Boris Johnson leads London FinTech delegation to Singapore in push to expose City startups and entrepreneurs November 27, 2014 London’s financial technology (FinTech) sector has received more than half of all European FinTech venture capital (VC) investments made so far this year, a record $539m (£342.6m) and triple the amount raised in 2013. The new figures from London & Partners come as London Mayor Boris Johnson leads a FinTech trade delegation in Singapore today [...]
Bermondsey-based DIY brewery launches crowdfunding campaign November 26, 2014 UBREW, a Bermondsey-based brewery that allows members to brew their own craft beer, has launched a crowdfunding campaign today. Set to open in the New Year on the Bermondsey Mile, Ubrew is looking to crowdsource £75,000 – in exchange for 10 per cent equity in the company – to purchase equipment, rented accommodation and a [...]
US private equity firm KSL Capital Partner buys De Vere’s Village resorts for £485m November 26, 2014 British hotels and leisure firm De Vere Group yesterday agreed the £485m sale of its Village Urban Resorts hotels chain to US private equity firm KSL Capital Partner. KSL – a Denver-headquartered firm focused on the travel and leisure businesses – acquires the Village’s 25 existing hotels along with three new properties under development in [...]
Growing your savings takes time – you really can’t start too soon November 25, 2014 There’s an old saying that goes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”. It’s a great analogy for investing – the earlier you start the better, so don’t put it off because you think you are too late. Getting into the habit of regular saving [...]
Pensioners have “stopped being poor” but their benefits will top £12bn by 2019, says IFS boss November 25, 2014 Government benefits for pensioners will cost £12bn more per year by 2019 if the current system is kept in place, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The massive increase in spending would come about even though pensioners are on average wealthier than those still in work. The IFS argued "pensioners as a group [...]
Gimme 5: Upcoming events for entrepreneurs November 24, 2014 TEN Power Lunch with Nick Hungerford How tech entrepreneurs can disrupt financial services Free event with The Entrepreneurs Network and the co-founder and chief executive of Nutmeg. 4 December, 12.45pm to 2.15pm www.tenentrepreneurs.org UCL Advances Sales Strategy Workshop Teaching the crucial steps you must take to create a powerful sales strategy for your business, [...]
Private equity firms circle as P&G puts Braun in the window November 23, 2014 A number of Europe’s largest private equity firms are drawing up bids for Braun, amid speculation that parent company Procter & Gamble is looking to sell the German consumer goods brand. Procter & Gamble, the US consumer goods giant, is rumoured to be putting Braun up for the sale in a few months, with a [...]
Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel talks Catch-22s and Richard Branson November 23, 2014 You'd be hard pressed to get one up on Elizabeth Emanuel when it comes to heydays – and the fashion designer hasn’t just had one. At the age of 28, she designed the wedding dress of Lady Diana Spencer – a day she wouldn’t trade for the world, she says. And ten years later, [...]
Vijay Patel: How I made it as an entrepreneur – the five key attributes you need to succeed November 23, 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Week, last week, provided an opportunity to celebrate British enterprise and to assess how we can stimulate new business creation further. The more entrepreneurs we have, the stronger our economy will be. I am a British entrepreneur who has, over the last 40 years, built a global business from just one small pharmacy [...]
James Murdoch steps down as Sky Deutschland chairman after pension fund questions “conflicts of interests and suitability” November 19, 2014 James Murdoch has stepped down from his role as chairman of Sky Deutschland following today's AGM. Murdoch will remain on the supervisory board, with Sky's chief executive Jeremy Darroch taking on the chairmanship role. Andrew Griffith has also joined the board as a member. The move comes two days after the Local Authority [...]
