ING invests in FinCompare, Funding Options in bid to expand presence in SME finance
ING bank‘s venture capital arm ING Ventures has pumped 10m EUR worth of Series A funding into FinCompare, a German comparison platform for SME financing options. With its investment in FinCompare, ING expects to fortify its presence in the German SME industry, of which it deems to be the most attractive in Europe. FinCompare plans […]
Online lending boosts US small businesses, adds $40 billion to economy
The report titled, “The Economic Benefits of Online Lending to Small Businesses and the U.S. Economy”, was published by NDP Analytics, an economic research firm, and covered 2015-2017. It also found that nearly 360,000 jobs were created during the period by online lenders. The report reinforced the importance of small business for the economic well-being […]
Kenya’s Central Bank & Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority to introduce regulation on fintech lending
In response to a boom in predatory lending practices, Kenya’s Central Bank and Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) have proposed to introduce new regulations to rein in unscrupulous P2P lenders from preying on the unbanked and underbanked population. The Kenyan Central Bank and Finance Ministry have jointly issued a draft bill for public review and […]
Alternative finance: essentials
As the financial services industry is continuously being transformed, alternative finance offers new opportunities for those who are in need of capital. This article provides an overview of the alternative finance landscape with succinct descriptions of different alternative finance models. What is alternative finance? Broadly speaking, alternative finance can be identified as financing obtained from […]
Member Spotlight: Ugoo
At present, “the financial sector is a good example of an industry where IT is really taking over,” says Timo de Man, a consultant at Ugoo, “which is good for business.” Ugoo is a young Dutch organisation that helps companies, particularly those in IT and tech innovation, find the right subsidies at European, Netherlands, and […]
Expert Insights: The European Commission launches new crowdfunding regulation
Anne Hakvoort is a Dutch law attorney and partner with the boutique law firm FG Lawyers specialising in Dutch financial, regulatory and securities laws with a special focus on Fintech and alternative financing structures, including blockchain applications, ICOs, cryptofunds, crowdlending, crowdinvesting, peer 2 peer lending, credit unions and debt sales. Her areas of expertise include equity and debt […]
6 trends in alternative finance
At the very intersection of digitalization and globalization, the finance industry is constantly innovating; looking for ways to transcend borders and red tape as we speak to stay relevant. Consumers and businesses alike are searching for financing solutions outside of the remit of traditional banks and investors: with emphasis on processing speed, approval leniency and […]
Member Spotlight: Deloitte – Ecosystem and Corporate Venturing Advisory
Deloitte is an established name in today’s world of consulting. It is one of the big four accounting organizations, with an enormous professional services network, as measured by revenue and number of professionals. The corporate’s offered services are divided into six main categories, namely audit, tax, consulting, legal, risk management and financial advisory. With the […]
Event Recap: PR Your Start-up
Last Wednesday, equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs and Het Financieele Dagblad’s “PR Your Startup” event brought together start-ups and entrepreneurs looking to create more buzz around their brands through engaging press. Around 40 people were in attendance for this first PR event for Seedrs, which included a talk from veteran Financieele Dagblad journalist Job Woudt. The […]
The Funding Puzzle
It’s a rags to riches tale. Innovators dream of their solution being adopted market wide, from the humble beginnings of another fintech start-up. Success these days inevitably requires money. SMEs and fintech innovators need funding to get their ideas off the ground. With member De Breed & Partners, we have designed ‘The Funding Puzzle.’ It […]