How can businesses empower women in technology in a post Covid-19 world? October 5, 2020 Everyone has felt the wrath of Covid-19. The pandemic blindsided businesses earlier this year and has forced organisations to rapidly step into the unknown. But what have we learnt? And can we apply these learnings to tackle existing issues in technology, like diversity and inclusion? Research from McKinsey Global Institute estimates that women make up [...]
Why Klarna — not Revolut or Monzo — represents the winning fintech strategy in a pandemic October 2, 2020 Last month, a new funding round gave buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) fintech Klarna a headline valuation of $10.65bn. At a stroke, Klarna became the most valuable fintech in Europe – more than double the value of Revolut and almost 10 times more than Monzo. Why, in the middle of a pandemic, has Klarna inspired such investor confidence? [...]
Accountancy and finance teams must learn to embrace analytics September 29, 2020 The global pandemic has cast a new light on priorities across many different industries. Suddenly, the most important asset a pub can have is a large open garden. Low wooden beams and small rooms seem dangerous rather than charming and characterful. Public transport systems that offered efficient mass transit across cities are being shunned by [...]
DEBATE: Is there a future for tech hubs post-Covid? September 3, 2020 Is there a future for tech hubs after Covid-19? Gavin Poole, chief executive of Here East, says YES. For centuries, the success of London’s business landscape has been steeped in the clusters of industry across the city. Companies and entrepreneurs exist side by side, driven by a shared mission and passion, and an exchange of [...]
DEBATE: Should we be worried about a tech bubble? September 2, 2020 Should we be worried about a tech bubble, particularly in emerging markets? Tatjana Puhan, managing director and deputy chief investment officer at TOBAM, says YES. Over recent years, we see a clear trend of investors becoming exposed to higher concentration risk in specific sectors like technology. Having represented already a considerable risk exposure in major [...]
Tech brands must embrace ethics to build trust with customers August 28, 2020 Have you ever read the entire terms and conditions from an online brand before clicking acceptance? My guess is the answer is no. But why do normal people abjectly hand over their most personal data, and their families and business relations to a business to profit from? The answer is trust. We trust these firms [...]
EU banks take on Visa and Mastercard with ‘truly European’ payments system July 2, 2020 Some 16 banks from across the EU have said that they expect to have a “truly European” payments system up and running in 2022, to help digitise a region in which half of all retail payments are made in cash. European Union policymakers and central bankers have long sought to develop a home grown rival [...]
EXCLUSIVE: Dan Simerman talks Covid-19, Digital Assets and IOTA June 9, 2020 | City Talk Dan Simerman is an investor and technical product manager well versed in consumer psychology, digital assets and open source software development. Dan has a history of building software for Fortune 50 financial institutions, multinational media companies and strategic consulting firms. As Head of Financial Relations at the IOTA Foundation, Dan’s goal is to support technology [...]
Coronavirus: Monzo boss won’t take salary for year as staff offered furlough March 31, 2020 The chief executive of Monzo will not take a salary for a year as the digital challenger bank introduces pay cuts for executives and offers staff voluntary furlough amid the coronavirus crisis. In an internal memo, Tom Blomfield told Monzo’s 1,500 employees he would forgo a salary for the next 12 months, with the lender’s [...]
Revolut finance chief steps down after five months March 16, 2020 David MacLean is stepping down as chief financial officer of Revolut after just five months in the role. Morning Wire understands that MacLean is leaving the company, which recently tied with Klarna as Europe’s most valuable fintech startup, for personal reasons. Revolut has appointed an interim chief financial officer, but has not yet appointed MacLean’s [...]