David Harrison, co-founder of Positive Solutions and True Potential, talks tin baths, skinny men with beards, Boris and why we need a Super Isa January 23, 2017 An article was doing the rounds on Twitter last week: Don’t let Boris Wooster bugger up Brexit. This is how David Harrison, founder of two multi-million pound financial services firms and former builder, feels about our irrepressible foreign secretary. “He’s not helping Theresa, is he? A loose cannon who walks on sounding like he’s just [...]
How blockchain technology could revolutionise global trade January 20, 2017 Blockchain technology could revolutionise trade – making it cheaper, quicker and simpler for businesses to trade internationally. From “letters of credit” to “bills of lading”, merchandise trade today is heavily reliant on paper documents. In our digital, connected world, there is a growing need to modernise trade’s many paper-based processes. Digitisation would reduce bureaucracy, improve [...]
The gateway to a new business order: Why crowdfunding is just the start of the next era of organisations January 19, 2017 A new campaign appeared on crowdfunding platform Crowdfunder this week. Scottish energy firm Our Energy is raising £450,000 to set up an alternative gas and electricity provider. Fed up with Big Six high tariffs and just “lining shareholders’ pockets”, founders David Pike and Karen Snode decided to start a competitor, with plans to be operational [...]
The French Touch Abounds in Tech January 18, 2017 The French tech scene has the most active sovereign wealth funds in the world, according to research firm, CB Insights. Two French funds make the top half of the top-ten, which also includes state funds from Singapore, Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China. France’s Banque Publique d’Investissement (Bpifrance) sits atop the list as the [...]
Why are the world’s eyes on this innovative fintech startup? January 18, 2017 | City Talk Imagine an app that puts all your finances in one place: your current and savings accounts, credits cards, mortgage and other personal accounts – all in the palm of your hand. Quickly and easily. Money Dashboard’s app does just that – its financial data platform has attracted 100,000 users since its launch in 2010. The fintech [...]
Davos elites should look to UK fintech to see responsive leadership in action January 17, 2017 With the rise of digital, information networks, robotics, and the smartphone, the pace of technological change is accelerating. This has coincided with increasing populism, creating political and market volatility that some analysts are forecasting as the new normal. Across the political, business and academic landscape, leaders must be more in tune with their communities, and [...]
This fintech startup is crowdfunding fresh investment January 16, 2017 A fintech startup whose app helps people better manage their money is seeking fresh funding via crowdfunding. Squirrel is seeking to raise £400,000 on equity crowdfunding platform SyndicateRoom, with £100,000 of that already promised by angel investor Jos Evans. The two-year-old startup offers users a bank account and budgeting features and already has more than [...]
Ireland targets UK fintech startups mulling Brexit contingency plans January 12, 2017 The Irish government is eyeing up the UK's thriving fintech sector and will make a bid to attract startups to Dublin directly in the wake of the Brexit vote, City A.M. has learned. The country's junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy will head to the Square Mile along with experts in fintech and payments in the [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond praises “success story” Funding Circle as it announces $100m investment January 12, 2017 Chancellor Philip Hammond has praised Funding Circle as a “real success story for British fintech” after the peer-to-peer (P2P) platform announced a new $100m (£82.5m) equity capital. The funding round was led by Accel Partners and included participation from existing investors Baillie Gifford, DST Global, Index Ventures, Ribbit Capital, Rocket Internet, Sands Capital Ventures, Temasek and Union Square [...]
Alternative lending’s leading founders and chief executives give their predictions for the sector in 2017 January 12, 2017 The road was slightly bumpy for alternative lenders last year. Authorisations for the Innovative Finance Isa were delayed, there was further Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) probing, disappointing results hounded a good handful of the UK’s largest platforms and Goldman Sachs made its foray into the market with in-house platform Marcus. But provided the regulator continues [...]