DEBATE: Does the Jamie’s Italian chain have only itself to blame for its demise? May 23, 2019 Does the Jamie’s Italian chain have only itself to blame for its demise? Patrick Clover, founder and chief executive of BLACKBX, says YES. It’s a sad story for all involved, not least the 1,000 workers made redundant, but to call Jamie’s Italian a victim of external forces is too simplistic. The climate for mid-market restaurants [...]
Botanical drinks startup with top City backers set for crowdfunding May 14, 2019 A botanical drinks startup which counts high-profile City veterans and celebrities among its backers is set to launch a £1m crowdfunding in its latest expansion drive. David Spencer-Percival, the serial entrepreneur who runs No.1 Rosemary Water, told City A.M. he is looking to lure in fresh capital amid a global product drive and the launch of [...]
Former HSBC trader’s fintech startup raises £3.8m from the crowd May 1, 2019 Dozens, a challenger banking startup founded by a former trader from HSBC, closed a crowdfunding round of more than £3.8m on Seedrs yesterday. The firm had initially set a target of £3.5m, but exceeded that amount with more than 2,150 investors in 42 countries. Read more: Philip Hammond says UK fintech sector will attract talent [...]
After Brexit, will Britain remain a land of opportunity? Apprentice star Mark Wright shares his views on startups and the economy April 9, 2019 Winning a reality TV show isn’t normally considered a recipe for success. The stars of such programmes usually end up plastered across the tabloids, followed by performing in a Christmas pantomime somewhere in rural England. But the BBC’s The Apprentice is an altogether different beast. With the backing of business mogul Lord Alan Sugar, the [...]
Chilango, burrito bonds, and London – the boss of the Mexican food chain talks about the virtues of crowdfunding April 8, 2019 After interviewing Eric Partaker, the co-founder of burrito chain Chilango, he says I should try the food at his elaborately decorated restaurant on Cannon Street. I ask what he recommends, and instead of picking from the regular menu, he suggests I sample the “Noah’s Ark” – a lunch box containing all the meat options. A [...]
Raising the bar: Beer firm Brewdog kicks off sixth fundraising round with £1m prize draw April 8, 2019 Brewery chain Brewdog is to launch a sixth fundraising round, which features a prize draw to win £1m worth of shares in the firm. The firm announced the equity fundraising at its general meeting last week, which comes in a bid to raise £7m and expand its shareholder base to 200,000 people. Read more: Brewdog [...]
Digital wealth manager Nutmeg targets ‘seven figure sum’ in crowdfunding round March 27, 2019 Digital wealth manager Nutmeg has announced it will launch a crowdfunding round this year, targeting a seven figure sum. Nutmeg, which counts Goldman Sachs, Taipei Fubon Bank, Convoy and Balderton Capital among existing investors, is opening up company ownership to its customers in partnership with equity funding platform Crowdcube. Read more: £350 for your thoughts: [...]
Invest in property with your IFISA March 20, 2019 Throughout history, wealth has always been accumulated and preserved by investing in the property sector. Over the years we have seen property prices reach all-time highs and even outperformed the stock market. The super-rich however don’t really “do” buy-to-let investments. They have always had access to other sectors and type of investment products that were [...]
DEBATE: Could France overtake Britain for tech investment? March 18, 2019 Could France overtake Britain for tech investment? Kat Borlongan, director of the French Tech Mission, says YES. There are number of misconceptions around doing business in France. A language barrier and extensive bureaucracy have perhaps deterred investors from funding some of the best tech startups, specialising in everything from artificial intelligence to smart cities. But these [...]
Serious Pig founder George Rice wants to pair craft beer with better snacks in British pubs March 4, 2019 The craft beer scene is big business. Hundreds of challenger brands have emerged over the past decade or more to take a bite – well, sip – out of the market share of the mainstream breweries. Some craft beer-makers have become established names, such as controversial Scottish brand BrewDog, while others have been snapped up [...]