Boss of £775m Royal Bank of Scotland competition payout confirms Santander UK is in running September 27, 2018 The head of a scheme to pay out £775m from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to boost banking sector competition today confirmed that Santander UK and other large lenders are in the running for multi-million-pound award, in spite of criticisms from rival banks. The scheme, designed by the Treasury but run independently by Banking [...]
Revolut to bid for fresh European licence as it reveals losses September 24, 2018 Fintech powerhouse Revolut has revealed its post-Brexit strategy amid the publication of its 2017 financial accounts, which put a heavy spotlight on the banking app’s operational losses. Primarily, a spokesperson for the London startup confirmed to City A.M. it had applied for a second e-money licence in Luxembourg, in addition to its 2017 application for a [...]
Africa deserves more optimism and attention from City investors September 21, 2018 In Johannesburg last month, the Prime Minister set a new ambition for the UK to be the largest G7 foreign direct investor in Africa by 2022. Achieving that ambition won’t be easy, but for UK investors who are prepared to change their attitudes and look beyond the easy choices, there are great opportunities. I was privileged [...]
Outdated research is driving markets towards a pedestrian investment environment September 18, 2018 The equity research industry has had to contend with a wave of changes over the past few years. The growth of passive investing, increased in-house research capabilities, and new fintech challengers have all placed significant strains on the business model of a traditional equity analyst. It was the implementation of the revised Markets in Financial [...]
There’s a bright, collaborative future ahead for the City and Northern Ireland September 17, 2018 Last week, I embarked on a visit to Northern Ireland to engage with its financial and professional services sector. With fewer than 200 days until the UK leaves the EU, and the Irish border proving to be one of the more contentious issues surrounding negotiations, this was an excellent opportunity to hear the views of [...]
British scaleups must leap the confidence gap to achieve growth September 13, 2018 It's a well-worn fact that small businesses are the backbone of Britain. It’s also well-known that they have a high failure rate, as four tenths of SMEs fail within five years. Far less well explored are the reasons behind this failure rate. To better understand the challenges facing these businesses as they attempt to scale, we [...]
Cryptocurrencies swimming in the mainstream September 5, 2018 | Sponsored Spending and exchanging digital currencies are two of the biggest challenges enthusiasts face when building a crypto portfolio. While some high-profile retailers such as Subway, Microsoft and Expedia accept Bitcoin as payment, retailers that have adopted crypto represent a tiny fraction of the market. Limited payment options, complex processes and expensive exchange fees are typical [...]
UK blockchain startup launches equity crowdfunding round July 12, 2018 | Sponsored For venture-minded investors who have yet to make any major forays into the tantalising yet potentially risky ICO world of blockchain and cryptocurrency, one equity investment opportunity live now on Crowdcube may prove to be a gateway. Introducing: the bank account based on blockchain BABB (Bank Account Based Blockchain) is a UK-based startup. It is building [...]
Fintech Week London 2015: It’s startups v banks in Fintech expo drinking session September 2, 2015 Caloo callay, it's nearly London Fintech Week, where startups from Shoreditch to Shadwell will be touting their wares to execs from some of the City’s most high profile firms in a bid to become the next big thing in business. Billed as the “world’s largest fintech-focused expo”, economists, bankers and brokers from companies old [...]
Is this the UK’s next FinTech unicorn? Hank Uberoi of London-based tech startup Earthport slams outdated global payment infrastructure August 26, 2015 Could this be the UK’s next FinTech unicorn? After previous success stories like Monitise and TransferWise leading the way, a UK-based payment platform slamming today’s global payment infrastructure for being “decades” out of date is hoping to disrupt the way companies pay their bills. Hundreds of thousands of international payments are made every day. But [...]