Let’s show the world that sexism has no place in the UK’s thriving tech industry September 5, 2017 Silicon Valley has reached a turning point. Companies in the world’s predominant technology hub pride themselves on purpose: changing the world for the better. But the wave of recent scandals, from accusations of sexual harassment at Uber to a Google memo which appeared to promote sexist stereotypes, have showcased a dark underbelly to the world [...]
No EU city matches London’s unique appeal as a finance hub September 5, 2017 With talks underway on the deal to take Britain out of the EU, and the Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier threatening to “educate” the UK about the consequences of Brexit, the headlines have been bleak. Newspapers are filled with stories of major banking institutions making plans to decamp to Frankfurt, Paris, Dublin or elsewhere in an [...]
Seedrs fundraising: Neil Woodford invests another £4m into crowdfunding startup Seedrs September 5, 2017 Star fund manager Neil Woodford has increased his stake in crowdfunding startup Seedrs with a fresh £4m investment, taking his total to £10m. Woodford Investment Management kicked off a fundraising round today, making its investment through two of its managed funds: Woodford Patient Capital Trust and Omnis Income and Growth Fund. A crowdfunding campaign give [...]
Sweet deal: Challenger bank OakNorth lends £21m to Strawberry Star for Wandsworth development September 4, 2017 Property developer Strawberry Star has nabbed a tasty £21m from challenger bank OakNorth, to buy a site in Wandsworth to convert into luxury apartments and office units. Along with a further £4.9m of debt from RM Secured Direct Lending, the firm will use OakNorth’s loan to develop 77 residential units with a combined floor area [...]
China bans initial coin offerings (ICOs) sending bitcoin price tumbling as central bank rules them illegal September 4, 2017 Is the ICO bubble about to burst? In China, perhaps. The country’s authorities have ruled that initial coin offerings are illegal and banning them from taking place. The Peoples’s Bank of China (PBC), the country’s central bank, and other regulating authorities have said companies raising cash via a cryptocurrency or digital token will not be [...]
Bell Pottinger senior management criticised in damning South Africa report as chief executive resigns | City A.M. September 4, 2017 An independent report into PR firm Bell Pottinger’s conduct in South Africa today concluded that there had been failings among senior staff as well as the account team. Law firm Herbert Smith Freehills said that its inquiry into Bell Pottinger’s work for Oakbay Capital, owned by the influential Gupta family, had led it to believe [...]
Could robots reduce the state pension age? The TUC union thinks artificial intelligence will help us retire early September 4, 2017 Fancy retiring early than expected? The nation could get a helping hand to kick back and relax ahead of time thanks to robots and artificial intelligence. There may be fears around the technology taking jobs, but in fact, one of the benefits could be a reduction in the state pension age, which has steadily risen [...]
Numis reigns victorious as it steals the crown of top City stockbroker from JP Morgan Cazenove September 4, 2017 JP Morgan Cazenove has lots its top spot as the City’s most popular stockbroker, as Numis Securities has crept ahead to take the largest number of stock market clients. With 189 clients to Numis’s 195, this is the first time that JP Morgan Cazenove has ever lost its crown since Adviser Rankings began collecting data [...]
Gold prices have hit an 11-month high as North Korea tensions escalate September 4, 2017 London-listed gold miners shot up after gold hit an 11-month high today, as investors flocked to safe haven assets after tensions between the US and North Korea continued to escalate. Gold futures rose 0.7 per cent to just under $1,340 per ounce, their highest price since Donald Trump’s election win last November. That pushed gold [...]
Investment in UK insurtech startups is rocketing, easing Brexit fears September 4, 2017 The amount of cash flowing into innovative UK startups hoping to disrupt the insurance sector is rocketing, new figures reveal, with London attracting more than any other location in Europe. Investment in insurance technology (insurtech) has grown an astonishing near 3,000 per cent in 2017, hitting £218m according to fresh insight from Accenture and CB [...]