MUFG likely to deny Softbank loan over Wework bailout November 21, 2019 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Japan’s largest bank, is reportedly likely to withhold additional loans from Softbank to finance the conglomerate’s $9.5bn (£7.3bn) rescue package for struggling office space firm Wework. Softbank has asked for around ¥300bn (£2.1bn) additional loans for Japan’s three megabanks – MUFG, Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group – [...]
The four “M”s: why the 21st century belongs to Asia November 18, 2020 For a look into the future of the global economy, and where the power is shifting, consider technology developments in both China and India., In a mere decade, China’s e-commerce market has grown from less than 1% of global sales, into the world’s largest market in 2016, representing more than 40% of transactions by value. [...]
New York City hits the brakes on all new drivers for Uber and Lyft | City A.M. August 9, 2018 New York City’s local council has pressed pause on granting new licences to ride-hailing firms for one year, blaming companies such as Uber and Lyft for the city’s congestion problems. The package of measures outlined by the city’s mayor Bill de Blasio overnight also includes setting a minimum wage for drivers, after the New York [...]
Self-driving cars get first London test routes June 27, 2019 Self-driving cars have been granted their first ever London test routes in a major step forward for real-world driverless vehicle trials The testbed, which is a UK industry first, will consist of 26km of public road in Greenwich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. Read more: Uber’s self-driving unit raises $1bn ahead of [...]
Airbnb plans to go public in 2020 September 19, 2019 Airbnb has revealed its intention to become a publicly-traded company next year. In one of the most prominent market listings scheduled for next year, the property giant has said today that it is looking to float in 2020. Read more: Wework delays IPO The move could see Airbnb, which is an online marketplace for lodging, [...]
Travel startup Duffel picks up $30m to revitalise outdated airline technology October 28, 2019 Duffel, a London-based startup seeking to provide airlines with a fresh software update, has today closed a $30m (£27.1m) funding round led by Dropbox and Slack investor Index Ventures. Existing investors Benchmark Capital, which has backed the likes of Snap and Uber, and Blossom Capital also participated. Duffel helps travel agencies to connect to airline [...]
Peloton shares sink on second day of trading September 27, 2019 Shares in fitness start-up Peloton sank a further four per cent today after making a disappointing stock market debut yesterday. Peloton shares were initially priced at $29 when the company listed in New York yesterday morning, but closed more than 11 per cent down at $25.75. Read more: Peloton prices float at $29 per share [...]
Paypal first firm to drop out of Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency October 5, 2019 Paypal has pulled out of an alliance attempting to launch Facebook’s digital currency Libra. The payment firm announced its decision on Friday in a statement but did not reveal why the decision has been made. The cryptocurrency and its digital wallet, Calibra, were revealed by Facebook in June. Read more: Libra co-founder hits out at [...]
Banking on the fees: Deal disappointments top off downward year for payouts November 21, 2019 Bankers have been left with a sour taste in their mouths after two of the year’s blockbuster listings look set to deliver a disappointing round of payouts. Hopes of a fee bonanza from Saudi Aramco’s flotation have fallen flat after it emerged that some of Wall Street’s biggest banks have been sidelined in the process, [...]
Airbnb wins European court battle to dodge property rules ahead of public listing December 19, 2019 Airbnb received another boost today ahead of its public listing next year as Europe’s top court ruled that it is an online platform not an estate agent. The decision by the European court of justice will allow the company to dodge regulations faced by property brokers as it continues to expand. The company, which announced [...]