Telematics will make you safer and save you money – by disrupting the disrupters July 14, 2016 Telematics – the technology for collecting and analysing driver behaviour – has been transforming the face of car insurance for a long time. Now it is set to play a key role in how people engage with market disrupters such as Uber and Zipcar. These new entrants give people a great deal of flexibility in how [...]
Blockchain guru Blythe Masters named Santander adviser July 12, 2016 Santander has put blockchain guru Blythe Masters in charge of advising the bank on the fledgling technology. The former JP Morgan executive has sprung to fame in the world of blockchain with her startup Digital Asset Holdings, which has raised $60m (£46m) from the likes of Santander, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, among others. Read more: The government has quietly [...]
This fintech startup has shaken off Brexit to raise millions more July 11, 2016 UK fintech startup Revolut has raised millions of pounds of new funding from top Silicon Valley investors and plans to raise further cash via crowdfunding, shaking off worries over a Brexit slowdown in tech investment. The year-old currency transfer app has raised up to £6.75m from Ribbit Capital along with existing seed investors Balderton Capital, Index Ventures, Point Nine Capital, [...]
Adarsh Radia and new business partner Ignacio Macias are matchmaking startups and corporates July 11, 2016 If you've already been a fund manager and serial entrepreneur, how do you seek a fresh perspective on work – and life? For Adarsh Radia, who’s ex-Merrill Lynch and co-founder of popular Indian restaurant Dishoom (you may have queued to get in), the answer was to enrol himself at the Singularity University, a Silicon Valley think [...]
The government has quietly been testing blockchain technology for benefits payments July 10, 2016 The government has quietly been testing out blockchain technology to make benefit payments, it has been revealed. The department of work and pensions (DWP) has worked with Barclays, Npower, University College London and a UK-based distributed ledger platform startup called GovCoin to create an app which tracks spending. "Claimants are using an app on their phones [...]
Here’s how UK fintech’s rallying action in a post-Brexit no-man’s land July 10, 2016 London's fintech industry is rallying to action after the vote for Brexit in a bid to alleviate the fears of startups, along with their investors and supporters, over issues such as capital, market access and talent. The industry is already formulating a plan in the face of overwhelming uncertainty and a lack of clarification from political leaders on [...]
UK fintech startups are more attractive than ever post-Brexit, one investor claims July 10, 2016 A major tech investor has said it's likely to become more aggressive in its UK investments following the Brexit vote, while funds based outside the UK will find investing in startups based here more attractive. Anthemis, which has invested in fintech firms such as Azimo, eToro and Currency Cloud as well as challenger bank Atom, holds most of [...]
GLI Finance Louise Beaumont says the industry is becoming increasingly dog eat dog July 7, 2016 Like all parts of financial services, the alternative finance sector is coming to terms with the post-referendum landscape and what the Brexit decision means for the future. This comes on top of the ongoing issues at US marketplace lender Lending Club which have continued to attract negative headlines. With the tectonic plates of alternative lending continuing [...]
Post-Brexit passporting questions hang over fintech too July 5, 2016 The question of passporting hangs over fintech startups as well as banking in a post-Brexit world. Half of fintech firms in the UK stand to lose access to the European market handed to them by passporting. A snap survey of around 100 members of industry body Innovate Finance following the referendum result found half are authorised [...]
London tech heavyweights call for European talent to remain in the capital following Brexit vote June 30, 2016 The London tech community has called for non-UK Europeans working in the sector to stay following the country’s vote to quit the European Union. Russ Shaw, founder of lobby group Tech London Advocates (TLA), has gathered around 150 signatures, including the Mayor of London and the likes of entrepreneur and angel investor Sherry Coutu and co-chief executive of digital literacy [...]