Next generation finance: How London can cement its leadership in fintech August 19, 2014 The launch of Innovate Finance, a new body dedicated to supporting fintech (or financial technology) in the UK, at Canary Wharf this month highlighted London’s ability to become the global centre of the sector. They say there is no “fin” in San Francisco and no “tech” in New York – but there is certainly both [...]
George Osborne makes a quick buck on £20 Bitcoin buy at Level 39 August 6, 2014 As the Chancellor of the Exchequer, you might expect George Osborne would like to keep his own pocket money in good old, Bank of England-regulated, sterling. But it’s apparent a trip to trendy FinTech den Level 39 has left Osborne with a sense of adventure – he’s gone where no chancellor has gone before – [...]
UK’s £4bn app economy is the biggest in Europe June 26, 2014 The app economy in the UK is the biggest in Europe and set to generate £4bn revenue by the end of the year, cementing the country’s position as the leading tech hub outside of the US. The UK generates more than a third of app revenue produced across Europe and employs just under a fifth [...]
London now has bigger fintech sector than Silicon Valley or New York June 16, 2014 London is now the biggest global centre for financial technology firms, beating both Silicon Valley and New York based on the number of people the industry employs. There are 44,000 people working in fintech in London, compared to 43,000 in New York and just 11,000 in Silicon Valley, according to research by South Mountain [...]
Three things you didn’t know about Level39 boss Eric Van der Kleij June 16, 2014 Chief executive of Level39 Eric Van der Kleij 1 He invented the online process of “web call back”, leaving your number on a website for someone to call you back, while struggling to buy flowers for his wife online. 2 Canary Wharf’s FinTech incubator Level39 was born following a very chance meeting between Eric and [...]
Networks matter for people and businesses of all shapes and sizes November 3, 2013 NO ENTREPRENEUR is an island – who you know can determine whether or not your business idea is going to be a success. Although networking is often considered to be a soft skill with soft benefits, it is actually vital for turning an idea into reality. When people mix, ideas and money flow more easily. [...]
UK efforts to nurture a tech startup revolution are worryingly trivial October 20, 2013 IF THE government thinks investing in Silicon Roundabout is the best way for the UK to produce the next Facebook or Twitter, it’ll be waiting a long time. As a Brit at the helm of a software company co-headquartered in California and Sheffield, I’m often asked my thoughts on what the UK should do to [...]