaching school parking bans
 Parents across the country face tough restrictions – and even fines – over driving their children to the school gates, in a push by councils on road safety and pollution.

As the new academic year begins, a survey of councils shows many are enforcing laws preventing parking immediately outside the school gates, using CCTV cameras and mobile monitoring vehicles to crack down on parents flouting the rules.

But some are going further with schemes that close the roads in the immediate vicinity of schools to most traffic during the school run.

In some cases, parents could face fines of up to £130 for driving in the restricted zones.

Other local authorities are considering “no-idling” zones with fines for parents and carers who leave engines running outside schools.

In Solihull, West Midlands, a “school streets” pilot is restricting traffic on streets around three schools at the start and end of the school day, preventing parents and carers driving children to the gates.

Ted Richards, cabinet member for transport and highways, said: “We know that most people do drive responsibly, but it can often be chaotic outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times.

“The aim of school streets is to create a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone around schools.”

Croydon in south London has also brought in traffic restrictions on roads outside three schools for the morning and afternoon school runs.

Automatic numberplate recognition cameras scan vehicles passing through the zones and those without permits – which are free for residents and their visitors – face a £130 penalty charge, or £65 if paid within a fortnight.

Stuart King, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “The temporary numberplate cameras will help our officers make a fair decision on who can drive through the pedestrian zones and who can’t, allowing residents, their visitors, school staff and delivery drivers to go about their business as usual.”

Elsewhere in London, Hackney is planning a school streets trial around five schools, while Camden is piloting a scheme which closes the road outside a school with bollards at the start and end of the school day.

Edinburgh started restrictions around a number of schools in 2015.

And in the wake of guidance from health bodies suggesting parents should face fines for breaching “no-idling zones” to protect children from pollution, Sheffield city council is consulting on whether to bring in idling fines outside schools.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said many parents had to make the school run by car on their way to work, and many schools and surrounding roads were not equipped for this reality, leading to congestion, pollution and road safety issues.

But he said: “Fines are often a blunt tool for councils to use, and can drive a wedge between parents and schools even though headteachers have no role in administering them.

“Councils must work with schools and local communities to ensure that roads around schools work for everyone,” he said.

Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner Aaron Kiely described schemes to reduce traffic outside schools as “a positive step towards protecting our children’s health”.

He said there are “plenty of imaginative ways” to get children to school, including walking buses and riding scooters.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, welcomed children being encouraged to walk to school, but noted: “Many parents juggling the school run and their own commute to work have little choice other than to do the school drop off by car, particularly since fewer and fewer children automatically go to the school nearest to their home.”

Sam Jones, campaigner at Cycling UK, warned that without sufficient investment in cycling and walking routes, fining parents represents an “all stick and no carrot” approach.

Output: UK councils are imposing restrictions, including fines, on parents driving children to school gates in an attempt to improve safety and reduce pollution. Many councils are enforcing laws prohibiting parking immediately outside gates and are using CCTV cameras and mobile monitoring vehicles to identify those breaching such rules. Some councils are also closing roads in the immediate vicinity of schools and imposing potential fines of up to £130 on those who violate bans. Various health bodies have recommended the introduction of “no-idling zones,” enforced by fines.


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Mars launches $1bn sustainability and climate plan
 The corporate backlash is growing against Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, with Mars launching a $1bn sustainability plan and an M&M’s campaign centred on renewable energy.

It is the latest climate move by the family owned firm, which emerged as a vocal critic of the US president’s decision to pull out of the 2015 climate pact, saying it was “disappointed” with the withdrawal and stressing that corporations could not go it alone when it came to tackling climate change.

Mars is now rolling out a $1bn (£771m) investment to help cut greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 67% by 2050, run a poverty reduction and sustainability programme for farmers and suppliers, and ramp up food safety and security efforts.

Chief executive Grant F Reid said: “This plan is about not just doing better, but doing what’s necessary. We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s good business.

“We expect to have a competitive advantage from a more resource-efficient supply chain, and from ensuring that everyone in our supply chain is doing well.”

The Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and Skittles maker has also revealed plans to champion renewable energy through its M&M’s brand, featuring images of things such as wind turbines alongside its red and yellow candy characters.

Its sustainability investments and M&M’s campaign were announced ahead of the UN general assembly and climate week which will run from 18 to 24 September in New York.

Reid said: “If we are to help deliver on the targets agreed in Paris and the UN sustainable development goals, there has to be a huge step change.

“While many companies have been working on being more sustainable, the current level of progress is nowhere near enough.”

The Paris agreement aims to prevent the Earth from heating up by 2C since the start of the industrial age.

Since the world has already warmed about 1.1C since the Industrial Revolution, the accord aimed at making sure the threshold was not breached with each nation curbing heat-trapping emissions.

All but a very small number of scientists say warming is a result of human activity.

The chief executive added: “Mars has been in business for four generations and intends to be for the next four generations.

“The only way that will happen is if we do things differently to ensure that the planet is healthy and all people in our extended supply chains have the opportunity to thrive.”

Output: Mars, the global confectionery and pet food company, has launched a $1bn sustainability plan, incorporating a campaign to promote renewable energy centred around its M&M’s brand. The scheme is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the company’s value chain by 67% by 2050. It will also support poverty reduction and sustainability initiatives for farmers and suppliers, while increasing food safety and security measures. The family-owned firm, responsible for brands including Skittles, Snickers and Twix, has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.


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Goldman Sachs to sell 1.78% stake in Dong Energy
 Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS, +0.18% on Thursday reduced its stake in Denmark's Dong Energy A/S (DENERG.KO) further after agreeing to sell 7.5 million shares in the energy group to institutional investors.

