Kimberley Waldron (Fintech PR)

Struggling to find the right banking or e-money provider for your new venture in the UK? #TeamOrrick is here to simplify your search! We've gathered key information about services offered to startups by the main UK providers. Access our dashboard here: https://lnkd.in/eQggcaCM. Explore more helpful resources for tech startups at the Orrick Tech Studio: https://lnkd.in/gcidEtF4 #startup #banking #fintech #emoney | Dan Jones

13

1 Comment

As part of Manchester City Council's strategy around investment in Digital and Technology, I'm working with Manchester Digital to get input from founders, investors and accelerators in Greater Manchester (or those supporting businesses in Great Manchester). This piece of work is intended to document where each of the major pieces within the eco-system sit, identify any gaps and make recommendations to public sector stakeholders as to how they can support Manchester in its ambition to becoming a major force for UK startups. Your views are key to getting this right, so we would highly appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete the short Founder survey whether you have received investment or not, and ensure we get the best outcomes for the tech startup scene. 🔥 Founders - https://lnkd.in/ewGHbxPM 💰 Investors - https://lnkd.in/e7yadFH8 🚀 Accelerators - https://lnkd.in/eTpGUsKf

30

1 Comment

I couldn’t be prouder to be a Venture Partner at Isomer Capital (aka the best European FoF - at least for me) as we just announced the launch of our pioneering £100m secondaries fund. This fund is dedicated to acquiring stakes from LPs in various VC funds, tapping into a massive and largely unexplored market. 🌟 Key Highlights: - Focused Investment: Primarily targeting stakes in VC funds, with selective investments in private companies. - Robust Funding: Already over 20% funded, thanks to strong support from Nordic family offices and a German foundation. - Market Potential: With a growing number of private tech companies and a VC liquidity crunch, Europe's VC secondaries market is poised for rapid growth. - Track Record: This isn’t Isomer’s first foray into the secondaries market. As a firm we’ve done several secondaries deals with portfolio companies and VC firms, including early-stage VC Seedcamp (in 2021) and mobility giant Bolt (in 2023). - Expert Team: Welcoming the amazing Omolade (Rachel) A., formerly of Coller Capital, as a principal to lead this initiative. 💡 Investment Strategy: - 65-75% of the fund will buy "LP interest" stakes in VC funds. - 15-25% will be directed towards stakes in companies. - Up to 15% reserved for flexible investment opportunities. 📈 Looking Ahead: We're targeting returns of 2-3x, with significant distributions expected in the next 4-7 years. As one of the few players in this space, we're not just participating in the market—we're driving it forward. Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/dc7sbC3G #VentureCapital #SecondariesFund #EuropeanVC

23

1 Comment

👀 How do we enable more FinTech firms to successfully scale up in the UK? Whitecap Consulting, Innovate Finance and Streets Consulting have joined forces, utilising their collective expertise deeply embedded in the UK's FinTech ecosystem to answer this question and more, as part of their freshly published 'Scaling UK Regional FinTech' research report. Launched at #IFGS last week, the new, unique study, born provides valuable insights into accelerating the growth of regional scale-ups based outside of London and the South East. The report is an analysis of 250 FinTech start-ups, all with their primary base outside of London. The research was also supplemented by insights from interviews with entrepreneurs behind 10 of these firms, drawn from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Did you know? ⭐️ Firms with female founders achieved over 30% more turnover growth than those with male only founders? Yet only 16% of firms had a female founder! ⭐️ The more founders a business has, the higher their revenue growth rate. ⭐️ 9 out of 10 firms that attended an accelerator went on to raise funding. ⭐️ Raising investment correlates to higher employee and revenue growth, but revenue grows at a proportionally lower rate. ⭐️ 87% of FinTechs analysed have a B2B element to their go to market strategy, compared to 30% B2C (16% have both). The Scaling UK Regional FinTech Report also provides informed recommendations that could help create more FinTech scale-ups across the UK. To read the report in full, click the link below: https://lnkd.in/eyQKte_t #FinTechNorth #FinTech #ScalingFinTech #WhitecapConsulting #InnovateFinance #StreetsConsulting Joe Roche Ryan Walsh Rachel England Julian Wells Peter Cunnane Roberto Napolitano, MBA Julia Streets Kevin Telford Kevin Mountford Richard Carter Chelsea Boothroyd Daniel Rajkumar Josh Dracup Chloe Thompson Richard Coates Maria Harris Stefan Haase Lal Tawney Purnarka Dutta Queralt Smith Vila

