London takes the lead in Bitcoin innovation June 28, 2015 London is fast becoming a global hub for development of innovations using digital currency Bitcoin. City institutions including the Bank of England, Barclays, UBS and Goldman Sachs are all looking into the potential for using Bitcoin to speed up processes in traditional finance. TRANSPARENCY Bitcoin is a digital currency which is bought online and [...]
Pensions: Equivalent of three quarters of Londoners not saving for retirement June 24, 2015 More than six million Brits have not saved any money at all for their retirement years – that's the equivalent of around three quarters of the population of London. A similar number have no savings or investments whatsoever, a new report on pensions from Scottish Widows reveals. Saving for retirement has hit record levels however, [...]
Greece and its creditors’ disagreements: Pensions, VAT and budget deficit will be the sticking points June 23, 2015 The challenging negotiations between Greece and its international creditors may well be entering the final throes – but no one is kidding themselves that the saga is over just yet. Although the latest proposals appear to be paving the way forward, there are three main sticking points – pensions, VAT and government spend against receipts [...]
London FinTech startup Currency Cloud raises $18m series C funding from Rakuten, Sapphire Ventures and other investors June 23, 2015 One of London’s FinTech stars has landed a new round of funding as investors scramble for a piece of London’s booming financial technology sector. Currency Cloud has landed $18m (around £12m) from investors, including ecommerce giant Rakuten, in its latest funding round, just a week after London cemented its status as the tech capital of [...]
Private equity firm Agilitas snaps up Danish firm MH Group June 22, 2015 Private equity firm Agilitas has added to its portfolio of recycling companies by backing a management buyout of Danish firm MH Group. The UK-headquartered firm will back current MH boss Christian Rindbol by acquiring the financial interests of Michael Henriksen Holdings. MH was founded by Michael Henriksen in 1997, but he died last year. MH [...]
£9,000 university tuition fees push students toward careers June 21, 2015 A new study out today finds that the first graduates to pay £9,000 per year in university tuition fees are more career-oriented, organised and ambitious than their predecessors. The study, conducted by independent researchers High Fliers Research, was based on face-to-face interviews with more than 18,000 final-year students at leading universities across the country. Researchers [...]
Britain’s world-leading financial services industry is more than just the City June 21, 2015 Financial services” does not equal “London”. This is my message overseas – but it is equally important to say it on these shores as well. Like all lord mayors, I speak to and for the whole of the UK’s financial and professional services community – of which London is only a part. Our work is [...]
Inside the world of mine clearance: TDI’s Hugh Morris talks booby traps, Islamic State and why trust really matters June 21, 2015 There are 110m unexploded mines in the world today. And that’s the number under the ground – it doesn’t include those being stored, transported or created. “The saddest thing about Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya is that this is destruction on repeat,” says Hugh Morris, founder and managing director of landmine clearance company The Development Initiative [...]
How entrepreneurs can gain from corporate social responsibility – Investec Comment June 21, 2015 Businesses of all sizes can enrich people’s lives through more than just the products or services they sell. Strategically chosen community partnerships can have valuable mutual benefits, and keep employees and clients inspired. To ensure your corporate social responsibility initiatives gain traction, you should partner with people whose values align with your own. A great [...]
Britain’s hottest startups grew six times the rate of UK businesses June 19, 2015 Britain’s hottest startups are fuelling economic growth and job creation, growing at six times the rate of the rest of the UK’s businesses. The Future Fifty, a group of the country’s brightest and most promising high-growth tech businesses identified by Tech City UK, increased their workforce by 30 per cent in the last year, compared [...]