The shares--equivalent to 1.78% of Dong's existing capital--are being sold at 321 Danish kroner ($51.34) each by Goldman Sachs-controlled New Energy Investment S.a.r.l.

Output: Goldman Sachs-Controlled New Energy Investment has cut its stake in Dong Energy by 1.78% after selling 7.5 million shares in the Danish company to institutional investors. The shares were sold for DKK321 ($51.34) each. New Energy Investment retains 2.7% of Dong's share capital.


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Air Liquide acquires majority stake in Norwegian biogas firm
 France-headed global gases, technologies, and services provider Air Liquide has announced its acquisition of majority equity in Skagerak Naturgass AS, a subsidiary of Skagerak Energi AS, which is majority owned by Statkraft AS, Europe’s largest renewable power generator. Skagerak Naturgass AS operates a distribution network delivering natural gas to industry and 100 percent biomethane to the Norwegian transport sector through four bio-NGV refueling stations installed in the Oslo region.

According to a statement, the new joint venture (JV) allows Air Liquide to pursue its business development in the Scandinavian biogas market, “firmly aligned” with its aim of harnessing renewable technology for clean transport.

Scandinavia constitutes one of Europe’s key markets in the development of sustainable mobility. In Norway, the government has declared targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is committed to phasing out fossil fuel-powered vehicles altogether by 2030.

In 2014, Air Liquide purchased FordonsGas, a Swedish biogas distribution company that owns and operates a network of 50 compressed biogas (CBG) stations providing customers with fuel from one of the world’s largest biogas liquefaction facilities, which chiefly produces CBG for the Swedish transportation market.

In February 2017, Air Liquide expanded its presence in the UK market with the acquisition of ENN Clean Energy UK.

Output: Air Liquide said it is to acquire a majority stake in Skagerak Naturgass, a unit of Skagerak Energi for an undisclosed amount. The deal will allow Air Liquide to enter the Scandinavian biogas market.


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North Carolina gas peaker delayed as renewable options weighed
 Dive Brief:

Duke Energy will delay for three years a proposed gas-fired peaker plant that would be built at the site of the Lake Julian coal-powered facility in North Carolina. The development has been pushed back from 2023 to 2027.

According to the Citizen-Times, the change is largely the result of lobbying by the city of Asheville, Buncombe County, N.C., and other groups, as part of an Energy Innovation Task Force (EITF) that pressed Duke for more clean energy resources.

(EITF) that pressed Duke for more clean energy resources. More than a year ago there were signs the plant could face issues: Staff at the North Carolina Utilities Commission concluded the plant might not be necessary when completed, given advances in energy technology.

Dive Insight:

It is a partial win for clean energy and environmental advocates — Duke isn't scrapping the project but instead will delay it for three years. But that will allow time for other resources to be examined, something local stakeholders have advocated.

“It’s great news that they’re postponing this project, but the better course is not to build this plant at all," Kelly Martin, EITF task force member and associate director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, said in a statement.

The task force also included local businesses, nonprofits and environmental groups, including Sierra Club. Members "recommend ways to reduce peak load in the region through demand response, energy efficiency and clean energy solutions," the group explained.

Martin also pointed to North Carolinas large solar potential, and pressed Duke for more energy efficiency programs.

When considering the project last year, staff wrote its report that rejecting the plan would allow for "advances in generation, transmission, and storage technologies" to fill any potential power needs in the next eight years.

A pair of combined-cycled units being developed at the same site is still on track, according to the Citizen-Times. Those two units are planned to begin generating 560 MW in about two years.

Output: Opponents of a proposed gas-fired peaker plant in North Carolina have won a partial victory after it was announced construction of the Lake Julian coal-powered facility would be delayed by three years. Owner Duke Energy said the project was not being scrapped altogether, but it would "allow time for other resources to be examined". A year ago, staff at the North Carolina Utilities Commission concluded advances in energy technology may render the peaker plant redundant before completion.


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French government sells 111 million shares in Engie
 The French government said late Tuesday that it sold 111 million shares in Engie SA (ENGI.FR) to institutional investors and the company itself for 1.53 billion euros ($1.82 billion).

The shares represent 4.56% of Engie's total capital.

France's state investment agency said it placed 99.9 million shares at EUR13.80 each to institutional investors and sold 11.1 million shares to the energy company at the same price.

Output: France's state investment agency has said the country's government has sold 111 million shares in utility company Engie, raising €1.53bn ($1.82bn) to be used in employee savings plans. The move has reduced the state's stake in the company to 24.1% and its voting rights to 27.6%, but it remains the company's majority stakeholder and will continue to offer guidance during Engie's strategic transformation.


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Lithium Exploration Group may buy two battery patents
 PHOENIX, August 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Lithium Exploration Group Inc. (USOTC: LEXG) announced today that it is engaged in discussions with the owner of two lithium battery patents to partner on the establishment of a lithium technology development company. LEXG intends to establish a subsidiary entity that will hold this intellectual property (IP) as well as others that come available. Currently the discussions center on appointing the inventor to be Chief Technology Officer of the subsidiary entity in order to evaluate market penetration of future IP acquisitions, as well as to support the research and development of new patents in the industry.

"At our core, we are a technology development company and we want to be on the forefront of the lithium industry. We feel strongly that the SonCav technology will change the way that lithium is extracted from the earth. The SonCav technology is on a great path and, with the visibility of success with our oil and gas investments, we will be able to reinvest those dollars to support emerging technologies across the industry," commented CEO Alex Walsh. "Over the past year, we have begun looking at novel intellectual property that we can assist in bringing to market. The important part for us is building a foundation now from which we can grow. I hope to be able to announce an agreement with this inventor as early as next week."

