Circular tech start-up Kibu has secured an investment offer from entrepreneurs Peter Jones and Jenna Meek following a televised pitch on Dragons’ Den, putting repairable children’s electronics firmly in the national spotlight.

The award-winning brand, which produces modular, repairable headphones for children, appeared on the long-running BBC programme represented by co-founder and chief executive Sam Beaney. Kibu’s pitch focused on its mission to redesign children’s consumer electronics around circular principles, prioritising disassembly, repair and customisation over disposal.

Founded through a collaboration between London-based design studio Morrama, advanced manufacturing partner Batch.Works and Beaney, Kibu first launched via a successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then, the company has transitioned from prototype to scalable commercial product, positioning itself as a challenger brand in a sector dominated by low-cost, disposable devices.

Kibu’s headphones are built with modular components that can be taken apart and reassembled by children. Individual parts can be replaced in minutes, extending product lifespan and reducing electronic waste. The design also allows for aesthetic customisation, enabling users to change colours and update components as preferences evolve.

The brand has already received international recognition for innovation and sustainability, tapping into growing parental demand for durable, repairable products in an era of heightened environmental awareness.

Speaking during the broadcast, Jones praised the concept and offered backing, citing his own early experience building and selling computers as a teenager. Meek also expressed interest in supporting the venture.

Beaney told the Dragons that empowering children to build and repair their own technology shifts their relationship with ownership and value. “When a child builds something themselves, it changes how they feel about it. When they learn they can fix what they’ve made, it changes how they see everything they own,” he said.

Jo Barnard, founder and creative director of Morrama, described the brand as a blueprint for futureproof electronics. By combining onshored manufacturing with agile supply chains, she argued, Kibu could unlock wider opportunities across children’s consumer technology.

Julien Vaissieres, chief executive of Batch.Works, said the project demonstrated how manufacturing can be structured to reduce waste while maintaining commercial viability. As both a founder and a parent, he said, the appeal lay in giving children agency over the products they use daily.

Now in its 23rd series, Dragons’ Den remains one of the UK’s most visible entrepreneurial platforms, attracting around three million viewers per episode on BBC One. For Kibu, the appearance offers both capital and brand recognition at a pivotal growth stage.

With investor backing now on the table, Kibu plans to scale distribution while continuing to develop its circular design ethos. The company believes its repair-first approach could extend beyond headphones into a broader range of children’s electronics, an industry segment increasingly scrutinised for its environmental footprint.

As sustainability pressures intensify and right-to-repair legislation gains momentum across global markets, Kibu’s model may offer an early glimpse of how future consumer electronics for children could be designed, manufactured and owned.

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Jake Pickering, head of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries at Waitrose, said: “By suspending sourcing of mackerel at Waitrose we are reinforcing our ethical and sustainable business commitments, acting to tackle overfishing and protect the long-term health of our oceans and this crucial fish.”

Newly released Justice Department and congressional documents show that JPMorgan bankers maintained connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for years after the bank formally cut him off as a client in 2013.

The records detail how Epstein, even after being dropped, helped manage the fortune of Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black and remained entwined with some of the bank’s senior employees.

The documents highlight that two JPMorgan managing directors, Justin Nelson and Paul Barrett, continued to interact with Epstein from 2014 through 2017.

Nelson had been Epstein’s banker before the bank severed ties, while Barrett had assisted him with investments.

According to WSJ, emails show the bankers relied on Epstein to develop a relationship between JPMorgan and Black’s family office, Elysium Management, which oversaw Black’s personal wealth.

“To the extent our bankers subsequently interacted with him, it was because other clients—not JPMorgan—chose to use him as an advisor,” said JPMorgan spokesman Joseph Evangelisti.

He added that Barrett’s personal dealings with Epstein were not authorized by the bank.

Even after leaving JPMorgan in 2017, Barrett continued working closely with Epstein, managing his personal investments through Alpha Group Capital.

Records indicate Barrett offered advice on Epstein’s portfolio and arranged meetings between Epstein and JPMorgan staff, including Nelson and other executives, to help pitch investment opportunities.

