FinTechUK.com
Welcome to www.fintechuk.com
  • Home
  • BREXIT & FINTECH
  • Fintech News
  • CRYPTO
  • Events
  • Contact Us

NEWS: ABC Finance Ltd Launches a United Kingdom Fintech First - The UK's First Bridging Loan Comparison Tool

22/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureGary Hemming, Commercial Lending Director at ABC Finance Ltd
Thanks to Gary Hemming for the update on ABC Finance Ltd launching the United Kingdom's first bridging loan comparison tool.
 
Staffordshire based commercial finance brokerage ABC Finance have launched the UKs first online bridging loan comparison tool.
 
ABC Finance expects the tool to be used by 5,000 people in its first year.  The comparison tool is designed to improve access to funding for consumers and businesses throughout the COVID pandemic and beyond.
 
On its launch, the system will compare over 130 different bridging loans and will continue to grow to 200 by the end of 2020. The system can provide terms instantly for almost any security including residential, semi-commercial, commercial or land.
 
"Until now, a true comparison of products across the market has been exceedingly difficult, with brokers often offering wildly differing terms and contacting each lender being unrealistically time-consuming." says Gary Hemming, Commercial Lending Director at ABC Finance.
 
The UK bridging loan market is rapidly growing and is now a £4.5bn industry. With the launch of this new comparison system, the market will now be accessible to consumers 24/7.  This is expected to be the first of a number of fintech tools released by ABC Finance over the coming years [Ed- we look forward to hearing more].
 
Peter Hemming, Managing Director of ABC Finance said that the commercial finance market was “in desperate need of disruption, with a reasonable comparison between different lending options almost impossible to do with very few lenders publishing rates online and many brokers charging high fees for their services.
 
“The biggest expense that most of us face is the purchase of a property and we’re committed to saving those going through the process as much money as possible. We want to take the commercial finance market into the 21st century, through speed of information and transparency
.”
 
Gary Hemming added “The bridging loan market is often difficult to navigate and we wanted to provide a simple way for consumers to make sure that they’re getting a fair deal.
 
The market is littered with clients paying high broker fees and we believe that is an old-fashioned model and the time is right to give consumers a tool that will truly save them money
.”


Have something important to announce about fintech innovation or other noteworthy news on UK Fintech?  Contact us here. ​

0 Comments

NEWS: Fintech startups raised $34B in 2019

21/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
From www.US-FinTech.com

Financial services startups raised less money in 2019 than they did in 2018 as VC firms looked to back late stage firms and focused on developing markets.

​CB Insights annual report published this week, finds that fintech startups across the world raised $33.9 billion in total last year across 1,912 deals, down from $40.8 billion they picked up by participating in 2,049 deals the year before.



Source: https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/22/fintech-startups-raised-34b-in-2019/
​
0 Comments

NEWS: Report finds Bristol & Bath is a UK hotspot for FinTech entrepreneurs

10/2/2020

 
Picture
​New report says that the Bristol & Bath region has one of the strongest FinTech ecosystems in the UK, including a high number of fast-growing startups and scaleups.

The report says that Bristol and Bath regions have proportionally more firms active in the FinTech sector than any other region Whitecap has reviewed to date. The report also finds that:
  • 28 of the 107 firms identified are FinTech startups and scaleups
  • Bristol & Bath has a larger number of early stage FinTechs than areas with populations more than three or four times its size.
  • the UK's South West has also had more participants than any other region outside London in the FCA’s regulatory sandbox. 
Co-authored by Whitecap’s Julian Wells, Director & FinTech Practice Lead, and Stuart Harrison, Associate Director for the South West, the report is the first formal analysis of the FinTech ecosystem in the region and was supported and co-funded by a number of organisations in the South West, including FinTech West, BJSS, Clarke Willmott, DAC Beachcroft, Hargreaves Lansdown, Invest Bristol & Bath (the inward investment arm of the West of England Combined Authority), TLT LLP, and University of the West of England (UWE). Forewords from Innovate Finance and TheCityUK.

Source: https://www.whitecapconsulting.co.uk/press-release/report-finds-bristol-bath-is-a-uk-hotspot-for-fintech-entrepreneurs/

Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com

NEWS: UK fintech Monese to exceed £1bn value with latest fundraising

27/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Further announcements of investment in the thriving UK fintech sector this week with news that payments service provider Currencycloud has raised $80m (£61m) in funding to support the next round of its growth in this Series E round.

The new investment from global heavyweights including Visa, International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group), BNP Paribas, SBI Group and Siam Commercial Bank.

