The UK fintech sector has shaken off the worries of Brexit to take in the second highest amount of capital from VC’s in 2017; they have overtaken China and only trail the US in terms of VC funding; according to data from Innovate Finance UK fintech investment was up 153 percent in 2017 from the year earlier; 24 per cent went into challenger banks, 21 percent into money transfer and foreign exchange, 17 percent into alternative lending and financing and 11 percent into personal finance/wealth management; VC investment globally reached $14.4bn across 1,824 deals, representing an 18 per cent decrease from 2016. Source.
Online lender 4finance has reported its earnings for 2016 with an increase in revenue and net income; revenue increased 24% in 2016 to 393.2 million euros ($413.35 million); it reported another year of net profit with net income increasing to 63.2 million euros ($66.4 million), up from 58.2 million euros ($61.2 million) in 2015; in 2016 the company's net loan portfolio was 493.9 million euros ($519.21 million) and the average interest rate on its loans was 120%. Source
Earlier this month, the European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation (ECSPR) went into effect across the entire European Union. A dramatic step forward in removing internal borders in regards to capital formation, and part of the overall Fintech Action plan, the regulation allows firms in need
The bank has seen behavior in the unsecured personal loan market getting out of control; lenders are trying to battle each other to offer cheaper loans in an uncertain time; Paul Lynam, chief executive of Secure Trust, said, "The competition becomes excessive; lenders tend to continue to fight for market share, which means lower pricing."; this is not the first time Secure Trust has pulled back on unsecured consumer loans; in 2006 they ceased originations only to come back in 2009. Source
There was a recent technology debate held at the Connaught Hotel hosted by Mortgage Solutions and Capita Mortgage Software Solutions that focused on some of the newer technology coming to the mortgage market; a key piece of the conversation focused on the use of APIs which would help to connect brokers and lenders and cut down on repetitive work; according to Mortgage Solutions, the individuals at the event thought that some lenders might be close to rolling out an API but large scale adoption was still potentially years away; other technology discussed included chatbots, artificial intelligence to help read through bank statements and how the open banking initiative will affect the industry. Source
VC fund,Kindred, has a community driven approach.Their "equitable venture" model and focus on founders is about to hit the fintech sector.
Privacy is a running concern with potential users of a retail CBDC. BIS have announced the launch of a project to resolve them.
Two new working groups were created yesterday, Innovate Finance and City of London Corporation created Fintech Strategy Group and a consortium of fintech companies in Italy creating ItaliaFintech; the groups are meant to help fintech companies collaborate with traditional financial firms and work alongside regulators who want a better understanding of new business models; the working groups come after the European Commission laid out their Fintech Action Plan last week. Source.
London-based FOL Wealth has launched a new robo advisor service for its wealth management clients; the solution offers clients automated service at an annual fee of 0.90% with a minimum investment of 1,000 British pounds ($1,216); it is intended to serve as a hybrid solution complementing the human advice of the firm's wealth advisors. Source
UK marketplace lender Landbay has been granted full authorization by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA); the platform primarily lends to borrowers seeking rental property mortgage loans; with the FCA authorization the Landbay platform can now seek to offer innovative finance individual savings accounts to its investors. Source