General News

March 2, 2024 @ 4:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Juniper Square, the provider of partnership enablement to the private funds industry, announced that Brandon Sedloff has been promoted to Chief Real Estate Officer. In this role, Sedloff will oversee “the continued growth of Juniper Square’s real estate vertical as the firm continues to expand… Read More

March 1, 2024 @ 1:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

Research conducted by the British Business Bank reports that bank lending dropped in 2023, delivering an amount similar to 2016. At the same time, equity capital in smaller firms cratered to levels near those in 2020. When looking more closely at private equity financing, 2023… Read More

March 1, 2024 @ 9:11 am By JD Alois  |  

  Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA) has published a new report that investigates trends in online capital formation under Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding). CCA was co-founded by the creators of the JOBS Act – the legislation that legalized investment crowdfunding. While the bill was signed into… Read More

March 1, 2024 @ 8:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is set to launch Qatar’s “first” venture capital (VC) Fund of Funds, a strategic investment program to foster innovation in Qatar. The Fund of Funds program will “invest more than USD 1 billion in international and regional venture capital funds.” The… Read More

February 29, 2024 @ 8:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The British Business Bank is launching its £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, unlocking additional funding to help smaller businesses in the Midlands prosper and thrive. The fund will drive sustainable economic growth “by supporting new and growing businesses across the whole of the… Read More

February 28, 2024 @ 4:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Recent PitchBook data shows that the journey from a first to a sophomore fund has never been so challenging. Historically, when we examine the period from 2006 to 2018, 63% of first-time managers had been able to secure a second fund, however, the present environment… Read More

February 27, 2024 @ 1:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

Private securities marketplace EquityZen has issued a report that notes 28% of unicorns are now trading at less than $1 billion. These former unicorns have been impacted by the overall decline in markets as well as a stumbling economy, which has impacted valuations and access… Read More

February 27, 2024 @ 11:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The rise of fraud in the United States continues apace, costing a huge $159 billion in one year alone, according to new research released today by Feedzai in partnership with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA). The 2023 State of Scams report shows “that nearly a… Read More

February 27, 2024 @ 8:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The partnership between SaveLend Group and NordIX began in June 2022, focusing on consumer credits distributed within Sweden. Initially, NordIX invested about MSEK 50, and this amount “has more than doubled since the partnership began.” Now, the collaboration is set “to grow further, extending to… Read More

February 27, 2024 @ 12:01 am By JD Alois  |  

Palatine Growth Credit Fund has reached its first close of £75 million. The Fund will lend to high-growth UK companies in the Fintech sector as well as cyber, SaaS, Medtech/Healthtech, AI, and more. British Business Investments, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank,… Read More

February 26, 2024 @ 11:43 am By JD Alois  |  

The CfPA (Crowdfunding Professional Association ) Board of Directors has distributed a note on the adoption of its recommendations regarding best practices. According to the CfPA, the Board is now recommending that members use the term “Regulated Investment Crowdfunding.” President of CfPA Brian Christie issued… Read More

February 25, 2024 @ 11:19 pm By Michael Wong  |  

FinTech Wales, an independent membership association of the fintech and financial services industry in Wales, has announced the appointment of Sarah Kocianski as its new Chief Executive Officer. Kocianski, a seasoned strategist in the Fintech and Insurtech sectors, brings over a decade of experience working… Read More

February 25, 2024 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Zumo, the B2B digital assets infrastructure that prioritizes sustainability, has announced the appointment of Jason Tucker-Feltham as the company’s new Head of Sales. Tucker-Feltham is said to be “an experienced crypto sales, business development and capital introduction professional.” Prior to joining Zumo, he had reportedly… Read More

February 25, 2024 @ 7:24 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bluevine, the one-stop digital banking platform specifically designed for small businesses, today released its inaugural Business Owner Success Survey (BOSS) Report, “benchmarking the data behind the actual decisions that US-based small business owners are making and informing their future decisions.” The data supports an “overarching… Read More

February 25, 2024 @ 5:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Silent Eight, a Regtech firm specialising in partnering with major financial institutions to drive efficiency, increased accuracy and adaptability within their financial crime programs, announced the expansion of its relationship with HSBC to “implement Automated Alert Closure for Transactions automates investigation and resolution of alerts… Read More

February 25, 2024 @ 3:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

spektr is officially exiting stealth mode and ready to turn ongoing due diligence into a revenue-generating asset for compliance. spektr says that their journey is being “supported by a €5 million seed round led by Northzone, Seedcamp, and PreSeed Ventures, enabling them to introduce advanced… Read More

February 24, 2024 @ 2:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Varun Surapaneni from Neuberger Berman notes that the percentage of past-due loans “to riskier consumers has begun to flatten, while newly issued paper is carrying higher interest rates.” In an update titled, A Turning Point in Sub-Prime Credit, Varun writes that “after a challenging period… Read More

February 23, 2024 @ 9:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

SIX is driving forward the increased inclusion of SMEs in financial markets. With their partnership, SIX and Greenomy are recognizing the pivotal role that SMEs can play in the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy. SIX’ new SME Sustainability Assessment Solution draws “on Greenomy’s… Read More

February 22, 2024 @ 3:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As high-profile biometric breaches and violations make headlines, consumer comfort levels in sharing biometrics have declined significantly. According to GetApp’s 2024 Biometric Technologies Survey of 1,000 consumers, the number of individuals who highly trust tech companies to safeguard biometric data has absolutely “plummeted, falling from… Read More

February 22, 2024 @ 4:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Bob Wigley, the Chairman of UK Finance, has joined the Board of Directors of R3. UK Finance is a group that advocates on behalf of the UK financial services industry, representing over 300 individual firms. The group aims to drive innovation and help to shape… Read More