London Stock Exchange confirms first firm on Pisces framework Markets A vehicle containing shares in a £1.3bn venture capital firm that backs tech spin-outs from Oxford University will be the first organisation to use the the new Pisces private stock market, the London Stock Exchange has said. The UK’s flagship capital markets operator confirmed that shares in Oxford Science Enterprises, an early-stage VC fund best [...]
Exclusive: Octopus to swerve new private stock exchange Markets Octopus Energy will not join the delayed Pisces private stock market when it launches, its boss Greg Jackson has said, in a sign the utilities giant is distancing itself from the project after attending an event for interested companies last summer. Jackson told City AM that his multi-billion-pound firm had “no plans” to trade its [...]
UK bank ramps up fight for savers after rebrand Banking The battle to bank Britain’s savers has ramped up with the arrival of a new name, set to challenge ‘easy access’ incumbents such as JP Morgan’s Chase, Goldman Sachs’ Marcus and fintechs like Oaknorth. The former UK arm of Jamaica National Group, previously dubbed JN Bank UK, has revamped its operations after being sold in [...]
Revolut and LSEG join growing list of OpenAI customers December 3, 2025 Fintech juggernaut Revolut has joined a host of banking giants in leveraging OpenAI tech to beef up their financial crime protections. The digital bank is one of the latest to partner with the ChatGPT maker as it seeks to enhance its fincrime agent and customer services. The $75bn fintech is also using OpenAI’s large language [...]
Adair Turner: Crypto? It’s like buying tulips in 1635 November 7, 2025 As chair of the FSA at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, Adair Turner knows all about the anatomy of a global crash. Over 15 years on, exuberance in AI and opaque private credit markets have set warning systems flashing. Ali Lyon, spoke to the arch-technocrat to see whether the fears are justified, and [...]
Allica Bank makes major acquisition as it eyes £1bn SME lending goal October 22, 2025 Allica Bank is set to announce a fresh acquisition as the firm looks to beef up its lending capacity for small businesses, City AM can reveal. The digital bank has snapped up London-based fintech Kriya, which specialises in embedded finance and business loans. The takeover, set to be announced on Wednesday, marks Allica’s third acquisition [...]
Fintech industry takes aim at ‘logic-defying’ banking watchdog October 20, 2025 The industry body for UK fintech will today take aim at the banking watchdog in a scathing report that will blast “logic-defying” regulation. A fresh report from Innovate Finance, seen by City AM, will accuse the Prudential Regulation Authority’s (PRA) of “excessive” requirements that create an “uneven playing field for UK challenger banks, placing heavy [...]
Whittard of Chelsea brews up bumper funding deal with OakNorth September 16, 2025 Whittard of Chelsea has secured a bumper funding deal worth £12m with digital bank OakNorth “to support its continued growth and expansion”. The Oxfordshire-headquartered company said it is now “well-positioned” to build on its UK base and expand further into international markets such as China and the US. The funding news comes after Whittard of [...]
High street banks’ SME lending comeback inches forward September 11, 2025 High street banks’ return to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) inched onwards in the second quarter. The big banks have turned back to the area as the government clamps down on smaller firms’ difficulty accessing finance. Top bosses were summoned earlier this year for talks with ministers covering how to improve lending to SMEs. In [...]
Mark Kleinman: City would sour on Reeves after bank tax September 11, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week he tackles what a bank tax would do to Reeves’ hard-earned City cache, a top pick for the new HSBC chair, and Oaknorth’s potential move abroad Will she or won’t she? The question of [...]