City banks and financial services firms bet heavily on tech and data analytics October 27, 2021 Banking and financial services firms plan to step up their tech investments in the coming 12 months to improve both front and back-end technology. In fact, nearly three in four financial institutions has made improving the quality of their core technologies a priority, while 65 per cent of financial services players plan to pump more [...]
Cazoo announces revenue boom as second-hand car demand soars October 26, 2021 Cazoo announces third-quarter success, as their offering resonates with second-hand buyers and a growing delivery culture. The used-car retailer report a growth in revenue up 267 per cent YoY, to £174.4m in Q3. Within this, retails revenues were up 207 per cent YoY, with a gross profit of £11.8m, up by £12.5m compared to Q3 [...]
Net zero shift: Fintech’s urge government to offer discounted green loans to SMEs October 25, 2021 The government has been called on to offer discounted green loans to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as they grapple with the net zero transition. A group of fintech’s led by finance marketplace Funding Options and lender Swishfund has spearheaded the call, as SMEs fall behind in the race to net zero – with [...]
Venture capital firms circle London tech scale-ups as financial injections hit record £20bn October 21, 2021 A record high of over £6.5bn was invested by venture capital firms in UK scaleups over the summer, taking the total amount to £20bn so far this year, according to new research shared with City A.M. this morning. After two extraordinarily high quarters in 2021, UK scaleups continued to attract funding from across the globe [...]
A slice of the pie: UK financial firms target booming fintech market October 11, 2021 As banks and financial services firms in the UK switch their attention from pandemic survival to driving growth, they are increasingly tapping into the booming fintech space as a way to future-proof their business, according to new research. Almost half (46 per cent) of the UK’s financial services firms are targeting acquisitions and partnerships with [...]
Exclusive: Pandemic has exposed lack of data literacy amid growing digital skills gap October 5, 2021 Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, key decisions have been made hastily and without the use of data, according to a new survey among thousands of key decision makers across the UK. which was shared exclusively with City A.M. The study shows widespread concerns about data skills despite the vast majority of C-suite executives (75 per cent) [...]
ASOS brings 180 jobs to Northern Ireland as it launches tech hub in Belfast September 28, 2021 Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Gordon Lyons this morning announced that online fashion retailer ASOS will invest £14m in a new Tech Hub in Belfast which will create 184 new jobs over the next three years. The new Belfast hub will be operational in early 2022, with 52 dedicated roles in the first year, growing to [...]
Startup city: Square Mile investors make London the top place after Silicon Valley for tech firms September 22, 2021 London is second only to Silicon Valley for the best place for startups to thrive, according to a definitive ranking of the world’s major tech and business hubs. The capital tied with New York in second place to the Californian area synonymous with billion-dollar valuations and tech bros – and far ahead of the next [...]
Exclusive: Startups and finserv firms push for more rules to keep bots under control September 21, 2021 Bots are changing the way we work, saving businesses thousands of hours and significant sums per year as they increasingly play a key role in automating key corporate functions, including customer service and data collections. Despite this, due to the actions of a small number of irresponsible bot users, myths and misconceptions, many business leaders [...]
Russ Shaw’s Tech Week Diary: Showcasing the best of London to the world September 21, 2021 London Tech Week – the showcase of all things innovative – is back. Each day this week, Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates boss Russ Shaw CBE will write for us reflecting on the jamboree. Here’s day one. Europe’s largest tech festival, London Tech Week, is back. The launch event – the Global Leaders [...]