Profile: A global payments chief on a mission to disrupt April 12, 2021 Tom Cregan, the managing director and CEO of digital payments giant EML, is a heavy metal drummer and martial arts enthusiast on a mission to infuse rhythmic harmony into the world of payments. His favourite part of any day as chief executive is, what he calls, finding a ”1+1=5 moment” by thinking and approaching an [...]
In-person conferences to return to the capital with fintech event April 8, 2021 In-person conferences are set to return in July with Fintech Week London, as lockdown restrictions ease after a socially starved year. “Virtual conferences have served us well during the pandemic, but there’s nothing like being around fellow professionals and immersing yourself in face-to-face conversations,” CEO of Fintech Week London, Raf De Kimpe, said. “The Covid-19 [...]
Exclusive: Govt policy shows UK tech is ‘guiding light’ in pandemic recovery, says Beacon CEO March 30, 2021 Despite the upheaval that the pandemic has caused for many individuals and businesses across the UK, the tech sector has been relatively resilient over the past 12 months. The industry’s continued strong performance is reflected by recent data compiled by Tech Nation and the government’s Digital Economy Council, which shows that 10 per cent of [...]
Tecent, Baidu and SoftBank fined in China for monopolistic behaviour in fintech crackdown March 12, 2021 China’s market regulator said today it has fined 12 companies $77,000 each for flouting anti-monopoly rules. Concerning ten deals in particular, companies including Tencent Holdings, Baidu Inc, Softbank and a ByteDance-backed firm, were fined for behaviour that caused market concentration, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said. The companies’ actions did not completely exclude [...]
Adapt and thrive: There’s a £200bn prize for British firms willing to embrace new ideas February 16, 2021 After the toughest of years, many businesses are still reeling from the impact of Covid-19. Shuttered high streets and closed forecourts are the visible scars from a bruising year. But alongside this, some businesses are swimming against the tide, with strong profits reported at firms like Next and Jaguar Land Rover. Covid-19 shone a spotlight [...]
The Kalifa Review can be the launchpad for UK fintech to take off February 5, 2021 When the Fintech Founders group that I chair recently hosted an event with Ron Kalifa, to discuss his ongoing Fintech Review, the energy and enthusiasm of the founders on the call was palpable. Many of the men and women who took part, all of them Fintech entrepreneurs, have been struggling over the last twelve months. [...]
Tech firms need to grasp the chance to change their hiring January 30, 2021 The year 2020 will be remembered for a lot of reasons. It was, obviously, a challenging year, with many facing furlough and redundancies, as scores of businesses were forced to close their doors. The pandemic has hit the economy hard, and the UK’s jobs crisis is worsening each month. Worryingly, young people are the most [...]
Exclusive: ‘Banks should deliver the same experience as Amazon and Netflix’, says Ezbob CEO January 21, 2021 After a year that was hugely disrupted by Covid-19 and the entire economy and its workforce moved online, City A.M. sat down with Tomer Guriel, CEO of Mayfair-based Ezbob, which provides digital lending software to some of the biggest banks and financial institutions in the City. A vaccine is being rolled out, so the City [...]
London’s fintech scene could be a winner from the Covid crisis January 13, 2021 We all know the Covid-19 pandemic has been, and for too many remains, a devastating time. It’s easy to be pessimistic, too, even as vaccine rollout speeds up. Life will not go back to ‘normal’ quickly – the events of the last ten months will have profound repercussions for health services, businesses, debt and fiscal [...]
Exclusive: ‘We must be brave and move away from the EU’s way of thinking’, says Tech Nation chair January 7, 2021 After what was a difficult year for tech firms, City A.M. sat down with Stephen Kelly, chairman of Tech Nation, the industry body that represents UK startups and runs Britain’s Tech Nation visa scheme for foreign entrepreneurs. Brexit has just taken place, how will this impact London’s startup space? Brexit is the UK’s opportunity to [...]