32

3 Comments

We’re delighted that our Founder & CEO, Chris Gregg 🚀, had a voice in Whitecap Consulting's new report on “Scaling UK Regional FinTech’s”. Some very interesting results from the research conducted and great insights from leaders of scaling UK FinTech businesses. Read the report here 👉 https://bit.ly/3vQwndB #FinTech #ScalingBusiness #FinancialTechnology

15

🚀 Exciting News from Cashflows! We've officially disbursed over £1M in Merchant Cash Advances to businesses across the UK with our funding partner, Recap! 🇬🇧💷 This milestone is more than just a number – it's a testament to our commitment to supporting SMEs in their growth journeys. Here's how our cash advances have made a difference: ✅ **Quick Access to Capital**: Businesses have leveraged our streamlined process to get funds fast, fuelling immediate growth opportunities without the wait. ✅ **Flexible Repayments**: With repayments tied to sales, our clients enjoy the flexibility to pay more when sales are high and less during slower periods. ✅ **Boost in Cash Flow**: Our advances have helped bridge cash flow gaps, allowing businesses to maintain operations and invest in inventory or marketing without disruption. ✅ **No Collateral Required**: Unlike traditional loans, our merchant cash advances don't require personal collateral, putting business owners at ease. We're proud to be part of the success stories of numerous entrepreneurs and look forward to empowering even more businesses. Here's to the next £1M! 🎉 #MerchantCashAdvance #BusinessGrowth #SMEs #Funding #cashflows

70

Why should you listen to an accountant talk about funding for early-stage start-ups? You shouldn't... But what you SHOULD do is come listen to me put questions to early-stage investors Nic Lenz (angel investor and fundraising master) and Ben Davies at Praetura Ventures (you know, THAT Praetura that invests into early-stage start-ups). I'll be using my background, having raised £0.5bn plus for start-ups, to put what I think are interesting questions to these giants in the start-up scene. Then we're going to let you ask them whatever you want as well! So sign up to the webinar and if you're start up looking to raise funds see what you can learn that's practical support for your campaign. https://lnkd.in/eGb8qAAs

1

Monzo Bank has reported its first annual profit since launching nearly a decade ago. The London-based fintech has benefited from higher interest rates and growth in transaction fees and subscriptions 👏 Monzo CEO, TS Anil, commented on the news on his LinkedIn: “I’ve never believed in the idea that a company has to choose between either being mission-oriented, or focused on business outcomes. FY2024 proved Monzo is doing both – and that our strategy of placing the customer at the heart of everything we do is working at scale..." 👇 Read more below 👇 #StartupsMagazine #Startups #Entrepreneur #Monzo

8

Next week, we’re launching an SME Manifesto. Developed in collaboration with leading industry experts, it will present a comprehensive strategy for the next government to transform the UK's lending environment, which will back British SMEs to innovate, grow & thrive. Let’s explore the issues and our solutions 👇 SMEs are the lifeblood of the British economy, driving job creation, innovation, and communities. They employ almost 17 million people and contribute £2.4 trillion to the national turnover, the most in the private sector. Yet, they face considerable barriers in accessing finance and fair dispute resolution, which is stifling UK economic growth.  One problem SMEs face in accessing finance is lack of awareness about the financing options available to them. Many aren't even sure where to look. Even when options are known, they can fall short because traditional lenders don't meet the needs of all SMEs, leaving many without funding. Additionally, despite high-profile banking scandals like IRHP mis-selling & fraud at RBS and Lloyds, business lending remains largely unregulated, leaving SMEs vulnerable to misconduct and malpractice. The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is accessible only to smaller SMEs, excluding larger ones and those with complex cases, forcing many to navigate expensive and risky court procedures.  Our SME Manifesto will offer practical solutions to these issues, proposing; 🏢 Better lender matching and more accessible financing information. Alternative lenders like Community Development Finance Initiatives, regional mutual banks, and credit unions should be encouraged to fill the gap left by traditional lenders. ⚖️The creation of a Financial Services Tribunal (FST), similar to Employment Tribunals, to provide a single forum for accessible and expert dispute resolution. This would address the power imbalance between small businesses and large financial institutions, ensuring fair treatment and deterring future scandals.     To sustain and accelerate growth, we must ensure SMEs have consistent access to the right financing options and are confident they will have proper support if things go wrong with lenders. Our SME Manifesto will offer a roadmap to achieve a robust, regionally balanced economy that fosters innovation, supports small businesses, and creates jobs. 📢To get this in your inbox when it’s released & to receive quarterly updates on our other work, subscribe to our mailing list here👉   https://lnkd.in/eD7FdEEf 

