A busy morning of corporate news spans sectors from hospitality and healthcare to mining and infrastructure, with Time Out Group (AIM:TMO) extending its global Market franchise into South America and MedPal AI (AIM:MPAL) launching an agentic health companion built on enterprise-grade AI infrastructure. Elsewhere, fresh drilling results, a significant automotive contract win, and a final investment decision on a North Sea development programme add further depth to the pre-open agenda.
Time Out Group signs South America franchise, São Paulo launch set for 2027
Time Out Group (AIM:TMO) has signed a franchise agreement to bring its Time Out Market concept to South America, with São Paulo earmarked as the first location and an opening targeted for early 2027. The deal marks the brand's first foothold on the continent and continues a strategy of expanding the Market format through franchise partnerships rather than direct capital deployment.
CEO Chris Ohlund described São Paulo as "one of the world's great food cities and an exciting next step in Time Out Market's global expansion." The franchise model allows Time Out to collect fees and royalties while a local partner funds and operates the venue, a structure the group has used to accelerate international reach without stretching its own balance sheet.
Tesco reports first-quarter sales growth with full-year guidance maintained
Tesco (LSE:TSCO) posted first-quarter sales growth and left its full-year guidance unchanged, signalling resilience in its core UK grocery business despite an uncertain consumer backdrop. Chief executive Ken Murphy pointed to ongoing geopolitical pressures, including the conflict in the Middle East, as a source of household uncertainty, and said the group remained focused on delivering value through price, quality and service.
MedPal AI launches Juno agentic health companion on Anthropic and DigitalOcean stack
MedPal AI (AIM:MPAL) has launched Juno, an agentic AI health companion built on infrastructure provided by Anthropic and DigitalOcean. The company says Juno moves beyond conventional question-and-answer chatbot functionality, instead proactively managing patient health journeys from initial triage through to doorstep medication delivery, a materially broader scope than most consumer health AI products currently on the market.
The Anthropic and DigitalOcean stack gives Juno access to enterprise-grade large language model capabilities and scalable cloud infrastructure, positioning MedPal to handle clinical-grade workloads as adoption grows. The launch represents the company's most significant product milestone to date.
Shuka Minerals fourth Kabwe drill hole extends western mineralisation
Shuka Minerals (AIM:SKA) has reported results from its fourth drill hole at the Kabwe project, with the intersection confirming a western extension to the known orebody. CEO Richard Lloyd said each successive hole is adding to the team's understanding of the deposit's geometry, describing the programme as an iterative process of orebody definition.
Panther Metals raises £2.5m to expand Obonga zinc drilling
Panther Metals (AIM:PALM) has raised £2.5m to fund an expanded drilling campaign at its Obonga zinc project. The fundraise follows encouraging early-stage results, with chief executive Darren Hazelwood highlighting the quantity and apparent thickness of massive sulphide encountered as a key driver of the decision to accelerate work at the site.
Manchester NHS Trust adopts Genedrive hearing-loss test as routine neonatal practice
Genedrive (AIM:GDR) has secured a significant clinical endorsement, with a Manchester NHS Trust integrating its hearing-loss diagnostic assay into routine neonatal care. The test enables rapid identification of babies at risk of aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss, a critical window in which early detection can prevent permanent damage from commonly used antibiotics.
Dr Ajit Mahaveer of the Trust described the Genedrive assay as "an integral part of our neonatal practice," a statement that carries weight for a company seeking to demonstrate real-world clinical adoption beyond trial settings. Routine NHS deployment at a named trust provides a referenceable case for further hospital rollout across the UK.
tinyBuild sales beat expectations in first five months as new IP pays off
Tinybuild (AIM:TBLD) reported sales ahead of expectations for the first five months of the year, with chief executive Alex Nichiporchik attributing the outperformance to new intellectual property beginning to generate returns. The company said its development pipeline continues to build, suggesting the revenue beat is not solely dependent on back-catalogue titles.
Ondine Biomedical data shows 78.5% infection reduction in nasal brain surgery
Ondine Biomedical (AIM:OBI) has published clinical data showing its nasal photodisinfection technology reduced infections by 78.5% in patients undergoing endoscopic brain surgery, procedures that access the brain through the nasal passage and carry an elevated self-infection risk from pathogens residing in the nose. CEO Carolyn Cross described the nasal route as a "remarkable medical advancement" that inherently raises infection risk, positioning Ondine's technology as a targeted solution to a structural clinical problem.
The result is among the most compelling efficacy data the company has reported and strengthens the commercial case for adoption in neurosurgery departments, where infection rates carry severe consequences for patient outcomes.
Seeing Machines wins US$31m expansion of European automotive OEM contract
Seeing Machines (AIM:SEE) has secured a US$31m expansion to an existing production programme with a European original equipment manufacturer, extending its in-cabin driver monitoring technology across additional vehicle models in China, the United States and Europe. The contract expansion broadens both the geographic and model-line reach of an already live programme, providing a more durable revenue base than a new-business win alone.
Costain selected to build Norfolk link road enabling 4,000 new homes
Costain Group (LSE:COST) has been appointed by Norfolk County Council to design and build a new link road south of King's Lynn, a piece of enabling infrastructure that will unlock the delivery of up to 4,000 homes as part of a £122m housing scheme. The contract adds to Costain's order book in the infrastructure segment and reflects continued public-sector investment in housing-enabling road schemes.
FirstGroup launches £100m buyback after 25% revenue rise
FirstGroup (LSE:FGP) announced a £100m share buyback programme alongside full-year results showing a 25% rise in adjusted revenue for the year ended 28 March. Earnings per share advanced from 19.4p to 20.3p, and the buyback signals board confidence in the group's cash generation capacity across its UK bus and rail operations.
Whitbread posts 2% sales growth as Premier Inn outpaces UK hotel sector
Whitbread (LSE:WTB) reported 2% sales growth in the period, with its Premier Inn brand outperforming the broader UK hotel market. The group said strong leisure bookings have put its forward booked position ahead of the prior year, and chief executive Dominic Paul expressed confidence in the full-year outlook. The result underscores Premier Inn's structural advantage as a value-positioned brand in a market where cost-conscious travellers continue to trade down from higher-rated hotels.
FCA closes Drax investigation with no enforcement action
Drax Group (LSE:DRX) confirmed that the Financial Conduct Authority has closed its investigation into the company without taking any action. CEO Will Gardiner said the group had worked "constructively" with the regulator throughout the process and acknowledged the importance of regulatory compliance. The closure removes a material overhang that had weighed on the company's regulatory standing.
Kistos takes final investment decision on seven-well Balder Next project
Kistos Holdings (AIM:KIST) has taken a final investment decision on the Balder Next development project, a seven-well programme designed to deliver significant additional production volumes from the Balder field. Executive Chairman Andrew Austin said the project carries a breakeven cost of approximately US$30 per barrel of oil equivalent, a level that provides meaningful headroom against current oil prices and underpins the economics of the investment.
