Tagged: united kingdom

April 17, 2025 @ 11:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Fintech Wise (LON: WISE), the global technology company building (what it claims to be) the best way to move and manage the world’s money, recently unveiled the launch of ‘Spend with Others’, a feature that has reportedly been designed to simplify shared spending for… Read More

April 16, 2025 @ 9:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

New analysis and research from UK’s online pension provider PensionBee highlights an increase in pension contributions in 2024, despite ongoing pressures on household budgets. On average, savers contributed “£285 (19%) more to their pensions in 2024 compared to 2023, taking the average up from £1,192… Read More

April 16, 2025 @ 9:58 am By JD Alois  |  

Artificial intelligence startup Portia AI has raised £4.4 million in funding led by General Catalyst with the participation of First Minute Capital and Stem AI. Portia AI is a provider of AI development tools offering an open-source SDK. The company says users can “build production-grade… Read More

April 15, 2025 @ 9:51 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has established its presence in the USA and Asia Pacific. This new move is said to be part of its new strategy. The FCA is the top securities regulator in the UK and uniquely holds a mandate to ensure… Read More

April 15, 2025 @ 8:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BBVA has granted £15m in venture debt to Plum, reaffirming its role as a key lender to the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which is considered to be an important region in its broader strategy. In line with this, last October the banking institution had reportedly “set… Read More

April 13, 2025 @ 9:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Smart Pension, one of the UK’s workplace pension providers, and Dalriada, one of the UK’s independent pension trustee firms, have launched a small-scheme consolidator solution that will aim to “improve value for members of Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) schemes.” The solution aims to address issues… Read More

April 12, 2025 @ 5:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Research from Barclays Eagle Labs shows Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol contain the strongest clusters of high-growth companies outside London, demonstrating “how local entrepreneurial and tech incubator networks are showing up for growth.” The Tech in the UK 2024 report from Barclays Eagle Labs shows “where… Read More

April 11, 2025 @ 10:37 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a paper on trading apps and consumer behaviour. Today, apps are the norm not the outlyer, but it was not too long ago trades were completed by phone, and then by accessing a website. As smartphones are… Read More

April 11, 2025 @ 7:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global, indicated that hiring activity across the UK fell again in March. Recruiters reported that weaker confidence “around the economic outlook, tighter client budgets and fewer job openings led to notable falls… Read More

April 10, 2025 @ 8:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

With an FCA license in hand, a new London HQ, and three UK clients set to go live by year-end, Upvest says it is entering its next phase of growth in Europe’s “most dynamic” investment market: the UK. Leading the charge is Symmie Swil, a… Read More

April 9, 2025 @ 8:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

NatWest has announced a minority investment in Yonder, a credit card platform that provides customer experiences through “lifestyle-led rewards.” Yonder provides a financial lifestyle platform “that brings together people, money and experiences.” Predominantly targeting young professionals and expats, their platform offers its members “a range… Read More

April 9, 2025 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

New research from PensionBee reveals that almost half of older savers don’t fully trust using artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage their finances. A nationally representative survey of 1,000 UK adults explored “attitudes towards AI in pension customer support.” The research findings reveal that 45%… Read More

April 8, 2025 @ 10:46 am By JD Alois  |  

As a regular user of Companies House, this author believes the database needs more than some make-up. It needs a major overhaul. Companies House makes the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR system look like a supermodel in comparison. That’s a heavy lift. From posting documents with opaque… Read More

April 7, 2025 @ 12:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Innovate Finance, an association that advocates on behalf of the Fintech industry in the UK, has issued a statement calling on the UK government to create a National Anti-Fraud Centre to battle the financial fraud crisis. The cost of payments fraud is said to be… Read More

April 7, 2025 @ 7:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Fintech Wise (LON: WISE), which has become known for its focus on low-cost international money transfers, is exploring a step toward joining the FTSE 100, the UK’s stock index. The company announced it has been “extensively consulting with shareholders on the optimal listing arrangements,”… Read More

April 4, 2025 @ 8:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Klarna, the AI-powered payments and shopping network, announces its launch with Eurostar, enabling travelers in the UK and France to book their journeys with flexibility. Customers checking out on Eurostar.com can now choose Klarna’s Pay in 3, allowing them to “split the cost of their… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Fuse, founded by TrueLayer veterans, has raised $6.6 million in a funding round led by Northzone. Other investors include Flourish Ventures, Alter Global, and angel investors. Fuse is a payments Fintech targeting the MENA region. The company says it is focusing on the “payments bottlenecks”… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 12:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Business confidence in the United Kingdom remained robust at 49% in March, maintaining its highest level since August 2024, according to Lloyds Business Barometer. This sustained high was driven by a significant boost in confidence among retail firms, which saw “a seven-point rise to 58%,… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 10:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Big UK banks and big tech have joined together to commit to battling the ongoing fraud challenge which is impacting the financial services sector. Amazon, Barclays, BT, Google, HSBC, Lloyds, Nationwide, NatWest, Match Group, Meta, Monzo, Santander, and Three joined in signing a statement to… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Ayan Capital says it has raised £25 million in Shariah-compliant financing from institutional debt provider Partners for Growth (PFG). Ayan says the commitment reflects the rising demand for Islamic financial products in the UK. Ayan Capital already provides halal business car financing, serving private hire… Read More