Barcelona-based HR software maker Factorial closed a $150 million Series D led by US investor General Catalyst at a $2.5 billion valuation, the company announced in early June 2026. General Catalyst is also committing up to an additional $540 million through its Customer Value Fund, bringing total capital committed to more than $700 million; the CVF ties returns to customer value rather than further equity dilution. Existing backers Atomico and Four Rivers participated. Factorial says it serves over 16,000 businesses in more than 90 countries, employs roughly 2,600 people and is accelerating hiring as it shifts from a traditional SaaS model to an “AI Workforce Operations Platform” centered on its Factorial One agent architecture. A significant portion of the new capital will fund expansion in Germany (a new Munich office), broader European growth, sales and marketing, and product development. General Catalyst’s equity stake is its first direct ownership in Factorial following earlier non-dilutive CVF engagement. The round positions Factorial among Europe’s most valuable AI-native enterprise scale-ups and underscores investor appetite for large, revenue-generating software companies rebuilding around generative AI.

A parliamentary report published on June 3 by the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said Britain’s growing dependence on US data firm Palantir represents an “unacceptable point of weakness” for public services. MPs urged ministers to consider exercising a break clause in Palantir’s NHS Federated Data Platform contract (awarded in 2023 and valued at about £330 million) and to explore UK-based alternatives. The committee warned of vendor lock-in, resilience and national security risks from concentrating sensitive systems on a single overseas supplier, noted concerns about the company’s political links and public comments by co-founder Peter Thiel and CEO Alex Karp, and cited Palantir’s wider presence across defence, policing and regulation. Palantir has defended the NHS programme as delivering benefits; its UK chief Louis Mosley called calls to cancel the deal “frankly irresponsible.” Campaigners, some NHS staff and London city officials have also raised procurement and data-access questions. The committee recommended tighter digital strategy leadership and greater scrutiny of contracts with foreign tech providers.

Nintendo confirmed on June 4, 2026 that it is preparing versions of its Switch 2 console for the European Union that will allow users to replace the battery without sending the device to service. The move responds to an EU right-to-repair regulation taking effect Feb. 18, 2027 that requires user-replaceable batteries in many portable electronics. Nintendo says future EU units will carry unique model numbers and an “OSM” code on packaging to distinguish them from existing “BEE”-prefixed Switch 2 products. The company has not detailed the physical design changes, whether Joy-Con controllers will also be revised, or whether the user-replaceable models will be sold outside the EU. The rule covers a broad range of devices, from tablets to earbuds, and manufacturers must comply or seek exemptions. Nintendo’s public confirmation makes it one of the first major console makers to acknowledge steps to meet the new requirements, though specifics on timing, pricing and global availability remain unconfirmed.

SwitchBot has launched a 7.5-inch E Ink Weather Station priced at about $110, combining weather telemetry, smart-home controls and calendar integration in a low-power display. The monochrome 800×480 E Ink unit features a front light, USB‑C charging and a 5,000 mAh battery SwitchBot says can last up to a year. It shows indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, seven-day forecasts, wind speed/direction, UV index and air‑quality/CO2 data when paired with external sensors such as the SwitchBot Meter Pro (up to three). The device supports calendar sync for up to five profiles from Google, iCloud, Outlook and Yahoo, offers automated alerts for unusual conditions, and exposes four configurable front buttons to trigger smart‑home scenes. It can link to Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home via SwitchBot hubs and is Matter‑compatible when bridged. Built‑in AI (OpenClaw) provides outfit and travel suggestions, motivational text and custom text views. The Weather Station is on sale via SwitchBot’s site and Amazon and was previewed at CES 2026.

On June 3, 2026 Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed new conduct requirements on Google Search that force the company to give online publishers effective tools to prevent their content being used in AI-generated features. The rules require Google to let publishers opt out of inclusion in AI Overviews, AI Mode and other generative search features, and to opt out of having site content used to fine-tune its AI models. The CMA also ordered clearer attribution with direct links to source material and said opting out must not be used as a ranking signal in traditional search. Google said it has begun testing a new control in Search Console with a subset of UK publishers and will roll out additional publisher insights and metrics. The regulator designated Google with “strategic market status” in general search and has given the company nine months to comply while urging key elements be implemented sooner. The CMA said the changes will strengthen publishers’ bargaining power and improve transparency for UK users.