Today's Beeps: Stem cells, more venture capital, Beiruti twibbons and Chinese hackers



A Dubai company will open stem cell research centers in the UAE, jumping into one of the most promising (and controversial), areas of modern medical technology. As Beep Beep's David George-Cosh reports, the centers will focus on treatments using adult stem cells, not the embryonic cells that have raised alarm bells among religous groups around the world.

Effective Measure, the analytics / audience measurement company that are trying to become the standard for web traffic ratings in the Middle East, has secured $4 million in venture capital from Rho Ventures, a big American VC firm.

I'll be among the many descending on Beirut in late March for Arabnet, the Arab web industry conference. If you'll be there, and are on Twitter, and are the type of person who likes to show some love via Avatar modification, you can add an Arabnet twibbon here.

The acquisition of Zain's African assets seems to be cruising along pretty nicely, with India's Bharti Airtel pretty close to lining up $9 billion of mid-term debt finance, the Wall Street Journal reports. It seems that Bharti's previous efforts to buy South Africa's MTN means that much of the paperwork and preparations for a deal of this size have already been done.

The US government is closing in on those responsible for the Chinese hacking attack on Google and other foreign companies doing business in China, the Financial Times says in a great piece of reporting. It is a properly juicy story and well worth a read. 


COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances