Five reasons why investing in Iran is too great a risk for British firms May 19, 2016 This morning, in a giant ballroom in one of London’s most luxurious hotels, executives from leading corporations will gather for a major investment conference. In some ways, the conference will be like dozens that take place across London each year. However, this one has an unusual and ominous twist: it is organised precisely to encourage [...]
It’s a myth that VCs and crowdfunding platforms are at war. If you’re raising money, your focus should be on the following July 14, 2016 As equity crowdfunding evolves, the view is that there’s a war underway between venture capitalists and platforms targeting retail investors – as both vye for the best deals. But in reality, the scene remains peaceful. As a VC firm, we view crowdfunding as a complementary finance channel that can find additional and strategic capital for appropriate [...]
CMA publishes final energy market reforms report, including more than 30 new measures designed to increase competition in the sector June 24, 2016 Energy firms may have to navigate more red tape in the future, after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed more than 30 new measures this morning. Confirming provisional findings announced earlier this year, the CMA said that energy suppliers should be ordered to hand details of customers who have been on a default tariff for more [...]
Survival of the fittest: Why clever collaboration with other parts of the market will change the game for platforms and investors June 9, 2016 Demand in the crowdfunding sector has grown on a huge scale in recent years. Total transaction volumes increased by 85 times between 2012 and 2015, from £3.9m to £332m, according to Nesta. But the industry still has a long way to go. How platforms have developed in recent years, in line with increasing demand and [...]
This is where people working in finance are living in London (spoiler: it’s not Canary Wharf) April 27, 2016 Ever wondered where all the bankers in London live? Camden, it turns out. City slickers are shunning the new builds of Canary Wharf and are instead holing up in north London, according to new research. When it comes to finding a flat, Camden, Angel and Kings Cross are the most sought after locations for those [...]
City Moves for 22 June 2016 | Who’s switching jobs June 22, 2016 Blackwell’s Independent bookseller Blackwell’s has confirmed the appointment of its head of operations, Kate Stilborn, to the company’s board in the newly created role of customer service & operations director. Kate, who has been with Blackwell’s for 23 years, will oversee its commitment to delivering excellence in customer service across multiple channels, including online, and [...]
How traditional banks can keep ahead of their fintech noisy neighbours in innovation race May 16, 2016 There have been plenty of reports about fintechs being bad news for banks, but in actual fact they may be the best thing to happen to traditional banks and the banking sector for a long time. No, really. Many have warned that the introduction of digitally savvy options into the retail banking sector will prove [...]
How to do things differently in the pub industry: An interview with Marston’s chief executive Ralph Findlay June 1, 2016 It's fair to say it’s been a challenging decade for the UK's pub sector. First it was hit by the smoking ban in 2007, then by the recession in 2009. Revenues across the industry have also been affected by broadly falling levels of alcohol consumption. Pub companies have been forced to rethink their strategies to stay [...]
Why crowdfunders need to focus on finding the best deal for investors rather than offering the highest valuation for companies seeking finance June 10, 2016 In Britain, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99.9 per cent of the nation’s private sector businesses, employing 15.6m people and boasting a combined annual turnover of £1.8 trillion. Worryingly, however, despite their importance to the British economy, more than half of these SMEs will fail within the first five years of establishment, with insufficient capital [...]
S&P warns Brexit could sap investment in UK infrastructure May 18, 2016 The majority of infrastructure investors in the UK market believe that a Brexit would zap much-needed investment in buildings, roads and power supplies for at least two years after the vote. Research by credit ratings agency S&P showed that while Britain's exit from the 28-nation bloc could cripple infrastructure investment in the short-term, capital would return once [...]