The founder of Metro Bank, a UK challenger bank, says app-only banks are "all hype" and sees them more as a provider of solutions and not banking; Vernon Hill told Business Insider in an interview that Metro Bank has been around for six years, has a market cap of $3.2 billion but only started to become profitable now; he went on to say: "No mobile-only bank can deliver anything I can't deliver in the next minute and a half. What they're offering you is a tool, not a solution. The customer wants the best of every channel and my job is to deliver them the best of every channel." Source
Factor 21 has done a management buyout with funding from Mobeus; the private equity firm provided a 9 million british pound funding line for the buyout; Jonathan Gregory of Mobeus will join Factor 21 as investor director; Factor 21 has been in business for over 15 years and has provided invoice funding of over 2 billion british pounds; the management buyout funding will help the firm grow business at its two regional offices. Source
The business lending P2P platform will offer innovative finance individual savings accounts (IFISA) with three year fixed rate terms on A+ rated secured residential property loans targeting returns of 7%; the IFISA announcement follows the firm's February authorization from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority; the firm will offer the eighth UK IFISA and according to HMRC 30 firms have now received authorization for IFISAs. Source
Monzo has received a full banking license from the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority; the licensing follows new fundraising that meets the banking capital requirements; it now plans to launch a current account and a current account overdraft product. Source
UK digital bank Monzo is nearing completion of a new funding round that will add 20 to 30 million British pounds in capital for the firm; the investment round is being led by Thrive Capital; sources also report that the firm is planning an equity crowdfunding campaign later in the year; Monzo is led by CEO Tom Blomfield and the firm was granted a UK banking license in August 2016; it currently has 100,000 users with activity driven by pre-paid Mastercards and mobile applications; the firm recently declined an acquisition offer from an incumbent bank and says it still has a lot it plans to accomplish. Source
The UK's Metro Bank has enhanced its digital banking platform and launched new services; the new services include advanced technologies across nearly all aspects of the online user experience; the enhancements follow increased competition by digital-only banks including Starling, Atom, Tandem, Loot and Monzo; Metro Bank opened in 2010 and is also an investor in consumer loans through marketplace lender, Zopa. Source
UK-based personal finance management app Money Dashboard raises $1.7 million in an equity crowdfunding round; the company used crowdfunding platform Crowdcube and the 1,708 investors together acquired a 9.55% equity stake; they use bank statements to organize spending data, give insight on budgeting and help to build a financial forecast. Source
MoneyThing has announced its authorization from the UK Financial Conduct Authority; says it will no longer be pre-funding loans and revising its terms for new lenders; plans to seek HMRC approval for innovative finance individual savings accounts. Source
Monzo's CEO talks about the digital bank's growing business in an interview with TechCrunch; the firm was recently granted a UK banking license with some restrictions; the digital bank has 100,000 users with activity driven by pre-paid Mastercards and mobile applications; Tom Blomfield gives his perspective on the fintech banking market and new PSD2 regulations; Blomfield also confirmed Monzo has already turned down an acquisition offer from a major bank. Source
UK robo advisor Moola has hired Simon Moore, former chief investment officer of BlackRock's FutureAdvisor; Moola offers BlackRock's products to its clients for a minimum investment of £200 ($249.68); Moore will help the firm expand its investment capabilities and meet the evolving needs of the platform's customers. Source