Mid-Week Tech News Roundup – November 10th to November 14th 2025
12 Nov, 20256 minutesPushON Launches New Parent Group and Merges with Pixel KicksManchester-based ecommerce agenc...
PushON Launches New Parent Group and Merges with Pixel Kicks
Manchester-based ecommerce agency PushON has launched a new parent group, PushON Commerce, as part of plans to accelerate growth and strengthen its full-service digital offering.
As part of the move, PushON Commerce has brought in Pixel Kicks, a local creative marketing and web development agency known for its expertise in Shopify, WordPress, content marketing, and product photography.
The new group combines two established Manchester agencies under one banner, PushON and Pixel Kicks, bringing together technical ecommerce skills and creative marketing know-how to help businesses grow online.
Simon Wharton, founder of PushON, said:
“We’ve known and admired the Pixel Kicks team for years. By combining our ecommerce and technical expertise with their creative and Shopify skills, we’re creating a stronger offering for our clients. We see this as a major step in our long-term growth strategy.”
PushON Commerce plans to grow its presence in ecommerce, with a projected 20% increase in turnover in its first year. The group is also exploring further opportunities worth around £1.5 million across key sectors, including construction supply, retail, and professional services.
Wharton added:
“This move represents confidence and investment in the future. For existing clients, it means greater continuity, resilience and more services under one roof. For new clients, it means a trusted partner with even broader expertise.”
Chris Buckley, founder of Pixel Kicks, said:
“Becoming part of PushON Commerce creates new opportunities for our team and our clients. It allows us to keep doing the creative and marketing work we love, while contributing to a broader group with the scale and expertise to fuel growth.”
Advai Partners with the UK’s Defence AI Centre to Build Trust in Artificial Intelligence
UK-based AI safety company Advai has teamed up with the Defence AI Centre (DAIC) to launch the AI Model Arena, a new platform designed to test and evaluate artificial intelligence systems before they’re used in real Defence scenarios.
With Advai founded by David Sully and Chris Jefferson, the Model Arena gives suppliers a way to submit and test their AI models on real Defence challenges, helping the Ministry of Defence understand how each system performs in terms of accuracy, security, and reliability. Up to 100 AI models can be tested at the same time, helping Defence speed up innovation while keeping safety and trust front and centre.
The project builds on earlier work between Advai, the Royal Navy, and the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE), where multiple AI systems were tested side by side to see how they handled complex, high-stakes environments.
Commodore Rachel Singleton, Head of the Defence AI Centre, said:
“This initiative is central to our ambition to adopt AI responsibly and at pace, ensuring we maintain a strategic advantage in an increasingly competitive landscape. I encourage all AI suppliers to engage with the AI Model Arena. This is your opportunity to showcase your capabilities, drive innovation, and help shape the future of Defence AI.”
The Model Arena forms part of the UK’s AI Opportunities Plan (2025) and supports the wider goal of helping Defence and industry adopt AI faster, more safely, and with clearer oversight.
Based in the UK, Advai specialises in testing and validating AI systems to make sure they are secure, robust, and trustworthy. Rather than building AI, Advai focuses on “breaking” it, finding weaknesses and risks before they become problems. The company has worked with the UK Government’s AI Safety Institute, the Ministry of Defence, and leading private sector organisations to help make AI adoption safer and more reliable.
Lightdash Partners with Database Tycoon to Simplify Data Analytics
Open-source BI startup Lightdash has announced a new partnership with Database Tycoon LLC, expanding its mission to make business intelligence simpler and more accessible for teams.
Founded in 2021, Lightdash offers an open-source alternative to Looker, helping analysts connect their data models, transformations, and dashboards into one source of truth. The idea? To make data actually usable for everyone, not just the data team.
Their new partner, Database Tycoon, led by CEO Stephen Sciortino, specialises in helping companies untangle complex data challenges and build analytics stacks that actually work. Commenting on the collaboration, Sciortino said:
“I’m excited to see what we can do together!”
The two teams share a common goal: to help more organisations move from “our dashboards are broken again” to “everyone can actually self-serve.”
Lightdash co-founder and CEO Hamzah Chaudhary said the partnership will further their commitment to building open, practical, and developer-friendly data tools for modern teams.
FALKIN Secures £1.5m Pre-Seed Funding to Combat Scams with AI
FALKIN, a cybersecurity startup founded in 2024, has raised £1.5 million ($2 million) in pre-seed funding to develop AI tools aimed at detecting and preventing scams before payments are made.
The company has created technology that can be embedded into apps, such as mobile banking or customer service platforms, to analyse manipulation techniques and signs of deception used by scammers. By doing this, FALKIN aims to stop fraudulent activity before it reaches the user.
Co-founder Boaz Valkin said:
“The new battlefield isn’t payments – it’s persuasion. Protection has to move earlier, to the moment before someone clicks, replies, or transfers. We’re turning AI from a weapon of deception into a tool for defence.”
Joel Frisch, co-founder and COO, added:
“Modern scams are sophisticated, and no single red flag tells the whole story. By analysing all the signals that reveal deception and embedding that intelligence into the apps people already trust, protection becomes effortless.”
The funding round was led by TriplePoint Ventures and included participation from Notion Capital, BackFuture Ventures, Aviva/Founders Factory, Haatch, Found Capital, Founders Capital and angel investors.
Sam Stone of TriplePoint Ventures said:
“AI has blurred the line between what’s real and what’s fake, and traditional systems aren’t built for that reality. FALKIN’s vision to make proactive safety universal has the potential to redefine digital trust. We’re proud to back the team as they work to embed digital safety at the heart of modern finance.”
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