Monzo plans to relaunch paid-for accounts and hire another 500 staff February 17, 2020 British fintech darling Monzo plans to recruit another 500 people as it targets 5.5m users this year and bids again to turn those numbers into a profit. Monzo, which is valued at around £2bn, is set to relaunch paid-for accounts in the first quarter of 2020 after a failed introduction last year, when it reversed [...]
Keep an eye on data: a chat with Duco’s founder about the future of fintech in Britain February 17, 2020 When asked to narrate their journeys from startup to scaleup, entrepreneurs tend to fall into two camps. There are those for whom the travails of growth are a badge of honour: no 20-hour day, unconquerable challenge or unfulfilled investment pledge has been forgotten. Others display an insouciance, as though turning a light-bulb moment into a [...]
London crypto startup secures $8m from Target, Localglobe and MMC February 17, 2020 Cryptocurrency asset management startup Copper has today revealed the close of an $8m (£6.1m) funding round from a number of major investors. Target Global, Localglobe and MMC Ventures all participated in the series A round, which have backed the likes of Transferwise, Delivery Hero, Interactive Investor and Gousto between them. Copper, which designs and manages [...]
US private equity snaps up UK companies on the cheap February 17, 2020 The total value of acquisitions of UK companies by US private equity funds jumped 53 per cent last year to £19.9bn. According to a report by law firm Mayer Brown, the depressed valuations of UK companies versus their European peers has made them look to be good value for funds. The period of Brexit uncertainty, [...]
Jupiter nears deal to buy asset manager Merian February 16, 2020 Jupiter Fund Management is close to buying Merian Global Investors from private equity firm TA Associates, in a deal that would create a merged company with £67bn of assets under management. The company said that “discussions have been underway for some time”, adding that both parties are “confident that the combination would have the potential [...]
Stockholm enters Global Cities top 30 for the first time February 14, 2020 | City Talk With a strong economy and commitment to reducing its environmental impact, Stockholm is the first Scandinavian city to make the top 30 of Schroders’ Global Cities Index. Stockholm has become the first Scandinavian city to enter the top 30 of the Schroders Global Cities Index. This is because of its robust economy and committment to reducing [...]
Employee appreciation: Showing your office some love is not just for Valentine’s Day February 14, 2020 Love is in the air, everywhere you look around. From office DJs to doughnut days, workplaces today are increasingly turning to kooky perks to show employees love and appreciation. But like any good date, employee appreciation should be carefully thought out. It requires a proper strategy, and consistency. No one-off show of love will make [...]
NMC Health shares tumble on double downgrade from Societe Generale February 13, 2020 Shares in NMC Health fell as much as 11 per cent on Thursday after the embattled hospital operator was hit with a double rating downgrade from Societe Generale. Analysts at the French bank slashed NMC’s price target by 85 per cent, saying that confidence in the company, the biggest healthcare operator in the United Arab [...]
Expecting a bonus from overseas? February 13, 2020 | City Talk Hedging against risk in currency remuneration If you are currently working overseas, then you may be in receipt of a salary in currency. If you send all or part of that salary back to the UK, you may have found that the amount varies month to month due to fluctuations in the currency market. Over [...]
Amundi’s assets under management hit €1.65 trillion February 12, 2020 Amundi’s assets under management (AUM) reached €1.65 trillion (£1.38 trillion) in 2019, with the French asset manager boosted by a record fourth quarter. Inflows hit a record £76.8bn during the fourth quarter, including £59.6bn received from a new pension fund mandate at Amundi’s Indian joint venture, it said. Net inflows for the entire year were [...]