Michael Cogley Tech Correspondent, Telegraph (who has a portfolio of articles on fintech) reported that the London-headquartered firm will use much of the additional funds to add an extra 100 staff this year, bringing total headcount to over 300 people.

Currencycloud is a global payments platform built on smart technology that takes the complexity out of moving money. Its tools for cross-border payments are used by some of the world’s biggest fintechs, including Monzo, Revolut, and Starling. It has also recently added Visa to its client list.​
​
Sources:
Currencycloud - https://www.currencycloud.com/company/news/item/currencycloud-the-market-leader-in-embedded-cross-border-payments-secures-80-million/
Michael Cogley Tech Correspondent, Telegraph -
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/01/27/payments-firm-currencycloud-closes-61m-funding-round/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw

​
Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments

NEWS: Christopher Woolard appointed Interim Chief Executive of the FCA (UK Financial Regulator)

24/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Very positive news for UK Fintech and financial services firms in the UK plus a strong signal to the international markets that the UK fully appreciates the importance of competition and innovation following news that HM Treasury, upon advice of the Board of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has appointed Christopher Woolard as Interim Chief Executive.

Chris will take on the Chief Executive role following Andrew Bailey’s departure to become Governor of the Bank of England. Chris is currently the FCA’s Executive Director of Strategy and Competition and an Executive member of the FCA’s Board.

Charles Randell, the FCA’s chair, said: 'I’m looking forward to working with Chris in his Interim Chief Executive role. I’m confident that he and Executive Committee colleagues will continue to deliver our ambitious plans for change in 2020 and beyond, building on the foundations laid by Andrew Bailey.'
Chris Woolard, said: 'I’m delighted that I’ve been asked to take on this role. We have a huge job to do and I’m looking forward to working with the Board and colleagues across the FCA as we continue to deliver the FCA’s mission.'

Christopher Woolard’s CV:
  • As Executive Director of Strategy and Competition, Chris is responsible for the FCA’s policy output, its work on innovation, competition and economics and for helping direct the strategy for the financial regulator. Chris joined the Financial Services Authority in 2013, to help lead the creation of the FCA. Before that, Chris worked at Ofcom (2009-2012), the BBC (2005-2009) and in the civil service (1995-2005).
  • Chris is also currently a non-executive member of the Payment Systems Regulator Board.
  • The Chief Executive of FCA is a public appointment made by HM Treasury.
  • HM Treasury will be running an open competition for the permanent Chief Executive and further details will be announced in due course.

Source: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/christopher-woolard-appointed-interim-chief-executive

Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments

NEWS: UK watchdog tells markets - be ready in case of no EU trade deal following Brexit

23/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Financial firms in Britain should be ready in case no trade agreement is struck with the European Union by December, a senior UK regulator said on Thursday.

Britain leaves the EU next week, followed by a “business as usual” transition that ends in December. Britain and the EU will formally begin trade talks in coming weeks.

“Firms still need to ensure they are prepared for a range of scenarios that may happen at the end of 2020– and this includes the scenario in which the activities they conduct might not be covered by agreements reached between the UK and the EU.,” said Nausicaa Delfas, executive director of international at the Financial Conduct Authority.

Britain has already put all EU financial rules into UK law, which means it will have “the most equivalent framework to the EU of any country in the world,” Delfas told an event held by law firm BCLP.
Britain will also need to decide whether EU-based financial firms can have access to UK investors under the same equivalence system it has inherited by adopting the EU laws.

Ms Delfas clarified that “[w]ith the withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU now likely to be passed, this will mean that:
  • A “no deal” exit will not happen at the end of January 2020 and we will enter an implementation period.
  • EU law will continue to apply throughout 2020, and passporting will continue as now during that time. Consumers’ rights and protections will also remain unchanged.
It also means that:
  • The UK and the EU will begin discussions on the future relationship including the Political Declaration commitments to conduct mutual equivalence assessments by mid-2020.
  • Firms still need to ensure they are prepared for a range of scenarios that may happen at the end of 2020 – and this includes the scenario in which the activities they conduct might not be covered by agreements reached between the UK and the EU."
 
Source: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/speeches/global-regulation-local-solutions
Source: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-markets/uk-watchdog-tells-markets-be-ready-in-case-of-no-deal-brexit-idUKKBN1ZM152
 
​
Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
- thanks to Quent Rickerby (Linkedin Post) 
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments

NEWS: A thousand EU financial firms plan to open UK offices after Brexit

21/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Food for thought for those thinking Brexit is the end gong for UK financial services and fintech.
 
Reuters reports that a thousand EU financial firms plan to open UK offices after Brexit.
 
