How the next mayor can turn London into a truly digital city January 26, 2016 In a little over three months, Londoners will elect a new mayor. When we last went to the polls in 2012, London’s tech industry was only just starting to bloom, but since then it has gone on to become the driving force of the capital’s economy. The next mayor will take the helm of the undisputed [...]
Three very important lessons from a startup investor January 25, 2016 We’ve learned a lot about investing in startups from doing just that in more than 200 early stage tech companies across the globe over nearly a decade. Seedcamp has backed a UK fintech leader (Transferwise), now-familiar companies (eMoov and BorrowMyDoggy) and, potentially, the next Uber (our latest intake – find out more here). Whether you’re an angel, working in venture [...]
Calls for sharing economy to be counted in official ONS figures January 25, 2016 Official measures of UK productivity and economic growth are failing to take into account the contribution of the sharing economy, according to a new report calling for a radical overhaul of statistics. The report, authored by economist Diane Coyle in conjunction with Sharing Economy UK (SEUK) and Airbnb, says a lack of measurement of the growing sector, epitomised by [...]
The Uber, London taxi, TfL standoff is far from over as Boris Johnson calls for congestion charge exemption to be lifted January 20, 2016 Thought the fight was over? No sooner has one row over Uber been settled than another arises. The long-running dispute over how the startup is regulated by Transport for London, which has left London's black cab drivers rather sore, was finally ruled upon today. The new regulations were announced and a controversial five-minute wait rule – which even taxi drivers admitted was not viable – has [...]
Davos 2016: Why London fintech can transform the 21st century January 20, 2016 In recent years, there has been cynicism about the objectives of the World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, with reports of parties, private jets and closed-door discussions. However, the core purpose of the forum should not be dismissed in an era of global upheaval, tensions and economic uncertainty for billions across the developed and [...]
Transport for London’s road boss Garrett Emmerson: This is why we ditched the five-minute rule (and are proposing 13 other changes) January 20, 2016 London’s minicab trade has fundamentally changed in recent years, with welcome advances in technology giving customers greater choice and convenience. However, partly as a result of this, the number of ‘private hire’ (PHV) drivers has also boomed, rising from 59,000 in 2009/10 to more than 95,000 today. To keep up with this transformation we recently [...]
Why Transport for London’s Uber plan to ignore the five-minute rule changes on PHVs is wrong-minded January 20, 2016 Following today’s announcement that the private hire (PHV) regulations review has been published and its recommendations watered down significantly, myself and the United Cabbies Group are disappointed that TfL never stood by their recommendations. It was TfL who wrote this document yet allowed lobbyists to derail some important and significant steps to ensuring both public safety and ensuring a level [...]
TfL’s Uber proposals met with disgust from London’s Black Cab trade January 20, 2016 Transport for London's proposals for regulating private hire vehicles (PHV) have been slammed by Black Cab campaigners, who claim they allow companies like Uber to continue to "ply for hire". TfL today revealed plans for a shake-up of the sub-sector, which will include rules stipulating that drivers have a good command of English – but [...]
Uber rule changes: Transport for London to shake up private hire vehicle regulation – but it won’t insist on the five minute wait time January 20, 2016 Transport for London has revealed its plans to shake up private hire vehicles – including Uber – which would include formal English language requirements for drivers – but it won't insist on the controversial five-minute wait time. Other proposals include the introduction of guaranteed fare estimates for customers ahead of their journey, the provision of driver and vehicle details [...]
Fintech revolution? Banks will survive disruption from new technology January 19, 2016 Last week, yet another report was published suggesting banking has reached its digital tipping point. Figures from Javelin Strategy & Research suggest that for the first time ever, US consumers banked on their mobiles more than in branches last year. We’re seeing a similar picture in the UK, as the large banks increase their technology spend [...]