How the next mayor can turn London into a truly digital city January 26, 2016 In a little over three months, Londoners will elect a new mayor. When we last went to the polls in 2012, London’s tech industry was only just starting to bloom, but since then it has gone on to become the driving force of the capital’s economy. The next mayor will take the helm of the undisputed [...]
Here’s what early and seed-stage investor Seedcamp’s portfolio looks like: UK tech startups, fintech and blockchain January 25, 2016 One of the UK and Europe's leading investors in startups at an early stage has lifted the lid on its portfolio of companies. Eight-year old Seedcamp which initially started life as an accelerator but now concentrates on first-round funding, has backed more than 200 companies, which went on to pick up a further $365, in their next stage. Investments include [...]
Blockchain payment revolution: How to ensure confidence in twenty-first century transactions January 22, 2016 We are on the threshold of a revolution in financial services which promises extraordinary leaps in efficiency for all kinds of transactions. And arguably the biggest obstacle to our society reaping the full benefit of this findustrial revolution is the issue of trust in transactions. When stock exchanges developed centuries ago, a handshake between (predominantly) [...]
Blockchain technology is useful – just not for everything January 20, 2016 You may have heard of blockchains and Bitcoin as exciting new innovations but you’d be forgiven if you’re confused about what they are or their relationship to each other. Blockchains provide a way to store information so that many people can see it, keep a copy of it, and add to it. Once added, it [...]
Davos 2016: Why London fintech can transform the 21st century January 20, 2016 In recent years, there has been cynicism about the objectives of the World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, with reports of parties, private jets and closed-door discussions. However, the core purpose of the forum should not be dismissed in an era of global upheaval, tensions and economic uncertainty for billions across the developed and [...]
As challenger banks, fintech and digital payments take off, here are four reasons why 2016 will be the year banks are on the run January 20, 2016 Until recently, managing your money meant dealing with a bank. For both businesses and individuals they were pretty much the only game in town. But that’s no longer the case. Thanks to digital challengers, tech startups and the ongoing fallout from the financial crisis, banks face huge competition in all areas of their business. Each [...]
Fintech revolution? Banks will survive disruption from new technology January 19, 2016 Last week, yet another report was published suggesting banking has reached its digital tipping point. Figures from Javelin Strategy & Research suggest that for the first time ever, US consumers banked on their mobiles more than in branches last year. We’re seeing a similar picture in the UK, as the large banks increase their technology spend [...]
London and Europe are getting a new £500m tech startup VC fund as Chinese-backed Cocoon Networks launches January 19, 2016 London's tech startups are set for a new injection of cash worth as much as half a billion pounds as a new Chinese-backed venture capital fund launches. Private equity firms China Equity Group and Hanxin Capital will launch Cocoon Networks with £500m to invest in UK and European tech companies which show potential for success in China. The wide-ranging fund will span fintech, biotech, medical devices [...]
Fintech firms falling behind FTSE 100 firms on boardroom diversity with less than one in ten female directors January 18, 2016 Fintech firms may be leading the City when it comes to developing financial innovations, but when it comes to boardroom diversity, they’re falling far behind. The UK’s top 50 fintech firms have just nine per cent women on their boards, research by recruitment firm Astbury Marsden reveals. This makes them three times less diverse than [...]
Davos 2016: Why fintech innovation has put us on the brink of a “fourth industrial revolution” January 18, 2016 Most of us will associate the term “industrial revolution” with images of the smog, steam and clanking heavy machinery that transformed society in the 19th century. Since then, society has witnessed two more industrial revolutions, advances in electronics and IT, and now economists are heralding the advent of the “fourth industrial revolution”. This new industrial [...]