30

1 Comment

🌍 Upcoming fund close – SEIS 🌍 Following the launch of our SEIS fund we are now counting down to the first close of the fund on the 9th August. The SEIS fund will invest in early-stage startups across the UK that are accelerating the transition to net zero and a green economy.    The SEIS fund will build on the progress of OnePlanetCapital’s EIS fund which was launched in 2021 and has grown to £10m of assets under management with 31 investments made.  For further information visit our website - https://lnkd.in/eqdcwBMf Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high‑risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Investment in the OnePlanetCapital Climate Change SEIS is restricted to Professional Clients, High Net-Worth Investors and Self-Certified Sophisticated Investors. Always take time when considering your investment decisions. Financial advice is recommended.

15

🇬🇧 Join us today at 2pm for our webinar: "Funding Fit: Early Stage Investment Advice for UK Startups". Gain expert insights from Ben Davies, Nic Lenz, and Elliott Gaspar as they dive into key topics including being 'investment ready,' key attributes investors look for in your startup, funding avenues, SEIS/EIS, valuations, and more! Grab your free spot 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02C0w-70 #startupfunding #investmentadvice

1

📣 New role alert: Exciting Fintech start-up who have created an AI driven investment app for UK retail investors seeks investing Non Exec Directors . . . Our client, Buildshare, has created an investment app (Fin Tech) that allows UK retail investors to pool money to make asset-backed development loans to SME property developers for a fixed return (8%+). This clever solution goes a long way to addressing the housing crisis by enabling SME property developers to build more, at a more competitive cost, without the massive headache of sourcing funding. Unlike their competitors, this is a technology-first company bringing cutting edge applications of AI to residential construction. Find out more and apply here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gBscJ4Zg #nonexerole #startup #investingned

1

2 Comments

🤔 Did you know that a staggering 62% of businesses in the UK struggle to secure funding through mainstream banks? Additionally, 45% of UK business owners state funding would open doors for growth and improvement 🔥 If you find yourself among the 45% seeking to unlock your business's full potential, FFP is here to help propel your business towards success and growth 🚀

3

Lemon Raises £500K in Pre Seed Funding Round to Enable SMBs to Save Thousands on SaaS Spending Today, Manchester-based fintech, Lemon, is announcing it has successfully raised its pre-seed funding round, securing £500K to support the business through the next stage of development. Led by SFC Capital, the UKs most active early stage VC, and Pitchdrive, a European fund specialising in pre-seed and seed investment, this backing offers more than monetary value, as the investor team brings a wealth of expertise and guidance for Lemon from the beginning of its growth journey. In addition to the leading VC investment, Lemon has also received angel investment from ex Partner of Debt Advisory at KPMG, Nick Dodd, and Kimberley Waldron, Co-Founder of fintech communications agency, SkyParlour Started, who both join the Lemon advisory board. At its core, Lemon is a platform that allows SMBs to discover, finance, and control their SaaS. According to research from Lemon, SMBs can spend upwards of £30,000 on SaaS software each year, however some businesses are completely unaware that their SaaS expenditure is so high. Using Lemon, SMBs can manage their subscriptions in one place to establish overspend, gain clarity of company-wide SaaS usage, and streamline business costs, reducing average spend by 20%. Many SMBs rely on software subscriptions to increase efficiencies within their business, through HR, marketing, and accounting programs. Through the Lemon subscription management tool, SMBs are able to save thousands on these software subscription expenses, with zero additional work. Following the successful raise, Lemon will now hone in on product development, assisted by the appointment of new Chief Technical Officer, Matt Parke, and soon a new Content & Community manager. During this development stage, the focus will be continuing to work with its early customers to tailor the product directly for the most pressing needs, optimising tools, and focussing on moving towards early product/market fit, continually working to reduce SaaS spend for SMBs. Furthermore, Lemon will eventually increase its product functionality to include cost saving instant credit options for SMBs, both from the Lemon dashboard and at the software vendor’s checkout allowing them to capitalise on discounted annual software subscriptions offered by vendors, whilst being able to retain the comfort of monthly payments. Co-Founder and CEO of Lemon Matt Bird commented: “It’s clear that we’re going through a really interesting period for SMBs at the moment,. Taking into consideration the challenging economic landscape with funding drying up everywhere you turn, SMBs now need the tools and services to help them build better businesses as cost-efficiently as possible. With software being the third largest spend for an SMB, we really think Lemon can become a core part of how an SMB uses SaaS. Source Fintech Finance News #fintech #payments #saas