About Lithium Exploration Group

Lithium Exploration Group is a US-based exploration and development company focused on the acquisition and development potential of lithium brines and other precious metals that demonstrate high probability for near-term production. Currently the company is focused testing the Sonic Cavitation Ltd. technology and the acquisition of oil and gas related assets in the US and Canada. Lithium Exploration Group is traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol LEXG.

Website: http://www.lithiumexplorationgroup.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future testing of the ultrasonic technology.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of lithium prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact Info:

Shanon Chilson

+1-480-641-4790

[email protected]

SOURCE Lithium Exploration Group Inc.

Output: Lithium Exploration Group is in discussions with the owner of two lithium-ion battery patents with the aim of developing a lithium technology development company. The inventor of the technology will become CTO of the new company, which will be a subsidiary of Lithium Exploration.


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Iceye raises $13m for energy-focused satellite system
 Finnish-based SAR microsatellite technology leader on track for 2017 orbital missions.

Helsinki, FINLAND – August 23, 2017 – ICEYE, the leader in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology for microsatellites providing expanded access to reliable and timely Earth observation data, today announced $13M in new funding, including an $8.5M financing round led by Draper Nexus. ICEYE will use the latest funding to scale up operations, including manufacturing of the company’s SAR technology built from off-the-shelf components, and launch additional satellites. ICEYE plans to launch the first three microsatellites equipped with SAR sensors over the next 12 months, delivering Earth observation data to select customers shortly thereafter.

This $8.5M round also included participation from True Ventures, Lifeline Ventures, Space Angels, and Draper Associates. Additional funding was received from Finnish Funding Agency for Innovations, Tekes. Since starting its operations in 2015, ICEYE has secured a total of $18.7M in financing, including investments from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.

“Having the support and insight from our investors will not only help ICEYE execute on our vision to democratize access to data worldwide, but it will also allow us to build out brand-new capabilities for our customers and partners,” said Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder, ICEYE Oy. “ICEYE will use this capital infusion to continue growing operations, readying our technology for the next generation of SAR microsatellite constellations.”

With darkness or clouds covering two-thirds of the planet at any given time, SAR technology delivers reliable imaging where optical imaging cannot. Finland-based ICEYE has developed a unique SAR sensor to offer imaging services anywhere around the globe, anytime, with response times measured in a few hours from acquisition. By enabling economically viable microsatellite constellations, ICEYE’s goal is to expand access to SAR data at a cost and time efficiency that has never before been available to commercial and government entities.

“ICEYE has a disruptive value proposition of making Earth observation data and insights available at a refresh rate and cost that is orders of magnitude better than any system out there today. Rafal and his team are unleashing efficiency and innovation across wide sectors of our economy - insurance, construction and transportation to name a few,” said Q Motiwala, managing director of Draper Nexus who will be joining ICEYE’s board. “We are excited to partner with this incredible, passionate team that is bringing this game-changing technology to market.”

The commercial Earth observation data that ICEYE provides, underpins value-added services in various industries and can be used across different industries to track changes around the world at any time. ICEYE’s SAR microsatellites can be used in the maritime industry to follow port traffic, in the oil industry to detect oil spills or by the government to monitor illegal logging, as well as fast disaster relief.

# # # # #

Media Contact:

press@iceye.fi

About ICEYE

ICEYE aims to provide democratized access to reliable Earth observation data through developing efficient SAR sensors and microsatellites, enabling everyone to make better decisions. Through an imaging service available anywhere around the globe, anytime, and with response times measured in just few hours, ICEYE helps clients resolve challenges in segments such as maritime, disaster management and security and intelligence. ICEYE is on track to be the first organization in the world to launch SAR microsatellites and expects to commence its commercial data operations in the first half of 2018. ICEYE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme via the SME Instrument. For more information, please visit: www.iceye.com

About Draper Nexus

Draper Nexus is an early stage venture capital fund focusing on Enterprise Tech and Hardware/Industrials. We bring a collaborative approach to work with entrepreneurs who are harnessing technology and data to transform and unlock value in established industries. We leverage our Corporate LP/industry relationships in Japan and the global reach of the Draper Venture Network to create a customer development advantage for our portfolio companies. For more information, please visit: www.drapernexus.com

About Draper Associates

Draper Associates is an early stage venture capital firm that encourages entrepreneurs to drive their businesses to greatness, to transform industries with new technologies, and to build platforms for extraordinary growth, jobs, and wealth creation. For more information visit: www.draper.vc

About True Ventures

Founded in 2005, True Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology startups. With capital under management in excess of $1.4 billion, True provides seed and Series A funding to the most talented entrepreneurs in today’s fastest growing markets. The firm maintains a strong founder community and offers innovative educational opportunities to its portfolio, helping entrepreneurs achieve higher levels of success and impact. With more than 200 companies funded and multiple companies acquired, the current True portfolio has helped create over 8,500 jobs.

