Blockchain just had two major firsts with new social payment app Circle, Barclays and Britain’s financial regulator April 6, 2016 London may be the centre of fintech innovation, but there’s one huge trend we’ve failed to jump on board with yet – social payment apps. Messaging your mate with that fiver you owe for last night’s round at the pub and a big smiley face emoji is pretty common in the US and China, especially [...]
These are the hottest 50 fintech companies right now (and half are from London) April 5, 2016 London continues to dominate the world of financial technology with more than half of the hottest fintech startups located in London. Of the 50 startups to make the Fintech50, a comprehensive annual list of the best new businesses disrupting finance and chosen by leading venture capitalists and top tech execs, 29 were spawned in London. The newly [...]
Barclays customers can now use Apple Pay… finally April 5, 2016 It's been a long old wait, but Barclays has finally jumped on board the Apple Pay bandwagon. Barclays is the last of the major banks to support Apple Pay in the UK, letting customers pay with just the swipe of their iPhone or Apple Watch. “Since we introduced contactless to the UK in 2007, it’s [...]
UK financial services executives back London to become world’s fintech hub April 4, 2016 UK-based financial services executives are backing London to become the world's fintech hub. Some 92 per cent of those surveyed by Robert Half Financial Services said the UK has the ability to become the field’s worldwide leader. Read more: These are the most influential people in UK fintech Six per cent of the 100 executives surveyed [...]
Take that, banks: The UK’s online financial marketplaces attracted $253m in VC money last year as LendInvest, Transferwise and Funding Circle made their mark March 29, 2016 Financial marketplaces – crowdfunding platforms and other fintech sites – have proven irresistible to the City, it turns out, after figures released today showed venture capital funding for the sector has shot up five-fold in the last two years. Data released today by payment startup Stripe showed investors are backing developers in their bid to reshape how people buy and sell [...]
Fintech powerlist: These are the most influential people in UK fintech on social media March 24, 2016 It's created billion-dollar startups, attracted record investment and is keeping major banks on their toes – London fintech is having its moment in the sun and there are some crucial influencers making that happen. These are the movers, the shakers, the doers and builders, and the people you need to know in the world of London [...]
Google’s Android Pay is coming to the UK, letting you pay with mobile on the Tube and across the high street, including Pret, Starbucks, Waitrose and more March 23, 2016 Users of Android will soon be able to use their smartphone to pay for items and even travel to work, as Google prepares to launch Android Pay in the UK following hot on the heels of Apple Pay. Google said it will roll out "in the coming months" with the backing of Britain's biggest banks, but did not [...]
Four fintech lessons from Silicon Valley to London March 17, 2016 I had an eye-opening trip to San Francisco last week, as part of a UKTI mission to showcase the Best of British in fintech. While there, we were fortunate enough to meet with some of the most influential organisations on the West Coast, to educate them on the burgeoning fintech market here in the UK [...]
Student lender Future Finance announces fintech investments totalling £119m as it reports rocketing demand for loans March 14, 2016 Student lender Future Finance has raised £119m from fintech investors. Investors in Future Finance Loan Corporation – which has loaned nearly £25m to students since May 2014 – include QED Investors, Blackstone Strategic Opportunity Fund and Colchis Capital. The new investment takes the company's total funds to £185m. Read more: The future of education finance is here [...]
Here’s the outlook of UK tech startups right now – and how they feel about Brexit, business confidence and hiring talent March 10, 2016 More UK tech startups are now worried that Brexit will be bad for business as the referendum on Britain's membership of Europe inches ever closer. In a comprehensive new survey of startups in the UK by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), 70 per cent believe Brexit will have a negative impact on their businesses, a rise on the 64 per cent [...]