Ofo and Urbo are the latest dockless bike-sharing startups to hit London’s streets after oBike and Mobike September 5, 2017 Mobike, obike, o not another bike… cycle-sharing is about to get even more crowded in London. Ofo is the latest bike-sharing startup to launch in the capital, bringing 200 cycles to the streets of Hackney without the need for docking like the capital's Boris Bikes (or Santander Cycles as they're officially known). It follows a [...]
Proptech startup Habito lands £18.5m to make mortgages digital September 3, 2017 A fintech startup focused on making mortgage applications easier has bagged millions more in funding from top investors. Atomico, the venture fund set up by Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom, led the £18.5m series B round with existing investors Ribbit Capital, Mosaic Ventures and Revolutionary (ad)Ventures also participating. It brings total funding for the startup – [...]
Demystifying Android’s Alternative App Stores August 25, 2017 | City Talk Whether you’re looking to expand the reach of your app or more effectively target a specific international region, the alternative app store scene presents enormous opportunities for app developers and publishers alike. Here are some of the best alternative app stores if your app is built on the Android framework. Aptoide With over 200,000 users [...]
Back to School – the Apps Every Student Needs August 17, 2017 | City Talk The British summer seemed to barely get started and already it’s time to think about the return to school, college and university. What better preparation than to take a look at the apps that students need to make life that little bit easier? To get an authentic low down on the apps most useful to [...]
How to get ahead in fintech: Four courses for studying banking disruption August 13, 2017 There’s one word on everyone’s lips in the Square Mile and beyond these days… fintech. For the uninitiated, the portmanteau of financial technology threatens to bring the disruptive innovation felt already in industries such as retail by the likes of Amazon to the traditional world of banking. And for those looking to stay ahead of [...]
Those who fear automation will be its only casualties August 11, 2017 Whatever can be automated, should be. And regardless of whether it should, it will be. Automation has been a persistent economic force since the first industrial revolution, and an essential feature of any competitive business. The use of machines and other forms of automation to boost productivity is a major factor behind the rapid global [...]
6 Types of App Piracy You Need to Know August 7, 2017 | City Talk The risk of app piracy is high and with that comes significant risk to brand reputation, ranking and revenues. Luckily we’ve put together a handy guide on what how to avoid this growing issue. As much as £3 billion is lost each year across 14 billion app instals globally to pirated apps, according to mobile [...]
Steve France at Florismart is ending the Dutch monopoly on the flower industry using tech August 7, 2017 Upon reflection, breakfast at the The Ivy Chelsea Garden, abloom with foliage as it is, was an appropriate location to meet Steve France. The reason it is so apt is that France is chief executive of Florismart, a platform that is challenging, and successfully diminishing, the Dutch monopoly on the cut flower trade by culling [...]
How to increase app downloads July 27, 2017 | City Talk Whether you’re an app developer, you are responsible for commissioning app development or you’re simply tasked with promoting your organisation’s apps, the challenge of ensuring your app is found, downloaded and used has never been more difficult. The rise of the app has been well documented. In the 10 years since the smartphone (and then [...]
London cyber security startup Callsign, used by Lloyds and Deutsche Bank, has raised a huge $35m series A led by Accel and PTB Ventures July 27, 2017 A security startup focused on digital identity which helps keep Lloyds and Deutsche Bank protected has raised a huge round of funding from venture capital investors. London-based Callsign has landed $35m in a series A round of funding led by Spotify backer Accel and PTB Ventures a New York-based early-stage investment firm specialising in digital [...]