Strong and stable: London extends lead as Europe’s top hub for unicorn startups March 1, 2019 London has cemented its status as the home of more young billion-dollar tech companies than any other European city, taking home the crown for ten consecutive years. Read more: Female fintech leaders highlighted as sector battles gender imbalance The number of so-called unicorn startups – private businesses valued at $1bn (£752.6m) and founded after 2000 [...]
Serial fintech entrepreneur Marta Krupinska focused on diversity as she relaunches Google for Startups UK February 28, 2019 Fintech entrepreneur Marta Krupinska has vowed to make diversity a priority as she takes over the reins at the relaunched Google for Startups UK. Read more: Revolut pushes ministers for fast-track tech visas Krupinska, who shot to fame after founding Azimo, the digital money transfer app, has been tasked with overseeing the Google project as [...]
Digital banking challenger N26 is expanding to Brazil February 27, 2019 German fintech challenger N26 is expanding to Brazil, making it the first of Europe's biggest retail digital banks to enter the South American market. Announcing the move on stage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, N26 said Eduardo Prota would head up the new region. Prota has previously worked for Santander and Cielo, as well as having [...]
Tech startups remain private for longer leading to high valuation IPO pipeline February 26, 2019 Technology startup companies are choosing to remain private for longer due to the availability of capital from private equity and venture capital investors, creating a pipeline of high-value listings expected this year. The median age of venture capital backed technology companies at the time of IPO has risen from 10.9 years in 2018 from 7.9 [...]
Venture capital fund run by former Facebook and Deliveroo employees raises $85m February 26, 2019 A venture capital fund run by former Facebook, Deliveroo and Klarna employees has raised $85m. (£64.5m) The Blossom Capital fund is the first launched by ex-Index Ventures and Localglobe investor Ophelia Brown, 32, and is the fastest ever first time fundraise from a female VC in Europe. Read more: Ex-Google CFO opens up a venture capital office [...]
Ford links up with London startup What3words for a new way to map the world February 26, 2019 Ford is ramping up its innovation plans as the US car giant today announces a partnership with London startup What3words. The tie-up means drivers will be able to link the What3words app, which has mapped out the globe into 57 trillion 3m-by-3m squares using unique three-word addresses, with Ford's in-car navigation system. The technology will reduce address input errors [...]
An appetite for business: Deliveroo doubles down on corporate eating February 25, 2019 Late night dinners around the boardroom table have become something of a staple in modern City life, particularly for those working in demanding sectors. Food delivery startup Deliveroo is readying itself to take full advantage of that, with plans to double staff numbers in its business teams to 200 globally by the end of this year. [...]
The number of new tech startups in the UK grew 14 per cent last year February 24, 2019 The number of new tech companies launched in the UK rose 14 per cent in 2018. Data from Companies House shows there were 11,864 software development and programming businesses incorporated in 2018, up from 10,394 companies the year before. London had the highest number of tech startups with 4,752, a 14 per cent increase. Read [...]
Picture perfect: Pinterest confidentially files for IPO in the latest up and coming tech float February 22, 2019 Pinterest has reportedly filed for an initial public offering (IPO), as Silicon Valley gears up for a busy year of tech startup listings. The online image search platform, known for the food and fashion photos its users post, is planning for a late-June listing and is seeking a valuation of at least $12bn, it is reported. Read [...]
Fintech startup Revolut pushes ministers for fast-track tech visas February 21, 2019 London will fall behind as a world-leading fintech hub if the government does not prioritise incoming tech talent, the chief executive of Revolut warned today. Nikolay Storonsky, a Russian native who started digital bank Revolut in 2015, called on ministers to introduce a fast-tracked visa process for technology workers, particularly within software development and data [...]