28

Exciting News from Gravity! Business-to-business (B2B) banking tech startup Gravity has raised $1 million in a funding round led by early-stage venture fund Kettleborough VC. The funds will enhance our engineering capabilities to build and launch the next version of our product, delivering top-tier banking tech solutions. Founded in March 2024 by Satish Krishnaswamy and Rohit Maroo, Gravity enables interoperability among various banking software systems, allowing banks to develop customized and contextual products tailored to customer needs. “Whilst we are engaging with banks on version 1.0, we will have to start product engineering efforts for version 2.0. As a banking tech company, we need to be at least 2 to 3 years ahead of what the industry will demand,” said Krishnaswamy. Currently, Gravity has engaged with 18 commercial banks in India, completed proof of concept (POCs) with five, and is in the procurement stage with a couple more. The goal is to onboard 4-5 Indian banks this year before considering international expansion. Our focus will be on the UAE initially, with Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines as other target areas. In Europe, the UK will be our primary focus. Gravity aims to achieve an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $2 million by the end of this year. Nisarg Shah, founder and managing partner at Kettleborough VC, commented, “Gravity falls exactly in our investment strategy of backing domain specialists. We are confident in its potential to become a category-creator, solving the challenge of siloed banking systems and revolutionizing the banking industry.” #Gravity #Fintech #BankingTech #Funding #Startup #Innovation #KettleboroughVC #BankingSolutions #TechRevolution #Interoperability #B2B #Investment #Growth

6

Great to see SWIG Finance's latest impact report. In the last year, SWIG Finance lent £14m in over 500 loans to new and growing SMEs across the South and West Country, generating more than £71.5m in social impact. The report shares key impact data, insights into the SWIG team, and stories from some of their inspirational customers. ✅ 21% of lending goes into deprived areas ✅ 43% to women-led businesses ✅ 12% to ethnic minority-led businesses Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/e9xgG_9U #CDFIs #ResponsibleFinance #SocialImpact

6

1 Comment

13books Capital Closes New £121 Million Fund to Invest in the Founders Building Tomorrow’s Fintech Businesses Michael McFadgen, Partner at 13books Capital, stated, “It is clear that European fintech entrepreneurs desire a sector-focused, founder-focused venture platform that has meaningfully impactful networks across the industry. We believe European fintech is entering a golden period, and we thank our LPs and founders for their trust and look forward to supporting the next generation of pioneering fintech entrepreneurs.” https://lnkd.in/d8CZSi58 #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

14

What an inspiring strategy session for ACT . Great to see the model of venture philanthropy, using a tech first approach for creating societal impact, grow and take shape. We have 44 founders and a growing community of impact at scale. All of this driven by the belief that we can all be #cofoundersofsocialchange. That technology can be a massive force for good, creating asymmetrical, disproportionate impact. Mohit Bhatnagar Prashanth Prakash Shekhar Kirani Mekin Maheshwari Sandeep Singhal Aakanksha Gulati Alankrita Khera, Loney Antony Anjali Bansal Ravishankar G V Abhiraj Singh Bhal and many more…

217

3 Comments