How JPMorgan’s Bankers Stayed Close to Epstein After Bank Fired Him as a Client – The Wall Street Journal. These bankers must resign. https://t.co/lprim6sw8Z

— John Larson (@JohnLarson2204) February 27, 2026

Emails Show Epstein Helped JPMorgan

Epstein’s role at Elysium started in 2012, when he began advising on Black’s finances.

Emails from 2014 show Nelson meeting Epstein at his townhouse and requesting contacts at Elysium to promote JPMorgan services. Within weeks, Elysium opened accounts with the bank, according to the filings.

While JPMorgan maintains that it had no control over its clients’ choice to engage Epstein, the documents illustrate how Epstein continued to move money through the bank.

In one instance, six months before his death in 2019, Epstein wired $150,000 into a JPMorgan account for his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, Yahoo reported.

He had also stayed involved in investment decisions for clients including Black and music mogul Tommy Mottola, while his associates continued using bank services.

JPMorgan previously reported suspicions about Epstein’s activity, including unusually large cash withdrawals, and compliance officers flagged him before the bank ended the relationship.

After Epstein’s death, JPMorgan settled lawsuits from his victims and the US Virgin Islands for a combined $365 million, without admitting liability.

The released documents reveal that Epstein’s network allowed him to remain influential in financial circles long after his 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution.

Originally published on vcpost.com

By Carsten Brzeski, Global Head of Macro

German unemployment dropped by 14,700 in February, the best February performance of the labour market since 2022. At the same time, however, the fact that the absolute number of those unemployed remains

A federal judge on Thursday denied a legal challenge to President Donald Trump‘s White House ballroom project, clearing the way for construction on the estimated $400 million expansion to proceed.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, saying the group was unlikely to succeed on the merits. The group sued the Trump administration in December to halt construction, arguing it skipped required reviews and failed to obtain congressional approval before demolishing the East Wing of the White House.

In his order, Leon wrote that the preservation group relied on a “ragtag group of theories” under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. 

He wrote that the challenge failed because “the White House office in question is not an agency” under the APA and because the plaintiff did not bring what was needed to challenge the president’s statutory authority to complete the project with private funds and without congressional approval.

TRUMP TRADE CHIEF DEFIANT ON SUPREME COURT RULING, VOWS TO RESTORE TARIFFS WITHIN MONTHS

Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, saying the ballroom would be entirely funded by private donors.

“Great news for America, and our wonderful White House! The Judge on the case of what will be the most beautiful Ballroom anywhere in the World, has just thrown out, and completely erased, the effort to stop its construction,” Trump said. “As everyone knows, not one dollar of Taxpayer money is being spent, but rather, all money necessary to build this magnificent building is being put up by Patriot Donors and Contributors.”

Trump said construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom – which he said could host inauguration events and state dinners – is “ahead of schedule and under budget.”

FEDEX SAYS IT WILL RETURN ANY TARIFF REFUNDS TO CUSTOMERS, SHIPPERS WHO PAID THEM

“It will stand long into the future as a symbol to the Greatness of America!” Trump added.

Leon left the door open for the preservation group to amend its complaint and seek reconsideration.

National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen vowed to continue the lawsuit.

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“While we are disappointed that the Court did not issue the preliminary injunction, we were pleased that Judge Leon ruled that the National Trust has standing to bring this lawsuit, as we have asserted from the start,” she said in a statement. “We are also pleased that he encouraged us to amend our complaint—specifically, to assert that the President has acted beyond his statutory authority—and we plan to do so promptly. The judge indicated he will rule expeditiously once we do so, and we will await his decision.”

The ruling came after the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the ballroom proposal last week, putting the project on the fast track ahead of further review March 5 by the National Capital Planning Commission.

Q4: 2026-02-26 Earnings Summary

EPS of $0.31 beats by $0.29

 | Revenue of $30.62M (0.04% Y/Y) beats by $1.74M

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At a time when much of the global economy is grappling with uncertainty, India appears to be enjoying a rare alignment of strong growth and subdued inflation. In a conversation with ET Now, Aurodeep Nandi, India Economist, Nomura laid out why he believes the macro backdrop remains broadly supportive — even as debates continue around rates, the rupee, and inflation risks.

“India is in this situation where growth has surprised on the upside. So, the first half of the year growth has approximately been around 8% and inflation has been pretty low. Food inflation has come off quite a lot and also core inflation which is ex food and fuel has been low for now a couple of years.”

