Monzo confirms record-breaking UK fintech crowdfunding round November 26, 2018 Digital bank Monzo has today announced it will be heading back to the crowd for the last chunk of its series E fundraising round, with a target of up to £20m. The raise, first reported exclusively by City A.M. in August, will be the largest fintech crowdfunding round in the UK to date. Going live [...]
Crowdfunding isn’t just about money, but communicating with customers – the best businesses are the best listeners November 22, 2018 Consumers are increasingly sceptical of industry leaders, disloyal to brands, well-researched in the products and services they need, and not willing to be talked at. Through social media, they listen to one another about which brands are worth caring about, and which are not. The brands that are the best communicators are also the best [...]
Crowdcube raises £8.5m from Revolut backer Draper Esprit and Channel 4 November 7, 2018 Equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube has today announced the close of a £8.5m fundraise, led by venture capital firm Draper Esprit and supported by Balderton Capital and Channel 4's commercial growth arm. Draper disclosed a £6m stake in the company as part of its investment, with the full round to be complemented by a crowdfunding campaign later [...]
Returns from peer-to-peer lending look attractive, but is it a sensible sector to invest for retirement? November 1, 2018 Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) has long been deemed by many professionals in the conventional investment industry as too risky for retail investors. And yet, this technology driven form of lending has surged in popularity over the past decade, which is largely a result of the sector offering a decent return where other asset classes have struggled. [...]
Fintech star Monzo joins unicorn ranks with £85m funding round October 30, 2018 Digital banking startup Monzo will today announce the close of a fresh fundraising round at £85m, led by new US investors General Catalyst and Accel as the fintech firm prepares to leap across the pond. Existing investors Passion Capital, Thrive Capital, Goodwater, Orange Digital Ventures and Stripe also participated in the round. The news takes [...]
Craft beer brand Brewdog is trying to mature after a tough year of marketing disasters October 22, 2018 It’s been a tough year for Brewdog, much of it the brand’s own fault. Tone-deaf advertising campaigns and PR mishaps have frustrated its fans and “equity punk” investors (I speak from personal experience – I’ve been a shareholder since 2015). The Scottish craft beer brewer, founded in 2007, is as well known for its marketing stunts as [...]
London is the best place in the world to start a business, says Innocent co-founder Richard Reed October 18, 2018 London is the best place in the world to start a business, according to Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed. The investor, who set up venture capital fund Jam Jar Investments after selling his smoothies business to Coca-Cola for more than £380m in 2013, said Britain is the birthplace of entrepreneurship. Read more: Entrepreneur outlines Patisserie Valerie rescue [...]
Will Britain Lead the 4th Industrial Revolution? October 2, 2018 With the USA in isolationist mode, if not paralysis, who will lead the west, post-Brexit and as we enter the full flood of what the World Economic Forum’s Klaus Schwab dubbed The Fourth Industrial Revolution: “The possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, [...]
We are veering towards a Brexit brain drain – it’s time for brands to shake things up September 26, 2018 There is a lack of innovation among British businesses; this was a problem highlighted in our latest research. It’s also a problem which threatens the future of UK businesses outside of the EU bloc, potentially hindering our ability to attract and retain talent. Fast-growing economies such as China, Indonesia, India, the US, and Germany [...]
Don’t be afraid to finance your firm’s growth through equity or debt, there are options out there for British businesses September 21, 2018 Having successfully run and invested in many businesses myself, an aversion to seeking finance to fund business growth is difficult for me to understand. But according to research highlighted in the British Business Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets report earlier this year, 70 per cent of small and medium sized companies in the UK [...]