Acorn OakNorth rises to $2.3bn valuation as it closes fresh $100m fundraise September 6, 2018 London fintech Acorn Oaknorth has been valued at $2.3bn (£1.8bn) after it secured $100m from two Singaporean state-backed funds EDBI and GIC, as well as NIBC Bank, Clermont Group, and Coltrane Asset Management. The deal represented a total 4.3 per cent holding in the group. The fresh capital, announced yesterday, will be used to power growth [...]
Challenger banking app Monese lands $60m series B from Kinnevik and Augmentum Fintech September 6, 2018 UK and European digital banking app Monese has scored a $60m (£46.4m) series B fundraising round, led by venture capital firm Kinnevik. London-based fintech investment vehicle Augmentum Fintech also got on board to contribute £5.3m, alongside new investors Paypal and Avios. Existing investors such as Investec's INVC Fund also participated. Powered by an e-money licence, Monese has [...]
Meet the startups in the Treasury-backed Tech Nation fintech accelerator September 6, 2018 Delivered as part of the Treasury's fintech strategy, Tech Nation has pegged these 20 UK startups as the ones to watch. The startups selected come from across the financial services sector, representing businesses in areas such as payment solutions, financial inclusion, Open Banking innovation, SME lending and artificial intelligence. [infographic id="987"] New figures released today [...]
Funding Circle confirms IPO that could value it at £2bn September 3, 2018 Small business loans platform Funding Circle this morning confirmed its intention to IPO in a move that could value it at £2bn. The firm plans to float 25 per cent of its shares to generate £300m on the London Stock Exchange, with its debut being underpinned by Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen, who has committed to [...]
HSBC goes on hiring spree for new digital business banking initiative September 2, 2018 HSBC has hired more than 100 new staff to work inside its Aldwych offices on Project Iceberg, an internal digital initiative to revamp its small business banking effort and to counteract competition coming in from Shoreditch’s fintech stars. A source familiar with the matter told City A.M. the bank has chosen to innovate on its [...]
Africa needs fintech – but fintech needs Africa more August 30, 2018 What a difference a couple of decades make. At the turn of the century, Tony Blair remarked that “the state of Africa is a scar on the conscience of the world”. This week, on her first official visit to the continent, Theresa May embraced a new vision of optimism and hope. Read more: Theresa May [...]
UBS closes robo-advisor Smartwealth after less than two years August 29, 2018 Swiss banking giant UBS has closed its robo-advice service Smartwealth less than two years after its UK launch. The platform, which was established in November 2016, had satisfactory commercial progress, UBS said in a statement, but was shut down after the "near-term potential" was judged to be limited. Customers were told that money will continue to [...]
DEBATE: As UBS factors in Instagram influence, should investors value a brand’s social media presence? August 28, 2018 As UBS factors in Instagram influence, should investors value a brand’s social media presence? YES, says Rashid Ajami, founder of Connectt. Social media engagement has changed dramatically in recent years, moving from a more traditional form of display advertising that is pushed directly into people’s newsfeeds towards a more considered strategy where brands engage in real-time interactions [...]
Crowdfunding goes stateside: Seedrs strikes deal with Angelist’s Republic August 28, 2018 London-based equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs has landed a strategic partnership with US site Republic, pushing its expansion stateside. The deal means UK startups will be able to run joint crowdfunding campaigns in both countries, targeting investors on either side of the Atlantic. Republic, which is the sister company to well-known individual investor site Angelist, said the relationship [...]
Exclusive: Monzo plans to crowdfund £20m as it chases coveted ‘unicorn’ status August 23, 2018 Digital bank Monzo is planning an equity crowdfunding round to raise £20m from its customers as it gears up to receive a $1bn valuation from new investors later this year, City A.M. has learned. The round will be one of the UK’s largest crowdfunding round to date, rivalled only by Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog, [...]