For more information please visit: www.trueventures.com

About Lifeline Ventures

Lifeline Ventures is a Finland-based early-stage venture capital firm founded by serial entrepreneurs. We invest in strong founders in sectors we know by heart from our experience as entrepreneurs. Due to our background, we often start working with founders before they have launched their first product. Our goal is to be the first person the entrepreneur reaches out to in times of trouble and joy. So far, we have invested 70 companies including category-leaders such as Applifier, Enevo, Moves app, Supercell, uBiome, Valkee and ZenRobotics. More information: www.lifelineventures.com

About Space Angels

Space Angels is the leading source of capital for early-stage space ventures. Founded in 2007, our portfolio includes many of the most prominent entrepreneurial space companies in the sector. Through a robust and streamlined web platform, Space Angels provides unparalleled deal access and comprehensible intelligence to its accredited investor members, making it easy to discover, select, and invest in the best space startups. For more information, please visit: www.spaceangels.com

Assets:

Other assets available at https://www.iceye.com/press .

Download by clicking:

"An ICEYE render of the first SAR microsatellite deployed in orbit."

ICEYE logo.

Output: Finnish technology company Iceye has raised $13m in a funding round led by Draper Nexus, and featuring participation from True Ventures, Space Angels and Lifeline Ventures. Iceye's synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology and microsatellites offer reliable imaging of Earth, with applications including detecting oil spills, following shipping traffic or helping develop smart cities. The funds will be used to continue growing operations, said CEO Rafal Modrzewski.


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Iceye raises $13m for energy-focused satellite system
 Cleantech Meets Space: A month’s worth of deals changing how we see the planet

Here at CTG, it is our goal to keep our network of investors and corporates up to date with the latest trends, and share our perspective on the industries we cover that are simply doing “more with less.”

As an example of one such industry, we are looking at spacetech, satellite networking, and geographic information systems (GIS) as specific areas where venture capital has become increasingly utilized, with significant cleantech relevance.

Through the billionaire-backed efforts of SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, the space sector has been recapturing our imaginations. But beyond these headlines, there are satellite & GIS companies working on solutions for core cleantech areas, such as agriculture & food, energy efficiency, and water security. This technology is helping to revolutionize changes in these industries, providing access to higher quality data and leading to strategically impactful adaptations.

This area warrants much more of an in-depth study than this blog (which we will provide in our upcoming October edition of CTG Insights), but in the spirit of “sharing what we are seeing,” I want to highlight a few of the satellite companies with cleantech applications that have raised funding in the last month alone (August 2017).

Geospatial analytics company Descartes Labs announced $30 million in Series B funding last month. The round was led by Santa Monica-based VC March Capital, with participation from energy-focused VC Crosslink Capital, agriculture-specialist Cultivian Sandbox, and agricultural commodities giant Cargill.

Descartes Labs’ machine-learning-powered satellite analysis has initially been built around an agricultural forecasting package, with applications ranging from imaging solutions for precision agriculture to macro-level food security predictions. For example, using spectral imaging, the imaging software can measure chlorophyll levels, which are invisible to the human eye, but represent a strong proxy for the health of crops. Despite the current focus, the Descartes Labs data platform can have applications far beyond the agriculture sector, in areas such as shipping & logistics, forestry, and energy infrastructure.

Finland-based ICEYE has raised $13 million in funding, from a cast of investors including both Draper Nexus and Draper Associates, True Ventures, Lifeline Ventures, Space Angels, and the Finnish governmental innovation agency, Tekes. ICEYE’s satellites provide huge amounts of data, which can currently be applied to crucial areas such as preventing illegal logging in South America, port monitoring for increased efficiency in maritime industries, and monitoring crop health.

Yet perhaps one of the most tangible areas that this technology can be felt is in smart city planning, where the ways in which cities are changing and growing can be understood instantaneously via satellite data. Armed with this knowledge, city planners can address issues before they become unmanageable, and infrastructure implementation can be introduced accordingly. For example, identifying bottlenecks from road congestion can ease both the environmental footprint of idle motors, or the identification of localized energy usage can provide invaluable information to keep the grid up and running efficiently, reducing the need for coal-powered backup generation.

On the banks of Lac Leman in Switzerland, Lausanne-based Astrocast is a developer of a low-cost network of nanosatellites for connecting the billions of IoT devices that are proliferating the ”Industry 4.0” revolution. The company raised a $3 million round of seed funding in August from the venturing arm of aeronautical multinational, Airbus, and has also received backing from the European Space Agency and the Swiss government.

With the recent funding, the company is planning the launch of its 64-satellite constellation (which will potentially be facilitated by another recent venture-funded space company, RocketLabs). When this constellation is in place, it will focus on attracting IoT/M2M systems integrators as customers, with a broad spread of sector applications, including automotive and fleet monitoring, maritime, industrial manufacturing, and water metering companies.

Munich-based CloudEO also raised funds this month, in the form of $2.4 million in seed funding from unnamed investors. The company leverages existing satellites to mine geodata for a range of industries, including forestry, land planning and telecommunications.

Interestingly, the start-up has also launched an independent project, the Cloudeotoken cryptocurrency for geodata, which will enable crowdsourcing, M2M communication, and the exchange of geospatial information through automated smart transactions.

Thanks for reading. If you have comments, or want to know more about these companies or the space/cleantech intersection at large, feel free to get in contact with josh.gilbert@cleantech.com. It’s also worth noting that this format of recent funding roundups is something I send out on a weekly basis to CTG Monitor subscribers – again, if you want to get this kind of detail on a weekly basis, do get in touch.

Output: Finnish technology company Iceye has raised $13m in a funding round led by Draper Nexus, and featuring participation from True Ventures, Space Angels and Lifeline Ventures. Iceye's synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology and microsatellites offer reliable imaging of Earth, with applications including detecting oil spills, following shipping traffic or helping develop smart cities. The funds will be used to continue growing operations, said CEO Rafal Modrzewski.


