Revolut smashes into unicorn ranks with $250m fundraising ahead of international expansion April 26, 2018 London-based fintech startup Revolut has joined the elite ranks of so-called unicorn firms with a $1.7bn (£1.2bn) valuation following a new $250m fundraising. Tech investor DST Global put up around half of the new money, alongside existing investors including Index Ventures and Ribbit Capital. The money will be used to target an aggressive expansion into [...]
ePrivacy: a fatal blow to the diversity of information in Europe? December 8, 2017 “There’s what you see and what you don’t.” This line by French economist Frédéric Bastiat illustrates perfectly the controversy surrounding the EU’s planned “ePrivacy” regulatory package. Expected to come into force in May 2018, the draft is currently being discussed by the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. “What you see” are [...]
Less is more: Apple beats expectations but unit sales fall February 1, 2018 Apple delivered better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits, though warned its unit sales were on the wane. Shares in the world’s biggest company rose over two per cent, putting it in pole position as US tech giants race to be the first to a $1 trillion stock market valuation. Revenue and earnings beat Wall Street forecasts. Revenue was [...]
Will Apple take the Dow over 27,000 this week? Only a fool would bet against it January 30, 2018 How much higher, and how quickly, can Wall Street rise? It’s a question this column has asked a couple of times, but it’s one that bears repeating after the Dow Jones hit a new record close on Friday. Might we see the Dow break 27,000? Market sentiment suggests yes. Moreover, it suggests it could do [...]
Airbnb, Amazon, peer to peer lending and universities: There’s a simple reason why no sector is immune from radical change April 10, 2017 If you were to ask an economist why financial institutions or food retailers exist, I wonder if the answer would go beyond that which would be offered by a random person travelling on the Tube. Answers might include “to provide bank loans, insurance and savings products” and, in the case of food retailers, “to provide [...]
The swashbuckling author of Be More Pirate is teaching entrepreneurs how to be maritime buccaneers May 16, 2018 Before Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, maritime swashbucklers were about more than eyeliner and Orlando Bloom. In fact, it’s possible Robert Louis Stevenson was closer to the mark in presenting pirates as heroic outlaws, whose thievery and sword-fighting merit glorification over farcical misrepresentation. This is the view of entrepreneur-turned-writer, Sam Conniff Allende. The Livity [...]
Facebook scandal: European markets hit by Wall Street’s tech sell-off March 28, 2018 European markets are taking a hit today after US tech stocks had their worst day since February 2016 yesterday. Wall Street’s Faangs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet’s Google) were battered yesterday over fears of a regulatory crackdown following Facebook’s data scandal. Shares in the social media giant have fallen about 15 per cent this [...]
Amazon’s streaming service Music Unlimited launches in the UK November 14, 2016 Amazon is launching its new music streaming service in the UK in a bid to take on Spotify and Apple Music, priced from as little as £3.99. It comes less than a month after the long-rumoured service was revealed in the US, and will feature music from top artists such as Adele. “We’ve been thrilled with [...]
Market falls: cause for alarm or calm? October 26, 2018 Stock markets globally have been falling since the end of September. Economic worries including a potential trade war between the US and China, currency crises in Turkey and Argentina, debt problems in Italy and rising interest rates have seen stocks globally begin to fall from record highs. As the chart shows, since 31 August emerging [...]
These are Amazon’s best Black Friday deals – get Amazon Fire TV Sticks, Amazon Echos, Sony PlayStation 4, Le Creuset casserole dishes and more November 25, 2016 Yes, it's here everyone! It's Black Friday. Brits are going to spend more than £2bn this year as they pile into shops to bag up electricals and other Christmas gifts. The retailers are promising bigger cuts than ever, with John Lewis committing to price match its rivals throughout the day as they slash their prices. And if [...]