Millienials want to invest for good – but what is impact investing and how do you get involved? February 11, 2016 Impact investing is moving into the mainstream. The companies on the Social Stock Exchange – the UK’s main market for impact investing – have a total combined market value of £2bn and last year raised in excess of £400m. We also saw the first LSE Main Market and Social Stock Exchange dual listing with Menhaden [...]
To fuel the pensions revolution, we need to put passion into pensions – and that means opening them up to social investing February 9, 2016 The humble nudge has worked. With around six million people now automatically enrolled into their first pension, we have reason to be hopeful that the UK is now saving for its future. However, it’s much too early to declare mission accomplished. We’re still waiting for the large number of smaller companies to enrol their employees into schemes, and they [...]
How Andorra attracted wealthy property investors by relaxing residency laws February 5, 2016 The tiny Pyrenean principality of Andorra only fully opened its doors to international investment in 2012, in order to diversify its economy. It has also now relaxed residency laws in a move towards attracting wealthier citizens. As a result, the property market, which until last year was stagnating, has begun to see a significant rise [...]
Venture Capital investing in the UK reaches $1.3bn in the last quarter of 2015, bucking global trends January 21, 2016 Venture Capital firms invested $1.3bn (£910m) in UK companies in the last three months of 2015, capping off a record-breaking year. In total, UK start-ups received $4.75bn in venture capital funding last year from 400 deals, according to the latest data from KPMG and venture capital database CB Insights. This bucked the global trend: there was a 30 [...]
CES 2016: General Motors is investing $500m in Uber rival Lyft and is making driverless car plans January 4, 2016 The US carmaker General Motors has revealed it is investing $500m (£339m) in Lyft, a cab-hailing app which rivals Uber, with plans to work on the development of driverless cars together. That investment also comes with a seat on the board. “We see the future of personal mobility as connected, seamless and autonomous. With GM and Lyft working [...]
Australia’s investing millions to create a tech boom as mining declines December 7, 2015 Australia will invest millions in an attempt to create a new tech boom, as mining in the country declines. An AUS$1.1 billion (£534m) package of measures designed to encourage entrepreneurship and new business includes reduced capital gains tax for startups, income tax rebates for retail investors and immigration changes to hire talent. "The mining boom, [...]
Investing in data science will secure London’s future as a global leader in research November 11, 2015 The UK is a science powerhouse that punches well above its weight. London alone is home to four of the world’s top 30 universities. And this Government is committed to ensuring the UK is the best place in Europe to innovate, patent new ideas and start a business. To fulfil this ambition, we need to [...]
Now you can buy gold in kilo bars from Royal Mint – and these are the top 10 countries investing in bullion October 7, 2015 The Royal Mint is hoping to attract gold buyers with deeper pockets with the launch of a new kilo bullion bar. Since setting up shop online a year ago with a trading platform that allows retail investors to buy precious metals from as little as £20, sales of gold have increased by more than 50 [...]
UK governemt and Bank of England are investing in a secret stash of fine art treasures worth billions September 4, 2015 While Brits have been tightening their purse strings since the credit crunch, an investigation by the TaxPayers’ Alliance has found that the government is putting those savings to good use – investing vast amounts of money in paintings and sculptures closed off to the public. The government currently owns £3.5bn in historic art, but according [...]
IPPR: Investing in the North of England could lead to Victorian-style growth – but without it, it will be “condemned to mediocrity” September 3, 2015 The economy of the North of England could grow at a scale "not seen since the Victorian era of municipal development", a new report has suggested – but without the investment it needs, the region will be "condemned to mediocrity". The report, by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North, showed the "massive potential" [...]