We French will continue investing in London’s world-beating tech sector no matter what June 23, 2016 We are French and, as such, we have a somewhat complicated relationship with the UK. Waterloo signalled the end of French global leadership, and started 140 years of British supremacy. Adding insult to injury, for a few years the French had to endure arriving in London on Eurostar at Waterloo station. But we fought side-by-side [...]
Last year’s cohort shows UK unicorns are real deal April 20, 2016 THE first cohort of the Leap 100 is coming to an end. Although there wasn’t a graduating ceremony, leading business experts voted Crowdcube the winner of the prestigious City A.M. Explosive Growth Company of the Year Awards, chosen from the companies in the Leap 100. This wasn’t the only award won by the 100 companies though. Original BTC, [...]
Bloomberg innovators 2016 list: These are the most innovative businesses in the UK – From coffee creators to fintech leaders January 26, 2016 More than 50 businesses have been named the most innovative in Britain credited with changing the way we live, work and think. Leading fintech startups, creative coffee makers and bionic hand creators, are just some of those to have been chosen by a group of leading investors and entrepreneurs including Saul Klein and Rohan Silva. [...]
UK attracts record £2.46bn of venture capital investment into tech and London secures more than 60 per cent of the funding January 6, 2016 Venture capitalists invested a record $3.6bn (£2.46bn) in the UK's tech scene in 2015, up 70 per cent from the year before, according to data from London and Partners, the Mayor’s promotional company. London-based crowdfunding company, Funding Circle secured the largest single deal of the year with a $150m funding round led by DST Global in April [...]
Crowdcube and Deliveroo join Tech City UK’s rising stars in the Future Fifty programme December 16, 2015 London-based restaurant delivery app Deliveroo is among the 15 new entrants to the Tech City UK Future Fifty programme. The Future Fifty, part of UK Trade and Investment, celebrates, and supports, 50 of the UK's rising tech stars, and this year's entrants are a testament to the growing force of e-commerce. Also joining Deliveroo on [...]
Adventure capital: Investors pump £1bn into London’s tech sector in 2015 October 8, 2015 Investors have pumped a record £1bn into London’s thriving tech sector this year as the capital’s digital economy rockets, with experts predicting that the capital could soon be on course to challenge Silicon Valley. Data from London & Partners, the mayor’s investment company, shows that London’s technology companies have raked in three-quarters of the [...]
Secret Escapes gets $60m Google Ventures backing for global expansion July 26, 2015 Deals website Secret Escapes has landed $60m (£39m) investment from Google's venture arm to fuel ambitious global expansion plans. The flash deals website set up in London in 2010 which offers luxury holidays at a discount has completed a series C round of funding led by Google Ventures and existing investor Octopus Investments. Index and [...]
Sofa so good: Made.com bags £40m from Partech Ventures and Fidelity Growth Partners July 20, 2015 Online retailer Made.com, which sells plush furniture at cheaper prices than on the high street, has bagged millions of pounds in new investment to fuel growth. The five-year-old company, co-founded by Brent Hoberman of Lastminute.com fame, has picked up a new round of investment totalling £38m led by Partech Growth Fund, along with Fidelity Growth [...]
Intelligent design: Made.com co-founder Chloe Macintosh talks knitting and the importance of opportunities April 26, 2015 When Chloe Macintosh sat down with a friend of a friend, she didn’t expect to get a job out of it – or to go on to become the co-founder of e-commerce furniture company Made.com. But Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com and mydeco.com, isn’t any old coffee meet-up – and there’s nothing ordinary or unremarkable [...]
Oakley raises £130m for deals March 26, 2015 TIME OUT and made.com owner Oakley Capital yesterday raised £130m through its stock market-listed vehicle to pursue more deals. Fund manager Neil Woodford and firms Invesco Perpetual, Sarasin and Ruffer will stump up the cash for Oakley, which is led by entrepreneur Peter Dubens. The placing is comprised of 78.7m shares at 165p each and will [...]