Digital battlegrounds: The war between big tech and regulators September 17, 2019 We now live in the age of the internet of things, where voice-sniffing devices abound, and consumers have the convenience of tailored search suggestions. Perhaps it is Amazon’s Alexa – revealed earlier this year to be forever listening to its users’ conversations – that provides the emblem of the age. However, while such devices can [...]
France plans to block Facebook libra in Europe September 12, 2019 France is reportedly planning to block the development of Facebook’s libra cryptocurrency. AFP reported that France will aim to prevent the social media giant expanding its payment project in Europe. Read more: Facebook libra: Could regulators crush Mark Zukerberg’s dream cryptocurrency? Facebook announced the libra project in June this year, saying it will be a [...]
While MPs argue, fintech must take the lead on driving growth September 10, 2019 Political discord, uncertainty, rapid change to the country’s prospects every day – this is the present state of Britain. To top it all off, the latest survey from IHS Markit suggests that a new recession is possible, with economic growth slipping over the recent period. The UK is at a crucial point. How we respond [...]
Fintech advised by former Amazon and Visa executives to launch travel card September 9, 2019 Fintech firm Currensea has opened the wait list for its new travel money card, the first in the UK to be linked directly to users’ bank accounts. The card is designed to work as an extension of a current account, allowing customers to spend money abroad without having to open a new account. There will [...]
Meet the 23 fintech startups on Tech Nation’s latest growth programme September 5, 2019 London startups dominate the list of 23 fintechs that have joined government-backed Tech Nation’s 2019 growth programme. Sixty per cent of the new cohort of financial technology firms hail from the capital, while 40 per cent boast at least one female co-founder, Tech Nation revealed today. Read more: Fintech is all the rage, but is [...]
Fintech is all the rage, but is the bubble about to burst? September 5, 2019 Fintechs are all the rage. Scarcely a day goes by without a new challenger bank or money app making headlines about how it seeks to disrupt traditional banking and solve personal finance problems. As a result, capital is pouring into the sector – last year, global investment into financial technology ventures more than doubled to [...]
Fintech startup Curve tops Crowdcube record in £6m raise September 4, 2019 A card management startup yesterday broke the record for the fastest campaign to reach £4m on Crowdcube, hitting the milestone within 42 minutes. As the round closed last night, Curve raised a total of £6m from 9,591 investors. The Holborn tech firm, which allows users to consolidate all their credit and debit cards into one [...]
Can’t name the UK technology secretary? That’s because we don’t have one September 3, 2019 Do you know who our secretary of state for technology is? Or can you name the tech minister? No? That’s not surprising, because they don’t exist. While we all might agree that technology is a key ingredient to a successful and vibrant economy and to our advancement as a society, there is still no one [...]
Facebook libra: Could regulators crush Mark Zuckerberg’s dream cryptocurrency? August 27, 2019 Mark Zuckerberg’s decision this summer to launch a digital currency – Facebook libra – sparked the interest and concern of regulators around the world. Watchdogs have warned that without tight regulations libra could be used for money laundering and financing terrorism. They have also raised concerns over the potential risks it poses to data protection [...]
Meet Par Hedberg – the godfather of Sweden’s tech startups August 27, 2019 If you were asked where the most tech innovation comes from, you’d probably answer Silicon Valley – the home of Google, Amazon and Facebook. And you’d be right. But what you might not know is that Stockholm is a close second. The Swedish capital produces more billion-dollar companies per capita than any other region in [...]