Wirecard forged client list to secure £760m investment from SoftBank July 11, 2022 German payments processer Wirecard forged client data in its efforts to secure €900m (£760m) in investment from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, as it sought to reassure investors about the fundamentals of its business before it collapsed the following year. The Bavarian fintech firm showed SoftBank’s representatives a fabricated list of clients on a computer in Wirecard’s [...]
Klarna valuation plummets to $6.7bn in new funding round July 11, 2022 Buy-now pay-later giant Klarna announced its valuation had plunged to $6.7bn after its latest funding round today, down from $45.6bn last year, as it becomes the latest firm to be rocked by a global tech downturn. Klarna, which provides both a consumer credit product and retail banking services in some jurisdictions, said today it had [...]
Klarna to unveil $800m fundraising round with backing from Canada’s largest pension fund July 11, 2022 Klarna is set to reveal an $800m fundraising at a valuation below $6bn, it has been reported, with a potential backer including Canada’s biggest pension fund. The fintech giant could announce this week that it has clinched funding from existing and new investors, according to a Sky News report. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board [...]
Exclusive: Political turmoil causing ‘uncertainty’ and jeopardising rules reform, Starling boss warns July 11, 2022 The chief of digital bank Starling warned that political volatility was causing “uncertainty” for businesses today as she voiced concerns that the government’s business reform agenda could be blown off course. In comments shared exclusively with City A.M., Anne Boden, who founded the digital bank in 2014, warned the tumult of Boris Johnson’s resignation last [...]
London Stock Exchange Group backs new fintech funding review as venture cash dries up July 11, 2022 The London Stock Exchange Group has thrown its weight behind a new review of the fintech funding landscape today as venture cash dries up and valuations plunge in the face of a looming recession.
Revolut executive resigns amid growing tensions with regulator July 10, 2022 One of Revolut’s top regulatory chiefs has stepped down from her role just weeks after boss Nikolay Storonsky criticised the Financial Conduct Authority for its sluggish progress on the firm’s banking licence application.
Fund managers call for FCA blockchain taskforce in plans for ‘Investment Fund 3.0’ July 7, 2022 The UK’s top investment body called on government and regulators to harness the benefit of cryptocurrencies and decentralised finance today, as it claimed the industry was on the cusp of a “major technological transformation”.
The next 75 years: will generalists or specialists prevail? July 5, 2022 | City Talk To generalise or specialise? From the vantage point of 1947, when four financial analyst societies joined forces to create the federation now known as CFA Institute, that question may have had a different answer than it does for investment professionals today. Concentrated in New York and London, finance was hardly the world-spanning sector of 2022. [...]
Exclusive: London fintech Revolut launches first card reader in venture into physical retail July 5, 2022 London fintech Revolut is making its first venture into physical devices with the launch of a card reader for shops and restaurants. Revolut, which now caters to a global customer base of 18m and garnered a $33bn valuation in its latest funding round, told City A.M. it was launching the device in UK and Ireland. [...]
Augmentum Fintech pulls back on fresh investment as ‘price correction’ looms July 4, 2022 Fintech venture vehicle Augmentum reported a “strong performance” in its portfolio last year but said it had pulled back on fresh investments in the past six months amid a rout in global tech firms.