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Spectro Scientific lands $9.6m US Navy contract
 Spectro Scientific, one of the world’s largest suppliers of oil, fuel, and processed-water analysis instrumentation and software, has won a $9.6 million contract from the U.S. Navy to provide fluid analysis equipment and support. In another recognition, the Office of Naval Research named Spectro personnel as finalists for proposing a portable fluid analysis system in a Concept Challenge competition aimed at developing innovative ideas to support the Navy and Marine Corps of the future.

Under the contract with the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Spectro will manufacture, test and deliver up to 69 model M-N/W SpectrOil RDE spectrometers to replace and upgrade the Navy and Marine Corp’s oil analysis programs. Technical data, logistics support documents, initial consumables, and maintenance kits/parts will be included. The atomic emission rotrode M-N/W SpectrOil spectrometer is the only oil elemental analyser approved by the US Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Oil Analysis Program (JOAP). It is a compact, rugged, transportable and easy-to-use spectrometer designed to detect and measure metals, contaminants and additives in lubricants, hydraulic fluids and coolants. Accurate, on-site fluid analysis facilitates establishment of proactive maintenance programs and protects crucial mechanical assets from unanticipated failure.

Separately, in recognition of Spectro’s response to a call from Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Rear Admiral David J. Hahn for innovative ideas on how to keep naval ships, aircraft and personnel at peak readiness, Spectro Vice President of Government Programs Robert Yurko and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Patrick Henning were named finalists for their work in the “Enhancement of a Portable Comprehensive Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) Tool for Aviation Fluid Analysis.”

Mr. Yurko and Dr. Henning join representatives of eight other organisations as finalists in the CNR Concept Challenge. The variety of ideas generated will be applied to benefit the Navy and other branches of the armed services.

Spectro has collaborated closely with the armed services for more than 30 years, working initially with the DoD and JOAP on early versions of SpectrOil technology. Mr. Yurko said, “The contract from NAWCAD confirms that the US Navy places a high value on the quality, reliability and support provided by Spectro fluid analysis technology as it ensures the availability and flight safety of critical aviation assets.” Regarding his and Dr. Henning’s selection as CNR Concept Challenge finalists, Mr. Yurko added, “This recognition illustrates Spectro’s longstanding and continuing commitment to developing advanced technology solutions for maintainers of aviation platforms as well as equipment across the entire U.S. armed forces.”

Spectro Scientific specialises in analytical instrumentation and software for machine condition monitoring. It is one of the largest global suppliers of oil and fuel analysis instruments to industry and the military worldwide. Industry clients include petrochemical, mining and power generation companies as well as commercial testing laboratories. Spectro Scientific’s extensive product offerings include spectrometers for wear metal analysis, lubricant degradation and contamination analysers, particle analysis instruments and complete turnkey systems for oil or fuel analysis laboratories, all managed by its SpectroTrack or LubeTrak software platforms.

Output: US tech firm Spectro Scientific has been awarded a $9.6m contract to supply fluid analysis equipment to the US Navy. Spectro will manufacture, test and deliver as many as 69 spectrometers as part of an upgrade of the Navy's oil analysis programmes, as well as providing technical data, logistics support and maintenance supplies. The company's device is the only oil elemental analyser approved by the US Department of Defense.


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3D-printed part certified for oil and gas industry
 Pipeline manifold component from the Safer Plug Company an industry milestone

5 September 2017 – Lloyd’s Register (LR) today announces the first certification of a part produced through additive manufacturing (AM) for the oil and gas industry.

The part, a titanium gateway manifold for pipelines, was designed by Surrey, England-based Safer Plug Company (SPC) and built by the AM production company 3T RPD using powder bed fusion. The entire process was overseen and certified by LR using its framework, an industry first that guides manufacturers on AM processes to certify components.

“In taking on this initiative, LR’s Additive Manufacturing group has truly opened a gateway to the future,” said Ciaran Early, SPC Technical Director. “LR’s pivotal role is to guide suppliers through the codes, standards, controls and best practices to manufacture AM parts, in order that end users will have full confidence that an AM part meets the required level of criticality for that part.”

SPC approached LR more than a year ago in order to provide independent assurance of the manifold’s manufacture, due to the innovative process it went through to design and produce it. The manifold is to be included in an assembly for a suite of pipeline isolation tools, which will include the world’s smallest tool suitable for six-inch diameter pipework.

“This project is a great example of how innovative companies are making great use of additive manufacturing’s benefits,” said Amelia Stead, LR AM Surveyor and the primary technical lead on the project. “This part would have been nearly impossible to produce using traditional manufacturing techniques due to its complex internal channels.”

LR’s framework, produced alongside The Welding Institute (TWI), takes into account more than material standards. The manufacturing facility was also assessed by the LR team.

“3T RPD are delighted that certification has been issued,” commented Luke Rogers, New Product Introduction Project Manager for 3T RPD. “We regularly work with clients in the aerospace, medical and motorsports industries to produce metal parts. Hopefully SPC will set the example and demonstrate how the oil and gas industry can realise the benefits of AM.”

Going forward, LR will certify the next batch of 10 manifolds produced by SPC and 3T RPD. SPC is now working with LR on a Type Approval certificate which would allow it and 3T RPD to produce the manifolds on demand, as well as the pipeline isolation tools.

“From an industry and customer perspective this certification provides added confidence in parts produced by this new technology,” said Dr. Claire Ruggeiro, Director Innovation, Technical and Quality for LR. “This will undoubtily accelerate the adoption of AM into the oil and gas mainstream. The work we have done with TWI and research undertaken by the LR Foundation-funded PhD students has provided the robust basis for this certification and we look forward to further building our expertise and experience together with the industry pioneers like SPC.”

