Female fintech leaders highlighted as sector faces continued lack of gender diversity February 28, 2019 Senior figures at major banking and professional services firms including HSBC, Barclays, Schroders and Monzo have been recognised on a list of women excelling in Fintech. A total of 35 women including HSBC head of digital innovation Diana Biggs, Starling Bank founder Anne Boden and Monzo chief technology officer Meri Williams were highlighted on Innovate [...]
Digital banking challenger N26 is expanding to Brazil February 27, 2019 German fintech challenger N26 is expanding to Brazil, making it the first of Europe's biggest retail digital banks to enter the South American market. Announcing the move on stage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, N26 said Eduardo Prota would head up the new region. Prota has previously worked for Santander and Cielo, as well as having [...]
London Stock Exchange Group leads $20m Nivaura funding round February 27, 2019 Fintech firm Nivaura has closed a $20m (£15m) seed capital round led by London Stock Exchange Group. The London-based company, which provides blockchain technology for digital investment banking platforms, will use the funding to rapidly expand its leadership, business development and technical teams. Read more: Revolut pushes ministers for fast-track tech visas The company also plans to [...]
Tech startups remain private for longer leading to high valuation IPO pipeline February 26, 2019 Technology startup companies are choosing to remain private for longer due to the availability of capital from private equity and venture capital investors, creating a pipeline of high-value listings expected this year. The median age of venture capital backed technology companies at the time of IPO has risen from 10.9 years in 2018 from 7.9 [...]
Venture capital fund run by former Facebook and Deliveroo employees raises $85m February 26, 2019 A venture capital fund run by former Facebook, Deliveroo and Klarna employees has raised $85m. (£64.5m) The Blossom Capital fund is the first launched by ex-Index Ventures and Localglobe investor Ophelia Brown, 32, and is the fastest ever first time fundraise from a female VC in Europe. Read more: Ex-Google CFO opens up a venture capital office [...]
Accountancy funding platform Capitalise secures £3.5m Series A investment backed by QED Investors and Hambro Perks February 20, 2019 Accountancy funding platform Capitalise has closed a £3.5m Series A investment round led by US venture capital firm QED Investors and supported by existing investor Hambro Perks. Capitalise, which works with 105 institutional partners, will use the funding to expand the company’s cloud product for advisers to “navigate the ever growing market of financial products [...]
The Dutch ‘Brexit Snatch’: Why Azimo is not quitting the UK February 20, 2019 Have you heard the news? Azimo is one of 250 companies moving to the Netherlands in an alleged ‘Brexit Snatch’ by the Dutch government. Read more: London fintech startups poised to expand in Europe They say never let the truth get in the way of a good story but as the chief executive of Azimo, [...]
Berlin banking tech startup behind N26 and Oaknorth nabs €30m from Skype-backer Bessemer February 18, 2019 Software-as-a-service startup Mambu, which provides banking rails to the likes of N26 and Oaknorth, has raised €30m (£26.3m) from the world's oldest venture capital firm. Bessemer Venture Partners, which has backed the likes of Skype, Linkedin and Pinterest, led the round with participation also coming from Acton Capital, the venture arm of Commerzbank, Point Nine Capital [...]
Google and Salesforce inject $75m into London’s Gocardless February 18, 2019 City fintech firm Gocardless has raised $75m (£58.1m) in a series E funding round, led by new investors Adam Street Partners and the venture capital arms of Google and Salesforce. The company aims to fix the way businesses collect invoices and make recurring payments by building debit technology on top of the world’s existing banking systems. Chief [...]
Business lender Iwoca rakes in £150m financing from Augmentum Fintech and NIBC February 18, 2019 Small business lending challenger Iwoca has closed a total fundraise of £150m, led by an earlier £7.5m investment from London-listed fund Augmentum Fintech. City A.M. understands the raise was made up of a £20m series D equity funding round and £130m in debt capital. Existing investor Prime Ventures also participated, alongside NIBC Bank. A person [...]