According to Nandi, the headwinds that weighed on the economy through 2024 and 2025 are now tapering off. With trade disruptions easing, wage growth expected to improve, and capital expenditure staying firm — particularly from states — the ingredients for sustained expansion appear to be in place.

He also underscored the policy environment. “Let us not forget that 2025 has been a year where there has been a lot of policy easing on the regulatory side, from RBI‘s perspective, even the budget has basically been pro-growth as opposed to pro-fiscal consolidation. So, the conditions are pretty good for growth.”

On inflation, the outlook remains constructive, provided monsoons behave. “We do not see major inflationary risks if we have decent monsoons and given that the core drivers behind lower underlying inflation still remain pretty much in place.”

Nomura expects GDP growth at 7.5% in FY26 and 7.1% in FY27, with inflation hovering around 4%. “So, yes, pretty much goldilocks continued.”
Bridging the FY26 Gap
When asked about the divergence between projections and official estimates, Nandi clarified, “So, our FY26 projection is 7.5%.”
He pointed to a combination of factors driving momentum in the current quarter. “The GST cut plus festive demand quarter means that a lot of consumption-related indicators have picked up in the last quarter. We also have urban wage growth picking up which we see in company results. Companies themselves have registered an increase in profit growth.”

Capital expenditure, particularly at the state level, remains supportive. A technical factor is also at play. “One of the reasons why real growth has been high in the last two quarters has been that the GDP deflator has also been low… GDP deflator is expected to fall further in this quarter.”

Taken together, these dynamics lead to an expectation of 7.7% GDP growth in Q3, compared with 8.2% in the previous quarter.

The Rate Cut Debate
With inflation cooling and growth resilient, the Monetary Policy Committee faces a delicate balancing act.

Nandi’s baseline view is clear: “Our baseline view is no more cuts.”

Yet he acknowledges the counterargument. “If you are achieving seven-percent-ish growth with low inflation, then the question is should you achieve a bit more by cutting rates further.”

He believes the Reserve Bank of India has room to act if needed. “RBI certainly has the bullets for a rate cut. There is nothing that should constrain the RBI at this point. The question is the application.”

For now, however, Nomura has stepped back from its earlier expectation of one more 25 basis point cut. “We earlier had one more 25 basis point cut but just given the way Indian macro situation is shifting, we have taken away that cut. So, currently we are at policy hold but… there is a risk of another cut.”

Rupee: Stability or More Volatility?
The rupee has seen bouts of volatility, though recent weeks have brought some calm. Nandi remains cautious.

“Our house forecast is rupee at around 90 level by the end of the calendar year.”

Trade tensions have eased from earlier extremes, but capital flows will be key. “If you have net FDI flows starting to recover and if you have the foreign portfolio money coming back, then probably you would have some support to the rupee.”

However, even inflows may not translate into full appreciation. “If foreign flows do come in and there is an appreciating pressure on the rupee, the RBI could say, hey, wait a minute, this is a great time for me to build up my reserves. So, you may not see that entire appreciation reflect in the market price.”

For now, he describes conditions as incrementally improving — though volatility remains part of the story.

Oil, Geopolitics and Inflation Risks
With geopolitical tensions simmering and oil prices volatile, the risk to inflation is under scrutiny. Nandi offered a nuanced view.

“The way oil price hits the economy is higher crude oil prices lead to higher petrol and diesel prices which then impacts inflation to the extent of the weight of petrol and diesel.”

But transmission may not be immediate. “Petrol, diesel prices in India have been constant for years now… If my pump price remains constant, then it does not really matter where crude oil price is up or down.”

Beyond oil, structural factors may be keeping inflation anchored. “We have a widening trade deficit with China, so a lot of cheap Chinese imports are coming into the market. There is also the case where you have digitisation, you have investment in infrastructure, so you have supply-side interventions also coming from the government.”

While base effects could cause temporary fluctuations, the broader trend appears stable. “It seems for now that inflation is broadly under control… as of now underlying inflation seems anchored at around 4%.”

In sum, India’s macro narrative remains one of resilience — strong growth, manageable inflation, and policy flexibility. Whether this “goldilocks” balance sustains over the next year will hinge on monsoons, global flows, and the fine calibration of monetary policy.