“It’s crucial that new technologies are embraced by the oil and gas industry,” said Andrew Imrie, LR Global Product Launch Manager. “LR is at the forefront of supporting these new technologies, enabling the industry to bring certified products to market with the proper assurance and confidence.”

LR is involved in several AM projects within the nuclear, marine and construction industries as well. It currently operates three joint-industry projects with TWI which are open to companies who’d like to learn more about the AM process.

For more information, please visit www.lr.org/addtive-manufacturing.

About Lloyd’s Register

Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global engineering, technical and business services organisation wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and engineering. Founded in 1760 as a marine classification society, LR now operates across many energy industry sectors, with around 9,000 employees in the Group across 78 countries.

LR has a long-standing reputation for integrity, impartiality and technical excellence. Our compliance, risk and technical consultancy services give clients confidence that their assets and businesses are safe, sustainable and dependable. Through our global technology centres and research network, LR is at the forefront of understanding the application of new science and technology to future-proof our clients’ businesses.

Source: Lloyd’s Register

Output: Engineering services provider Lloyd’s Register (LR) has certified the first part manufactured using additive manufacturing (3D-printing) for the oil and gas sector. The titanium gateway manifold for oil and gas pipelines was constructed by the Safer Plug Company in the UK and was overseen by LR in an industry first for independent assurance for 3D printing production. The manifold was built using powder bed fusion and will be used as part of an assembly of pipeline isolation tools.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
TalkTalk TalkTalk launches TV remote to keep kids safe
 Kids love watching their favourite shows on TV. But leaving them unattended while you get the dinner on can be risky, especially if they start playing with the remote.

Most of the time, the worst that will happen is they'll change the channel, but there is the risk that they’ve accidentally deleted your recordings or activated a setting you’ve never seen before.

With this in mind, TalkTalk has launched a Kids remote for its TV service that works with the £5 a month Kids Boost package. Those that subscribe can launch Kids Zone – an area of age appropriate on-demand TV shows including Paw Patrol and Fireman Sam – by using the main TalkTalk TV remote and entering a PIN.

MORE: NOT SURE WHICH TV SERVICE IS RIGHT FOR YOU? FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PACKAGES

Once activated, your children can choose TV shows and play and pause them using the unique circular Kids Remote. Brightly coloured with a wheel that that let's children scroll and a centre button used to select the shows, the remote was designed with the help of 60 school children. Kids are unable to leave the Kids Zone and return to normal programming unless the PIN is entered on the main TV remote.

There are some great parental controls built-in as well. Using the main TV remote, parents can hide shows they want their children to watch and set viewing hours so the kids zone can’t be accessed out of set time periods.

There’s also a Bedtime function. When activiated a ‘sleepy head’ icon will appear on the left hand side of the screen - this starts a five minute countdown to prepare children that the TV is going to sleep.

The bedtime setting, which can be cancelled from the main remote at any point, takes into consideration the amount of time left on any current programme, so there are no tantrums over not getting to see the end of a show.

The TalkTalk Kids Remote is priced at £5 while the Kids TV boost costs £5 per month. For more information visit TalkTalk’s website.

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Output: Telecoms company TalkTalk is offering a Kids remote for its television services to limit children’s access to channels. The feature can be added to its £5 a month Kids Boost package, which provides age-appropriate, on-demand shows when a PIN is entered. The service ensures that only appropriate channels will be shown when the remote is being used, removing access to other programming until the PIN is re-entered. Viewing periods can be set and there is also a countdown clock to remind children that the television will switch off before bedtime.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Canadian Natural buys Pelican Lake assets for $787m
 Oil storage tanks at Pelican Lake.Rene Michaud - Bliss Photographi Share

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is buying a major heavy-oil property and other assets from Cenovus Energy Inc. for $975-million in what is expected to be the start of a busy deal season in the oil patch.

Canadian Natural, fresh from acquiring Royal Dutch Shell PLC's oil sands business, is snapping up a field in Alberta called Pelican Lake, which is adjacent to one of its own operations. Cenovus is selling the business as part of a series of planned divestitures that it says could garner up to $5-billion.

Cenovus has earmarked the proceeds to pay down debt it incurred to buy Houston-based ConocoPhillips Co.'s interests in several oil sands and natural gas properties for $17.7-billion, a megadeal that's had a rocky reception in the stock market.

Since the company announced the deal in late March, its shares are down 41 per cent as investors bristle at the price and debt taken on by a company that had been financially conservative through the industry downturn. The stock gained 3.3 per cent on Tuesday.

Harsh reaction to the deal is said to have hastened the departure of chief executive officer Brian Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson is to step down in October but will remain an adviser while the company seeks a replacement.

Cenovus said it is close to a deal to sell its Suffield shallow-gas assets in southeastern Alberta. Analysts have pegged potential proceeds at up to $600-million. Another two packages of properties – Palliser in Alberta and Weyburn in Saskatchewan – are slated to be jettisoned by year end.

"The divestiture processes for the remainder of our legacy conventional assets are proceeding as expected, with strong interest from potential buyers," Mr. Ferguson said in a statement.

Private-equity and pension-fund-controlled companies are seen as potential buyers for the remainder of the assets.

Canadian Natural shares rose about 1.5 per cent. The company, the largest of several concerns that count financier Murray Edwards as a large investor, has had a more positive reaction to its last big deal, the $12.7-billion takeover of an oil sands mining operation that pumps out up to 255,000 barrels a day.

