Monthly Archives: June 2020

FinTech Backlash To Emergency SME Funding Measures ‘Tempered’

Our friends at the Fintech Times report on the evolving reaction to some very hastily, albeit well-intentioned, attempts to throw money at Britain’s stricken business sector, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in most need. Regular readers of this News section will know that our concern is that money, unlike mud, does not stick if […]

Challenger Banks Still Playing Secondary Role In SME Funding

The FinTech Times comes up with what must be, even on a Monda, winner of the dodgy metaphor of the week award. It runs an article on challenger banks, seen by the writer as the eternal “mistresses” of finance. There’s useful information here, nevertheless. We run an excerpt below, with the full article available here. […]

FinTech Resilience Attracts Capital Inflows

“Resilience” is the buzz word for the FinTech sector just now, as regular readers of this News section will know. Business Manchester reports on continued capital inflows: Figures compiled by Tech Nation and Dealroom for the Digital Economy Council show that investors continue to back some of the UK’s most promising tech teams, despite the challenges posed by Covid-19. […]

Cambridge Network Sees Future For Resilient FinTechs

The Cambridge Network takes a measured and thoughtful look at the resilience of the UK’s FinTech sector. Resilience will certainly be required. Below, we offer an excerpt from the piece – which can be found in full by clicking here. As members of the UK tech sector meet virtually during #LTWConnects events, figures show UK digital tech […]

Will Emergency Funding Leave Heavy SME Debt Legacy?

The dominant topic in the alternative finance sector is the government initiative to get funding to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). On the hand, as evidenced here in our News section (see various earlier stories), is the concern that funds are not getting through to the SMEs. On the other, the mainstream is now voicing […]

Government Emergency Funding Juggernaut Rolls On

The government-backed emergency finance juggernaut rolls on. The intentions are good, but is the money reaching its target? Time will tell. Our friends at AltFi report the latest: The UK’s financial institutions have lent out over £34.9bn to SMEs under the government-backed coronavirus loan schemes. The rate of lending has slowed for the second week […]

Digital Economy Deals Show The Way Ahead

It’s too early to tell definitively, but the strong indications are that the digital economy is robust and leading the way forward for business in the UK. Money&Co., for example, has been operating smoothly under lockdown – and, as we see today in the following report from our friends at AltFi, deals are being done. […]

A Rose Amongst Mainstream AltFi-Investing Thorns

We revert to a familiar theme: mainstream investment into the alternative finance sector. Our friends at AltFi reports on a rose amongst thorns. Listed fintech VC fund Augmentum Fintech is joining two key FTSE Russell indices on 19 June as it is now counted among the 620 largest-listed companies on the London Stock Exchange. Augmentum will be added to […]

SEIS Volume Good – But EIS Deal Size Disappoints

Our business cousins over the fence in equity raises are having a mixed experience. There was healthy deal volume for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme raises, but very few Enterprise Investment Scheme deals over £4 million. Business Matters magazine reports: In the 2018-19 tax year, £1.8 billion was invested into 3,905 companies, down from £2 […]