KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

Lightyear has launched Ready-made Plans in the UK, offering three risk-based investment options.

The plans are available across the platform’s 25 markets and use funds managed by BlackRock and Vanguard. The range is aimed at people who want a simpler route into investing, as well as customers who do not want to build portfolios themselves.

The launch comes as the government begins a campaign to encourage more people in the UK to invest, and as Lightyear’s own research points to low levels of retail participation. According to the company, 21% of Britons keep money in a wallet, coat pocket or bag at home, compared with 15% who hold stocks and shares.

The figures also show that only 6% hold funds or exchange-traded funds. More than half of Britons have cash savings, but many have not moved into market investments.

Three options

The range includes three funds organised by risk appetite: Moderate, Growth and All-World. The Moderate option uses the iShares Moderate Portfolio ETF, while Growth uses the iShares Growth Portfolio ETF. The All-World option uses the Vanguard FTSE All-World ETF.

Customers can set up the plans during onboarding or from the portfolio page, and auto-invest is available. Users can also name their plans. There are no buy or sell fees on the plans, although standard foreign exchange fees apply when investing in euros.

The launch expands a planning feature already offered on the platform. Lightyear previously introduced DIY Plans, which let users group and manage their own holdings. The new product is designed for customers who want a more structured approach.

Lightyear says 60% of its customers prefer simple, passive investing. About half have less than three years’ investing experience, and confidence remains the biggest barrier for many.

That points to a broader challenge for investment platforms seeking to broaden participation beyond experienced market users. For newer investors, the hurdle is often figuring out where to start, while more experienced investors may not want to spend time researching individual funds.

Lightyear was founded in 2020 by Martin Sokk and Mihkel Aamer, early employees at Wise. The business operates from London and Tallinn and has raised USD $58 million from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mosaic Ventures and Nordic Ninja.

In the UK, the company is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Across Europe, it operates through an Estonian-regulated entity with access to EU and EEA markets.

Wander Rutgers, UK CEO at Lightyear, outlined the market gap the company is trying to address.

“While over half of Brits have cash savings, just 15% have stocks and shares, and only 6% hold funds or ETFs. Our mission is to get more people investing, and to do that we need to create simple, accessible ways into the stock market. Ready-made Plans gives everyone that starting point, backed by BlackRock and Vanguard, without needing to know the difference between an ETF and an index fund to get going.”

“We built DIY Plans for people who want control. Ready-made Plans are for everyone else. Three options. Pick your risk level. Start,” said Rutgers.

Schneider Electric has partnered with GreenScale to develop a reference architecture for AI-ready data centres across GreenScale campuses in Europe.

The project focuses on the design and operation of new sites for AI and cloud workloads.

The agreement combines Schneider Electric’s Secure Power and Services divisions with GreenScale’s experience in data centre operations, software and digital twin systems. Together, they aim to produce a design blueprint to shape how GreenScale’s European facilities are built, monitored and maintained.

At the core of the plan is greater use of automation and predictive maintenance from the outset of each site. This approach is intended to reduce total cost of ownership by cutting unnecessary maintenance, improving asset use and lowering lifetime operating costs.

The architecture also includes predictive analytics and condition-based maintenance to improve operational visibility and reduce risk. These measures will be built into sites from the start rather than added after construction.

Design approach

GreenScale is developing data centres in power-rich markets with access to renewable energy, with a stated focus on sustainability, community impact and regional investment. The partnership aims to create a standard design that can be used across those campuses.

The design is also expected to include digital twin integration, remote monitoring and control systems, and a unified instrumentation stack linking physical infrastructure with digital systems. According to the companies, this setup is intended to support high-density AI clusters and cloud computing workloads while maintaining reliable performance.

For operators of large facilities, maintenance planning has become a growing challenge as AI-related demand increases equipment density and puts more strain on cooling and power systems. Condition-based maintenance is meant to shift work away from fixed service intervals toward intervention based on operating data and equipment condition.

That could help on-site teams focus on targeted maintenance and reduce the risk of human error. The companies also pointed to potential benefits for supply chain planning, especially in remote or emerging regions where replacement parts and specialist support may take longer to reach sites.

European demand

The partnership comes as data centre developers across Europe respond to rising demand for AI, cloud and high-performance computing infrastructure. Operators are under pressure to bring new capacity online quickly while keeping energy use, uptime and operating costs under control.

GreenScale is positioning its campuses in markets where power availability and renewable energy potential are stronger than in more congested hubs. That matters because many established European data centre markets face grid constraints, planning limits and longer development timelines.