Toronto-Dominion Bank analyst Menno Hulshof said the transaction is far less significant to Canadian Natural than to Cenovus, as it represents just 1.4 per cent of the buyer's enterprise value.

Pelican Lake produces about 19,000 barrels of heavy oil a day. The deal also includes Cenovus's stake in a pipeline in the region as well as undeveloped land.

For Cenovus, the sale price is fair and represents "a step in the right direction in restoring market confidence," Mr. Hulshof wrote in a note to clients.

The deal follows an unusually quiet period for oil-patch mergers and acquisitions, as buyers and sellers stayed on the sidelines waiting for some shift in the outlook for oil prices – either up or down. U.S. crude has hung stubbornly at less than $50 (U.S.) a barrel for more than four months.

The lack of direction for commodity prices and the end of summer vacation should spell an uptick in deals over the next few months, said Michael Dunn, an analyst at GMP FirstEnergy. The upcoming Cenovus transactions, which involve both light oil and natural gas assets, will be a barometer for the rest of the sector, Mr. Dunn said.

Cenovus still faces skepticism that it can hit its target of $4-billion (Canadian) to $5-billion in sales.

Raymond James Ltd. analyst Chris Cox forecasts the company will generate proceeds of $3.8-billion, well short of its targeted range, meaning more operations will be auctioned off.

"Potentially corroborating this pessimistic outlook, management's indication that additional asset sales are likely to be pursued suggests that proceeds for the remaining packages are unlikely to surprise to the upside," he said in a note.

Further sales could include portions of the newly acquired properties and infrastructure in the Deep Basin exploration region of Alberta, as well as a possible royalty interest in the oil sands, Mr. Cox said.

With files from reporter Jeff Lewis in Calgary

Output: Canadian Natural Resources has agreed to buy Cenovus Energy's Pelican Lake heavy oil operations and other assets in northern Alberta for CAD975m ($787m). Canadian Natural plans to expand existing heavy oil and polymer operations at Pelican Lake to about 19,600 barrels of oil equivalent a day. Cenovus has embarked on a divestiture campaign after closing on a $13.3 billion deal with ConocoPhillips earlier this year to acquire full ownership of its oil-sands operations and a production platform in the Deep Basin in northwestern Alberta and British Columbia. The company said it wants to reach deals to sell between C$4 billion and C$5 billion of its conventional oil and natural-gas assets this year.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Lemonade seen amassing more reinsurance capacity than it needs
 Insurtech start-up insurer Lemonade, one of the most high-profile companies to come out of the insurance technology wave, has recently completed an expansion to its reinsurance program, which sees the firm with a huge $325 million of capacity backing it.

Lemonade is utilising reinsurance capital as one of its backers, it seems, with a much larger reinsurance program than its underwriting activities would suggest it actually needs.

“I’m happy to report that we signed a new reinsurance contract a month ago, and many of the leading insurance and reinsurance companies from across the globe joined in,” explained John Peters, Lemonade’s Chief Insurance Officer, in a blog post.

“This includes two of the top three global reinsurers; expert specialists that reinsure and even write homeowners themselves. From New York, Bermuda, and London, these partners are in the hubs of insurance knowledge and capital,” he continued.

“We now have up to $325M in reinsurance protection: A LOT for any company, let alone one our size,” he wrote, which we would agree, as based on the underwriting activity at Lemonade the reinsurance program capacity seems perhaps excessive.

The company said that it has generated $433,000 of earned premium in the first half of 2017, which would suggest gross premiums underwritten of somewhere around $10 million to $15 million, we would presume based on Lemonade also saying that they turned down $10 million of premium by not quoting nearly half of their customers.

So $10 million of premiums coming in and now $325 million of reinsurance protection, which is way more coverage (more than double) than a small insurer writing that amount of premium (or $2m of revenue as Lemonade claims to have) would typically need to buy.

But Lemonade is clearly buying reinsurance for numerous reasons, not just for when it faces really major loss events.

It’s using its reinsurance partners to take attritional claims volatility out of the business, helping it to keep its loss ratio lower and ultimately add efficiency to its operations as a result.

It’s also using the reinsurance as a buffer to allow it to grow more rapidly, having the program in place will give it the ability and confidence to expand more rapidly we’d imagine.

It also seems to be using the reinsurance as one of its capital levers, as a way to keep its own balance-sheet a little lighter than a traditional insurer which will be essential for it to compete against industry stalwarts as it grows.

Reinsurance is key for any start-up insurer, but perhaps more so for an InsurTech start-up like Lemonade which has a particularly high level of spend on marketing and acquisition, as well as its technology costs, from the start, but a smaller capital base and balance-sheet.

Peters said that the reinsurers participating in this expansion of the Lemonade program have signed on for multiple years and that the placement was oversubscribed

Output: Insurtech start-up Lemonade has extended its reinsurance programme to a capacity of $325m, greater than its underwriting activities suggest is necessary. The company has signed agreements with multiple global reinsurance firms, stating that it generated around $433,000 in earned premium in H1 2017 alone, indicating gross premiums underwritten standing at around $10m to $15m. It's thought the additional reinsurance capacity has been taken on to iron out claims volatility, to give the company a buffer for expansion and to help keep its balance sheet light.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Redrow Redrow launches Mastermove scheme to help homeowners sell quickly
 Sellers in Stafford could soon become buyers with help from Redrow to master a speedy move from old to new.

Church View offers a good choice of four and five-bedroom homes and, while visitors love both the location and the design of the properties, many are being held back from moving because they have a house to sell.

