Opinion

July 10, 2020 @ 12:00 pm By Peter Azu  |  

Almost every startup company will need some sort of external funding source to get going, but navigating the UK funding world can be quite difficult. Not only are there a lot of options that can seem almost identical, but there are many requirements and rules… Read More

July 10, 2020 @ 8:53 am By JD Alois  |  

Coinbase is reportedly planning an initial public offering (IPO) at some point later this year or early next. First reported by Reuters, the news really comes as no surprise as its valuation has risen dramatically and the digital asset sector of Fintech continues to gain… Read More

July 9, 2020 @ 9:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

Nick Mathews, CEO of Mainvest – a FINRA regulated funding portal offering securities under Reg CF, believes that the highly touted and popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), launched by the US Government to backstop the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been ineffective in getting money… Read More

July 9, 2020 @ 12:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

Upgrade is a consumer online lender and emerging digital bank that recently announced a significant funding round that gave the Fintech a $1 billion valuation. Founded by Renaud Laplanche, this is the second Fintech he has founded that moved into the unicorn realm the first… Read More

July 8, 2020 @ 11:25 am By JD Alois  |  

Transferwise, a UK based global payments and transfer platform that has emerged as a leading stealth bank, will see its valuation hit $5 billion in a funding round that is said to be nearing completion. According to a report in SkyNews, Transferwise is set to… Read More

July 8, 2020 @ 9:42 am By JD Alois  |  

In a speech today entitled “Plan for Jobs” by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, he announced the elimination of the Stamp Duty at a certain threshold in a move to improve the UK housing market. The Chancellor explained: “… to catalyse the housing… Read More

July 7, 2020 @ 10:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, well-known Insurtech Lemonade (NYSE:LMND) launched an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares listed at $29 but quickly moved higher closing over $60/share – a significant move. Today, Lemonade traded at around $80 a share giving the young firm… Read More

July 6, 2020 @ 8:58 pm By JD Alois  |  

Not too long ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) concluded the comments phase of a proposal to update, and hopefully improve, rules pertaining to the exempt offering ecosystem. This includes Reg A+, Reg CF, and Reg D (506c), each a variant of online capital… Read More

July 2, 2020 @ 9:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Wirecard AG (WPI:DE)  has emerged as one of the most embarrassing financial debacles in years in Germany. The implosion of the Fintech has demolished the reputation of the former CEO Markus Braun who was subsequently arrested following the revelation of €1.9 billion in missing funds…. Read More

July 1, 2020 @ 5:38 pm By Vincent Bezemar  |  

Rewind the clock 35 years ago today and cinemas were opening for the first time to the iconic time-traveling antics of Back to the Future. Looking at Doc and Marty and knowing their contrasting personalities – one an eccentric inventor and one a streetwise kid… Read More

June 30, 2020 @ 4:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Feyyaz Alingan, the Founder of Blue Alpine Research, a Switzerland-based research firm focused on digital assets, has pointed out several “alternatives” to Bitcoin (BTC). Alingan, an electrical engineering graduate from ETH Zürich, says that Ethereum (ETH) may be considered a Bitcoin alternative. He notes that Ethereum’s… Read More

June 29, 2020 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

LendInvest is one of the most successful Fintechs in the UK. The digital marketplace for property finance has long been profitable – not a common characteristic in the early-stage sector including Fintech. It has been rumoured for some time now that LendInvest is a likely… Read More

June 26, 2020 @ 9:29 am By JD Alois  |  

Lex – an Oneline Marketplace for Real Estate Securities Real estate investment has historically been a challenging sector of opportunity for smaller investors. If you want to go it alone it takes a lot of time and knowledge to flip houses or rent flats. Of… Read More

June 26, 2020 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, it was reported that Wirecard AG (WDI:DE) had initiated bankruptcy proceedings as the company attempted to stave off a complete financial collapse created by a misplaced amount of funds totaling around €1.9 billion. Allegations of profound actions of fraud immediately followed as the former… Read More

June 25, 2020 @ 7:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Word on the street is there has been a recent increase in applications to become a FINRA regulated Funding Portal. A funding portal is a relatively new entity created under the JOBS Act of 2012. Funding portals may raise capital under Regulation Crowdfunding, commonly referenced… Read More

June 24, 2020 @ 4:45 pm By Aaron Reuben  |  

Incentivize Affordable Housing through Crowdfunding Liberalization for Community Investors In recent decades, increases in urban employment and population have outpaced residential development in U.S. cities. Nationwide, from 1974 through 2008, the number of new homes exceeded the number of new households. But since 2009, the… Read More

June 24, 2020 @ 2:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital assets continue to gain traction in the real world. While it will take some time, it is hard to ignore that more institutional money is creeping in and blockchain technology is being viewed as a viable tool to create and manage digital assets including… Read More

June 23, 2020 @ 9:25 am By JD Alois  |  

The British Business Bank has distributed data on the Future Fund indicating £236.2 million worth of convertible loans have been approved for 252 companies. Launched on May 20, 2020, the Future Fund is a government plan designed to aid entrepreneurial young firms that did not… Read More

June 20, 2020 @ 2:32 pm By Ronald Kleverlaan and Erik Stam  |  

Bernhoven Hospital was on the frontlines as the first Dutch cases of COVID-19 surfaced in the southern province of Brabant. The hospital made positive headlines due to its warm relationships with staff and local residents. This is one of the main reasons the health care… Read More

June 19, 2020 @ 5:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

SeedInvest, a leading investment crowdfunding platform operating in the US, recently published a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an agency that is in the midst of a regulatory review regarding the exempt offering ecosystm. The SEC has proposed multiple rule changes… Read More