By setting out a repeatable design model, the companies are seeking to make deployment more predictable from site to site. Schneider Electric said the use of sensors, monitoring tools and remote tracking should give operators a clearer view of site performance from the first day of operation.

The collaboration also reflects a broader shift in the data centre sector toward closer integration of software oversight with physical infrastructure. Rather than treating power, cooling, maintenance and control systems as separate layers, operators are increasingly trying to connect them in a single operating model.

That is particularly relevant for AI-oriented facilities, where higher rack densities can create more complex operating conditions than traditional enterprise or colocation data centres. More intensive workloads can place added demands on both electrical equipment and cooling systems, making early fault detection and continuous monitoring more important.

Dan Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, GreenScale, said the partnership reflects that shift in demand. “As demand for AI, Cloud and HPC accelerates in Europe, data center operators must rethink how facilities are designed and managed,” said Thomas. “Our work with Schneider Electric demonstrates how advanced data center architectures and digital innovation can unlock new levels of automation, efficiency and resilience, and will set a new standard for intelligent design to benefit our customers.”

Thierry Chamayou, Vice President Cloud and Service Providers, Europe, Schneider Electric, said the work would combine expertise from across the company’s data centre business. “GreenScale’s vision for its European data centers represents a new era in advanced design, where automation, efficiency, and real-time visibility are embedded from day one,” said Chamayou. “By combining expertise from our Secure Power and Services divisions, we are helping to create a resilient, AI-ready infrastructure platform that will operate efficiently even in the most demanding environments.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Cezanne has appointed Julie Lally as Chief Product Officer, adding a senior product role as the HR and payroll software company expands its leadership team.

Lally will lead product strategy, innovation and delivery across the platform, working with the leadership team on its direction. The newly created role comes as Cezanne looks to develop its HR and payroll offering in response to changing customer and workplace needs.

She joins with more than 25 years of experience in payroll and HR technology, having held senior roles at Zellis, ADP, MHR, Mitrefinch, Advanced and Ciphr. Her background spans product, growth and commercial roles in a sector reshaped by demand for more integrated systems and simpler user experiences.

Among her best-known achievements is the design and delivery of what Cezanne described as the world’s first real-time payroll solution. It is presenting that track record as a sign of how it wants to develop its own platform as employers seek closer links between HR administration and payroll processing.

Lally began her career in payroll operations and later spent more than a decade as a tutor with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. That grounding gives her direct experience of a function that remains heavily regulated and central to workforce management.

Growth stage

The hire comes at what Cezanne describes as an important stage in its development. Based in London, with an office in Glasgow, the company sells HR software covering recruitment, onboarding, core HR administration, surveys, performance management and succession planning, alongside payroll software and managed payroll services for UK companies.

The HR and payroll software market has become increasingly competitive as employers look for systems that can manage the full employee lifecycle while reducing manual work for HR teams. Providers are also under pressure to keep products aligned with changes in working patterns, employee expectations, and the compliance demands attached to payroll and people data.

By creating a Chief Product Officer role, Cezanne is placing greater emphasis on senior product leadership. Such appointments have become more common across software companies as boards seek closer oversight of how products are designed, prioritised and delivered.

The move also brings in an executive with a long record in payroll, an area often treated as adjacent to HR software rather than fully integrated with it. That distinction has narrowed in recent years as employers seek joined-up systems combining workforce data, pay administration and employee services.

Simon Noble, Cezanne’s Chief Executive, linked the hire to the company’s next stage of growth and its plans for the platform.

“Bringing someone of Julie’s calibre and experience into the senior team is a significant moment for Cezanne HR. We are at a pivotal point in our growth, with real ambition for what our platform can achieve for HR teams and the organisations they support.”

“Julie’s combination of deep domain knowledge, hands-on product leadership and genuine understanding of what customers need gives us exactly the right foundation to move forward with confidence. Her track record of delivering innovation that makes a tangible difference to people’s working lives is precisely what this role demands, and I’m delighted to welcome her to the business,” said Noble.

Lally said she was joining the company at an important point in its development, highlighting the challenge of balancing customer expectations with internal product development.

“It’s a real privilege to be joining Cezanne at such an important stage in its journey. There is a strong sense of responsibility that comes with the role, given the expectations of both our customers and our people, alongside the impressive platform and passion for innovation across the business. It’s very clear, Cezanne has a genuine commitment to doing things the right way – evolving the product thoughtfully while staying true to its values. I’m excited about what lies ahead and very much looking forward to being part of the next chapter in Cezanne’s product evolution,” said Lally.