Why Open Banking is the next finance revolution January 15, 2020 The saying that the “customer is king” has been an accepted truism for a long time. But it is only recently that this has really been the case, with technology largely driving a shift of power away from traditional providers to the consumer. Think of how music streaming services like Spotify completely changed how we [...]
To micromanage or not to micromanage, that is the question January 15, 2020 If you’re a manager, knowing when to bite your tongue and say nothing can be tough, especially when you’re watching someone make a mistake that you know how to avoid. Jump in too often, and you become a micromanager. Let people fail excessively, and they become disheartened and inactive. How do you strike the right [...]
Revolut valued at $5bn ahead of new funding round January 14, 2020 UK-based fintech Revolut is reportedly set to be valued at $5bn (£3.85bn) in an upcoming funding round. Investor Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) is leading a funding round that is expected to close in January, according to documents seen by Financial News. The documents showed that investors had placed a pre-money valuation of $5bn on the [...]
Rocket list 2020: The best London startups to work for this year January 14, 2020 Fintech firms dominate a new list of 32 fastest growing London startups released today, with the companies listing 499 open positions. Job site Otta, which focuses on the most innovative firms in the capital, has today released its Rocket List, highlighting the firms expanding the fastest in 2020. Nine fintech firms made the list, including [...]
Blackrock takes tougher stance on climate change after campaigner pressure January 14, 2020 Blackrock has announced it will put environmental sustainability at the core of its investment strategy, following criticism the asset management titan has failed to use its power to combat climate change. The world’s largest asset manager announced a sweeping overhaul in a bid to position itself as a sustainable investment leader, pledging to take steps [...]
What Blackrock’s climate change strategy overhaul actually means January 14, 2020 Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, today announced that it will make environmental sustainability the core goal of its investment strategy. The investment titan, which manages $7 trillion (£5.4 trillion), has pledged to overhaul its investment practices and introduce new investment products as part of what founder and chief executive Larry Fink called “a fundamental [...]
Telling tall tales? Why job seekers are lying on their CV January 14, 2020 The job market is intense, both for candidates, who have to stand out among hundreds of competitors, and for businesses, which have to spot the best talent from hundreds of applications. As a result of this challenge, an increasing number of businesses are turning to technological solutions in the hiring process. However, as businesses start [...]
City’s top talent turns its back on financial services in favour of tech January 14, 2020 The financial services sector is failing to attract graduate talent amid concerns that the City is “too conservative.” Traditional City institutions are losing out to advertising agencies and technology firms as a new generation of recruits prioritises flexible working and a better work-life balance, according to a new report. Global brand specialist Siegel+Gale surveyed 1,275 20-25 year olds who were [...]
Visa to buy US fintech giant Plaid for $5.3bn January 13, 2020 Visa is to acquire US payments giant Plaid for $5.3bn, a software startup that is used by the likes of Venmo, Robinhood and Coinbase. Plaid, which helps companies connect to users’ bank accounts, was last valued at $2.65bn in a funding round in 2018. Visa and Mastercard were early investors in the tech company, which [...]
The sweetest thing: Ben & Jerry’s CEO on why businesses need a higher purpose January 13, 2020 What is the purpose of business? Should companies focus purely on selling their products and making money for their shareholders, or do they have a responsibility to give something back to the planet and try to do good? It’s a pertinent question, and one that has become increasingly relevant over the last decade. Nor is [...]
