Manchester stories

Willo names Jim Berrisford VP of Partnerships to drive global alliances after GBP £3 million backing and new UK office openings.

Manchester’s GBP £1.7bn Sister hub and Galway’s Platform94 sign a 12-month pact to ease cross-Irish Sea expansion for start-ups.

Most Britons have never heard of new AI and marketing roles, with many dismissing titles like Belonging Manager and Empathy Engineer as fake.

Manchester’s mid-sized firms are stalling investment and expansion, citing volatile costs, policy shifts and tougher access to finance.

Immediate launches IX, a dedicated experiential agency using its live shows and media brands to create bespoke in-person campaigns for advertisers.

Ultamation taps Manchester digital agency Pixel Kicks to build a unified WordPress and WooCommerce platform for its growing software services.

Doorly secures GBP £600,000 to accelerate its shift from barber-booking app to nationwide on-demand home services marketplace.

Apex Computing turns firewall upgrades into planned security strategy, helping clients avoid breaches, downtime and costly distressed buys.

ANS Academy becomes first apprenticeship provider to earn Ofsted’s new ‘strong standard’ rating across all inspection categories.

PushON launches Connect to unify fragmented eCommerce marketing, promising cross-channel insight and clearer links between spend and sales.

Voicescape acquires Enterprise RPA to fuse AI tenant engagement with housing automation, targeting stretched landlords and local authorities.

Houlihan Lokey hires Mark Ward as Managing Director to expand European IT services coverage from its Manchester and London offices.

Microsoft partner mhance names Chris Allan as CEO to drive cloud, data and AI-led growth under private equity owner SilverTree Equity.

Manchester’s Voxelo launches AI studio that turns a single product video into reusable 3D models, AR assets and eCommerce imagery in hours.

Preston’s restored red phone boxes are set to become a permanent LED art canvas, blending heritage street furniture with digital culture.

THG Studios hires Adam Mandelstam and Rob Sanderson to lead a reshaped senior creative team as it pursues international growth.

Hendrix Rose PR has been appointed to lead UK media relations for fashion search specialist Verde Digital, targeting fashion and eCommerce titles.

Huawei kit swap-out blamed as London’s 5G speeds and reliability fall behind Glasgow and other UK cities, new analysis suggests.

Monzo data shows spending on AI platforms has more than doubled to GBP £19 million in 2025, as pre-loved shopping and coffee also surge.

Widdop launches its first direct-to-consumer eCommerce site for Softies plush toys, marking a major digital shift for the 140-year-old brand.