UK fintech VC investment hit a record in 2017 as China falls behind February 7, 2018 Investment into UK fintech by venture capitalists hit a record high in 2017 bucking a global downturn and grew at a faster pace than rivals, new figures reveal, shaking of concerns of a Brexit slowdown. The year saw $1.8bn (£1.3bn) of cash flow into startups working on innovative financial technology, a rise of more than [...]
The UK is leading the way in crowdfunding and P2P lending as the rest of Europe plays catch-up, says University of Cambridge data January 22, 2018 The UK has helped to prompt a boom in European crowdfunding and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, according to new research from the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School. While the UK remained the largest alternative finance market in Europe by far, at €5.6bn (£4.9bn), the rest of Europe began to play catch-up as it grew its [...]
How regulation and market priorities drive fintech focus globally June 28, 2017 | City Talk The interest in fintech worldwide shows no signs of abating, as illustrated by the strong attendance at each stop on our recent CFA Institute speaker tour throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. But even more interesting is the regional variation in what 'fintech' means to local entrepreneurs. Talking to investors, company founders, [...]
Why a red tape bonfire won’t help fintech: The FCA’s Christopher Woolard talks to City A.M. about regulation testing March 20, 2017 Regulation arguably doesn’t have the best reputation in the cutting-edge tech sector. Critics slam red tape for stifling creativity, while the regulators themselves get stick for failing to keep pace with ever-changing markets. This contempt creates dilemmas in the field of fintech, an industry which melds the fast-paced world of technology with the highly-regulated field [...]
Fintechs have a solution post-Brexit – now we must embrace the uncertainty March 16, 2017 With Article 50 set to be triggered imminently, the process of Britain leaving the EU is finally about to begin, with all that entails. Theresa May has set out plans for a Brexit that looks on the harder side of “hard”, worrying bankers and entrepreneurs alike. While fintech firms don’t welcome the prospect of regulatory [...]
Sweden bids to prise financial services power from UK after Brexit as minister visits Citigroup and fintech firms in London March 12, 2017 Sweden is the latest European country making a push to win financial services power after Brexit, having sent a minister to London to woo fintech firms and a major Wall Street bank. Per Bolund, the country’s financial markets minister, visited fintech incubator Level 39 in Canary Wharf on Friday before hosting more than a dozen more [...]
The UK’s City regulator will work with Japan on fintech startup collaboration March 9, 2017 The City watchdog is searching beyond Europe for fintech ties after Brexit and has its sights set on Japan for its latest bridge. The Financial Conduct Authority and it counterpart in Japan, the Financial Services Agency of Japan (JFSA), will work together on promoting fintech innovation and collaboration. But the agreement also means that UK fintechs [...]
Fintech funding trends in 2017 March 6, 2017 An Innovate Finance report recently suggested that venture capital investments into the UK FinTech sector have dropped by a third over the past year, potentially making way for a new type of investor in town. FinTech has typically attracted the most investment and limelight compared to other areas of digital innovation. Yet the funding landscape [...]
Atom Bank secures £113m in new funding for app-only lender February 28, 2017 App-only Atom Bank has succeeded in raising more money as part of a £250m funding round, as it races to secure market share in the newest front in the battle for banking customers. The fintech start-up will receive £113m in investments from Spanish bank BBVA, as well as investment funds Toscafund and Woodford Investment Management, [...]
Blockchain for banks is a “long way off” says influential central banker February 27, 2017 Blockchain fintech has a “long way to go” to satisfy financial regulators, according to an influential board member of the European Central Bank (ECB). Benoit Coeure said the underlying distributed ledger technology could pose new risks to the financial system, including legal and operational obstacles. Coeure said: “Distributed technology could become a game-changer for payment, [...]