Why settle? Britain can learn from copying international competitors September 17, 2018 From the record number of business startups to historically low unemployment, there are many things that the UK gets right. Indeed, a report by Forbes late last year declared that Britain would be the best country for business this year, citing technological readiness and the size and education of our workforce as key factors. But [...]
British scaleups must leap the confidence gap to achieve growth September 13, 2018 It's a well-worn fact that small businesses are the backbone of Britain. It’s also well-known that they have a high failure rate, as four tenths of SMEs fail within five years. Far less well explored are the reasons behind this failure rate. To better understand the challenges facing these businesses as they attempt to scale, we [...]
UK blockchain startup launches equity crowdfunding round July 12, 2018 | Sponsored For venture-minded investors who have yet to make any major forays into the tantalising yet potentially risky ICO world of blockchain and cryptocurrency, one equity investment opportunity live now on Crowdcube may prove to be a gateway. Introducing: the bank account based on blockchain BABB (Bank Account Based Blockchain) is a UK-based startup. It is building [...]
How Britain’s booming startup scene can be supercharged by empowering smaller investors September 7, 2015 Many congratulations to City A.M. on its tenth birthday. It has been a remarkably successful decade for the adventurous upstart. But the anniversary reminds me of a rather less happy fact. By the time it is ten years old, there is only a one in 100 chance that a UK firm will have reached [...]
Institute of Directors: Let’s make it easier to invest in startups by simplifying tax relief September 7, 2015 A leading business group has called on the government to simplify existing tax relief schemes in order to boost entrepreneurship. In a new report out this week, the Institute of Directors (IoD) has argued that the full potential of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) is “not fully being realised”. [...]
Royal Mail buys stake in Australian tech start-up Market Engine Global September 7, 2015 Royal Mail has bought a stake in Australian technology start-up Market Engine Global. The size of the stake and the amount paid by the FTSE 100-listed company have not been disclosed, but the move represents Royal Mail's continued attempt to diversify its business. Read more: Royal Mail posts flat revenue as letter sending continues [...]
Fintech Week London 2015: It’s startups v banks in Fintech expo drinking session September 2, 2015 Caloo callay, it's nearly London Fintech Week, where startups from Shoreditch to Shadwell will be touting their wares to execs from some of the City’s most high profile firms in a bid to become the next big thing in business. Billed as the “world’s largest fintech-focused expo”, economists, bankers and brokers from companies old [...]
Where are UK companies founded? London has a startup rate over 14 times higher than Yorkshire August 28, 2015 The UK’s startup scene is booming, with a record-high number of new companies founded last year – and London has the biggest share. Over half a million, 581,000, new startups were started in 2014, according to data from Companies House. With almost 80,000 of these in London, the UK capital has the lion’s share of [...]
Changing career? How the MBA could help: From startup incubators to ensuring realistic goals are set, the MBA has a lot to offer August 27, 2015 If you're contemplating doing an MBA degree in order to alter your career trajectory, you’re not alone. Nearly 90 per cent of Cambridge Judge Business School’s 2014 graduates switched either sector, function (their job role) or region (where they’re based). A third of those did a “triple jump” – changing all three. Of [...]
Is this the UK’s next FinTech unicorn? Hank Uberoi of London-based tech startup Earthport slams outdated global payment infrastructure August 26, 2015 Could this be the UK’s next FinTech unicorn? After previous success stories like Monitise and TransferWise leading the way, a UK-based payment platform slamming today’s global payment infrastructure for being “decades” out of date is hoping to disrupt the way companies pay their bills. Hundreds of thousands of international payments are made every day. But [...]