These banks, asset managers, payments companies & insurers in the European Union plan to open offices in post-Brexit Britain so they can continue serving UK clients, regulatory consultancy Bovill said on Monday, 20 January.

​“In practical terms, these figures mean that European firms will be buying office space, hiring staff and engaging legal and professional advisers in the UK,” Bovill said.

Firms from France, Cyprus and Germany have applied for 170, 165 and 149 temporary permissions respectively, the consultancy said.

EY said banks will now have to decide whether having multiple hubs in the euro zone and Britain after Brexit makes economic and strategic sense or if some should be closed.
 
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-banks-idUSKBN1ZJ00D

This follows news that Michael Spencer, one of the City’s best-known entrepreneurs, has become the cornerstone investor for a new UK fintech fund that aims to raise up to £100m.  Mr Spencer is to contribute at least £25m, via his IPGL vehicle, to a fund called Element Ventures, which will focus on investments in technologies that streamline working practices in financial markets.
 
Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments

NEWS: ICAP founder gives backing to £100m fintech fund

20/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Michael Spencer, one of the City’s best-known entrepreneurs, has become the cornerstone investor for a new UK fintech fund that aims to raise up to £100m. Mr Spencer is to contribute at least £25m, via his IPGL vehicle, to a fund called Element Ventures, which will focus on investments in technologies that streamline working practices in financial markets.

Mr Spencer has built up a personal fortune of around £1bn since founding ICAP, the interdealer broker, in 1986. He sold £200m worth of ICAP shares in 2017 and the sale of the company, rebranded as Nex, to the CME earned him another £750m.

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/0b77234a-3ab7-11ea-a01a-bae547046735.
 
Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments

NEWS: Chancellor of the Exchequer says that the UK will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union - BREXIT

17/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
"There will not be alignment, we will not be a ruletaker, we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union — and we will do this by the end of the year,” says Sajid Javid, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, as he urges companies to “adjust” to the new reality.

The Exchequer has delivered a tough message to business leaders to end their campaign for Britain to stay in lock-step with Brussels rules after Brexit, telling them they have already had three years to prepare for a new trading relationship.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Javid quashed any prospect of the Treasury lending its support to big manufacturing sectors — which include cars, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and food and drink — that favour alignment with EU regulations.

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/18ddc610-3940-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4
 
We have started a Brexit & Fintech page. Check it out to help answer some of your questions.  And get in touch if you need more.
 
Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments

NEWS: Fintech tackling Money Laundering – New UK Rules

10/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Fintech UK take note.  New money-laundering rules came into force on 10 January in the UK.

Firms need to take action as new rules aimed at tackling money-laundering came into force. These place increased importance on the acceptable use of electronic verification methods in confirming identity, without the need for passports or utility bills.

Consequently, all financial services firms, solicitors, accountants, estate agents and now also letting agents not currently using electronic verification, need to re-evaluate their customer due diligence processes. Electronic verification is a far more robust, cost-effective method of Know Your Customer (KYC).

The new regulations recognise the latest technological developments and clearly state that regulated businesses can use electronic verification instead of traditional methods of KYC such as passports, driving licenses and utility bills. Since 2004, firms have been able to use electronic verification, but the latest regs are explicit in that firms can use this method as their sole basis for client verification.

Read the full article at The Fintech Times here - ​https://thefintechtimes.com/tackling-money-laundering-new-uk-rules/
 
Posted by Peter Oakes (www.peteroakes.com)
#FintechUK #UKFintech
See also www.UKFintech.com www.FintechIreland.com
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Author

    Fintech UK and Peter Oakes

    Archives

    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    October 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    September 2022
    July 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Alloy
    Armstrong Teasdale
    Asia
    Atlantic Money
    Bank Of England
    Board Directors
    Brexit
    CompliReg
    Consultation
    Consumer Duty
    Crypto
    Cryptoassets
    Crypto.com
    Currencycloud
    Digital Assets
    DirectID
    Ecosystem
    Electronic Money
    Emoney
    FCA
    Financial Crime
    Fintech
    Fintech Abu Dhabi
    Fintech City
    Fintech Map
    FintechUK.com
    Fund
    Funding
    IBAN
    ICAP
    IKEA
    Intersystems
    Investment
    IPO
    J.P. Morgan
    Kalifa Review
    Layoffs
    Lending
    MiCA
    Monese
    Money Laundering
    Non-Executive Directors
    Open Banking
    Payment Accounts
    Peter Oakes
    RegTech
    Report
    Revolut
    Sajid Javid
    UK Crypto Asset Map
    Unicorn
    Virtual Accounts
    Wise

Site powered by Weebly. Managed by Bluehost