The good news is that Redrow’s Mastermove scheme could help homeowners sell up quickly, simply and at full market value, leaving them free to move to a brand new home.

Pauline Turnbull, sales director for Redrow Homes (Midlands), said: “The homes we’re building at Church View offer the best of both worlds in terms of the location and their design. They’re situated off a quiet country road, but are just a few minutes from Stafford town centre in an area well-served by schools.

“Factor in that the homes are as characterful as they are practical and it’s no surprise that people want to live here. However, we’re finding that many of those who want to live here still haven’t sold their current home – or in some cases haven’t even put it on the market yet. That’s where we can help.”

Mastermove is a great solution regardless of whether homeowners are moving to somewhere bigger, smaller or simply more appropriate for their needs.

“We’ll arrange the valuations, agree a market value for a quick sale, appoint an agent we know can deliver and monitor their progress,” Pauline explained.

“Mastermove is designed to make life easier for our customers, get them sold subject to contract and in a position to reserve the new home they really want – and we’ll even pay some of the estate agent fees at the end of the day.”

In some circumstances Redrow may even accept the customer’s existing property in part-exchange, providing its value is at least 35% lower than the brand new Redrow home they have chosen to purchase. If the various criteria can be met Redrow effectively acts as a cash buyer and the customer is free to proceed almost immediately.

Current prices at Church View start from £399,995 and among the properties now available are a four-bedroom Henley and a five-bedroom Marlborough, similar to the show homes.

The Henley features a combined kitchen, dining and family room, with adjoining utility, plus a separate lounge and a convenient cloakroom.

The five-bedroom Marlborough offers 1,906 sq ft of well-planned living space including open plan kitchen, dining and family room, utility and separate lounge, plus a study or snug.

In both styles there are two en-suites, helping to minimise the morning rush for the family bathroom.

Redrow’s neighbouring Priory Park development offers even more to choose from, with three, four and five-bedroom properties available with priced from £249,995.

Between Church View and Priory Park there are six professionally designed and decorated, fully furnished show homes to inspire buyers.

For more information about Church View call 01785 899231 or see www.redrow.co.uk/church. To discover more about Priory Park www.redrow.co.uk/priory or call 01785 899137.

Output: Home builder Redrow has launched its Mastermove scheme, designed to provide assistance for homeowners looking to sell their properties quickly, without losing market value. Redrow’s Church View properties in Stafford can be purchased through the scheme, which provides property valuations, agreed market values and agent appointments to help potential buyers sell their present property. Redrow may even take the property in a part-exchange transaction, if the property's value is 35% lower than that of the intended purchase. The four and five-bed properties in Church View start at £399,995 ($520,370).


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Asylum seekers in Finland given an identity using blockchain
 Bitcoin has demonstrated how blockchain technology can be used to transmit value between individuals without the need for corporate middlemen. Core to the technology is a software protocol that creates a permanent record of every single Bitcoin transaction. Anyone can access this record, called the blockchain, by downloading the Bitcoin software. Computers running the software all over the world maintain the blockchain, and use it to verify new transactions (see “What Bitcoin Is, and Why It Matters”).

Blockchains are seen as a promising avenue for opening new financial opportunities to people who don’t have access to modern financial services. Besides eliminating the need for a traditional financial institution to mediate transactions, they provide a means for creating and securely storing a digital form of identification that can’t be corrupted and is easily accessible from anywhere. That’s why the United Nations is exploring using the technology in its effort to bring legal identification to the more than one billion people who don’t have official documents.

In Finland, a MONI card can help address several challenges facing asylum seekers, says Jouko Salonen, director of the Finnish Immigration Service. Most importantly, a MONI account functions like a bank account, removing a major barrier to gaining employment. People can use their accounts to buy things, pay bills, and even receive direct deposits from employers. Meanwhile, every transaction is recorded in a public, virtually incorruptible database maintained by a decentralized global network of computers. That enables the Immigration Service to keep track of the cardholders and their spending.

The technology helps unbanked asylum seekers advance because what is typically keeping them from getting bank accounts and jobs is that they are missing a form of strongly authenticated identity, says Salonen. “We have found a way to solve that.”

MONI’s technology uses one of a number of public blockchains as the means of transferring value—but in a way that to the users seems like using a debit card. A cardholder can pay for things at Mastercard terminals, or enter a number into a Web form to make payments online. MONI takes care of the cryptographic handshake necessary to execute the digital currency transaction as well as the conversion from digital currency back to fiat currency.

In addition to the refugee card program, MONI’s service is available to beta testers in Finland, and the company has plans to launch a consumer product soon throughout Europe. An account costs €2 per month, and the company takes a small fee each time the user makes a purchase, and for international transactions.

Antti Pennanen, MONI’s founder and CEO, likens blockchain technology today to the early Internet, which was only accessible to a select few with the means and technical wherewithal to use it. His says MONI’s technology is somewhat analogous to a modem, which made the Internet usable for more people.

Pennanen says word of MONI has spread to refugee camps throughout Europe, and he expects there to be substantial demand among those displaced communities once the service is available in other countries. Ultimately, the company wants to be able to help anyone who can’t access the modern financial system, he says. “Our purpose has always been financial inclusion, and especially to help people in developing countries.”

Output: Finland is using blockchain to give asylum seekers an identity and access to money. For the past two years, the Finnish Immigration Service has been giving refugees prepaid Mastercards, developed by Helsinki-based start-up MONI, instead of traditional cash payments. The card is also linked to a digital identity on a blockchain, where it is easily accessible from anywhere and cannot be corrupted.