Uber’s finance chief Brent Callinicos is leaving the taxi startup March 16, 2015 Uber’s finance chief Brent Callinicos is driving off into the sunset and leaving one of the most highly valued tech startups in the world in the rear-view mirror. The former Google executive who has been with Uber for less than two years will stay on as an advisor, chief executive Travis Kalanick told investors. “Almost [...]
Here’s everything we know about Sakti3 – the US startup Dyson just invested $15m in March 16, 2015 Some 15 years into the entrepreneur game, Sir James Dyson has made his first-ever investment outside his own business, after he ploughed $15m (£10m) in US startup Sakti3. The company, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, develops solid-state batteries. The investment was part of a wider, $20m funding round. Dyson said the company will help it [...]
How a startup can benefit from a hybrid investment strategy March 15, 2015 Different kinds of investors bring different kinds of value to the table. Striking the right balance between them is vital for any young business. At JustPark, I’ve now had exposure to four different types of investor: a corporate investor, an angel investor, a venture capital firm, and currently the crowd – the thousands of people [...]
PayPal sets up cyber security centre in Israel and buys startup CyActive March 11, 2015 Online payments company PayPal yesterday announced it was establishing a cyber security centre in Beersheba, Israel, and has bought local startup CyActive to help to launch the development. PayPal, which is due to be spun off from eBay later this year, did not disclose financial details, but Israeli media have said the purchase was worth [...]
Shoreditch meets the City: RBS, Lloyds and American Express challenge startups to create FinTech of the future March 9, 2015 Leading financial firms are laying down the gauntlet and challenging startups to come up with the next financial technologies of the future. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Lloyds and American Express are just three of the finance firms putting their weight behind the search to find digital innovations which will address areas such as [...]
Smart Pension is a startup that wants to make auto enrollment a cinch for small businesses February 26, 2015 Auto-enrollment might be good for employees, but getting the paperwork done in time for the deadline (which, fact fans, is 1 March for businesses with 54-57 employees) is creating a headache for entrepreneurs. Step forward Smart Pension, a startup which has just closed a £1.5m funding round, with backers including the likes of Zoopla investor William [...]
London FinTech startup WorldRemit raises $100m from Silicon Valley investors TVC and Accel Partners valuing firm at $500m February 18, 2015 WorldRemit, the London-based FinTech startup, has bagged a $100m (£65m) investment from Silicon Valley investors, valuing the firm at $500m. The series B funding round, from US venture firm Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), along with existing backer Accel Partners, is the latest investment in financial technology firms emerging from the capital. The $100m backing from [...]
London FinTech startup Kantox flies past $1bn forex transfers thanks to currency woes and economic uncertainty February 9, 2015 Businesses hit by currency volatility and worried by economic uncertainty are increasingly turning to alternative finance services, helping one London FinTech startup fly. Kantox, a peer-to-peer forex platform for business, has flown past $1bn (£657bn) in currency transfers since setting up shop in the capital in 2011 with an astonishing 20 per cent of that- [...]
First Natwest start-up accelerator opening in Birmingham today February 8, 2015 Natwest will open the first of eight business accelerator hubs in Birmingham this morning, housing 80 businesses as part of a programme to support entrepreneurs around the UK. The hub will host a rolling six month programme for start-ups, in partnership with Entrepreneurial Spark, which will include growth awards of up to £50,000 for the [...]
Tech #Crunchies 2014: Uber named best overall startup of the year February 6, 2015 Uber's success drove it into first place at the tech Crunchie awards in San Francisco this morning. The taxi-app company picked up the prize for “Best Overall Startup in 2014” at the event, beating runners up GoPro and SnapChat to the title. Uber was founded six years ago and has grown over [...]