Sowing the seeds for the next stage of fintech success July 27, 2020 Fintech in the UK has grown at breakneck speed. In 2010 it accounted for just four per cent of venture capital investment in the UK. A decade later, this figure has risen to 28 per cent, with a record $4.9bn of capital investment landing in the UK in 2019 — a year-on-year increase of more [...]
Revolut snaps up another $80m from Brewdog backers July 24, 2020 Revolut has raised a further $80m to close out its series D funding round from TSG, a Silicon Valley private equity firm that has backed the likes of Brewdog, water brand Voss and Smashbox Cosmetics. The $80m is in addition to the $500m in funding that Revolut announced earlier this year, taking its total amount [...]
Klarna restricts lending rules during lockdown July 20, 2020 Fintech lender Klarna said it has tightened its lending criteria during the coronavirus pandemic. Its vice president Luke Griffiths said Klarna is only accepting new customers that it believes will repay on time, and is increasing the frequency with which it reviews its acceptance criteria. “[Klarna’s] default rate is less than one per cent and [...]
Monzo relaunches premium accounts in third profit-chasing attempt July 16, 2020 Monzo is today relaunching its paid-for Plus account, in a near complete overhaul from its previous iteration that was scrapped last year. The new account will utilise open banking rules to allow users to view and move money from different bank and credit card accounts within the Monzo app, in a direct challenge to fintech [...]
DEBATE: With the economy under such strain, should new fintech regulation be paused? July 15, 2020 With the economy under such strain, should new fintech regulation be paused? Elisabeth Kohlbach, co-founder and chief executive at Skwire, says YES. The UK’s fintech scene is one of the most vibrant and well-regulated in Europe. And in extraordinary times, this UK success story needs to be nurtured, not subject to more red tape. The [...]
Crypto exchange Coinbase aims for Wall Street listing July 9, 2020 Coinbase, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is said to be preparing to publicly list its shares in New York. The listing could come as early as this year, sources told Reuters. Should its application be approved by US regulators, Coinbase would be the first major US cryptocurrency exchange to go public. It would [...]
Transferwise to hit $5bn valuation in secondary share sale July 6, 2020 British fintech stalwart Transferwise is to secure a $5bn valuation on the close of a secondary share sale this week, cementing its place in the sector’s upper echelon of tech companies. Transferwise is close to finalising the $300m sale, which will allow staff and early investors to offload part of their stakes, people close to [...]
Transferwise gets FCA authorisation for investing July 1, 2020 Transferwise has been granted multiple new licences by the Financial Conduct Authority, which means it will soon allow users to earn a return on account funds. Transferwise offers banking accounts to users in the UK, the EU, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland, but does not hold a full bank licence. The new licences [...]
London Stock Exchange enters talks to buy stake in Primarybid June 30, 2020 London technology startup Primarybid is in talks to sell a chunk of its business to Britain’s stock exchange, following a successful partnership between the pair. London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the parent firm behind the London Stock Exchange, has entered detailed discussions with Primarybid about an investment, Sky News reported. Primarybid is an everyday investing [...]
Digital wealth manager Moneyfarm hits £1bn assets under management June 30, 2020 Moneyfarm has become the latest digital wealth management company to have more than £1bn in assets under management, it announced today. The milestone comes eight years after the launch of the company, which started out in Italy. Now UK-based, it boasts more than 45,000 customers in Britain, Italy, and Germany. At the end of 2019, [...]