Money Buzz! Europa

Tag: london

  • Amplifier Game Invest acquires Silent Games studio in Newcastle upon Tyne

    Amplifier Game Invest acquires Silent Games studio in Newcastle upon Tyne

    Through its wholly owned subsidiary Amplifier Game Invest, Embracer has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 percent of Silent Games Ltd.

    Silent Games is a UK based studio founded by Sally Blake and Joseph Rogers in 2018 and seated in Newcastle upon Tyne.

    Silent Game founders intend to be growing the studio from the current team of four persons into a 30 person strong studio over the coming years.

    As a result, the team plans to build a series of games in a Universe of their own making, with the first game planned for a 2023 release.

    The parties have agreed not to disclose the full transaction terms due to commercial reasons. 

    This acquisition is the first investment made by Amplifier in the British Isles, one of the strongest hubs for Game Development in the world.

  • Togetherall secures $10 million investment from FPE Capital

    Togetherall secures $10 million investment from FPE Capital

    Togetherall, has secured $10 million investment from software and services growth investor, FPE Capital LLP (FPE).  

    The investment follows Togetherall’s expansion into the North American market, with a focus on US market growth, as well as continued growth across the UK and Canada into higher education, corporate and health sectors.

    FPE will sit as the largest investor alongside social impact investor, Impact Ventures UK (IVUK), concluding the eighth investment from FPE Fund II.

    Togetherall provides a population based, clinically managed online community to support people with their mental health via 24/7 anonymous peer-to-peer support.

    Launched in 2007 it has helped over a quarter of a million members to date and nearly 90,000 individuals in the last 12 months.

  • Cra-Z-Art opens first international sales office in Europe

    Cra-Z-Art opens first international sales office in Europe

    Cra-Z-Art, an US based manufacturer of trendy toy, arts and crafts kits, puzzles and school supplies, announced today the opening of its first international sales office in Manchester, England.

    The office is headed by longtime toy industry sales executive, Oliver Williams, who was hired in July.

    Located in Manchester’s city center, Cra-Z-Art’s office will facilitate all internationally-focused sales, marketing, and administrative activities.

    The showroom will exhibit over 200 specially selected products, a mixture of trending titles, evergreen favorites, licensed and unlicensed products, STEM learning activities.

    Cra-Z-Art was founded in 2008 by Lawrence Rosen, a third-generation toy entrepreneur and veteran of the toy industry.

  • UK: Unemployment rate at highest level in four years

    UK: Unemployment rate at highest level in four years

    Unemployment rate in the UK reached its highest level in four years in Q3 2020 and layoffs reached a record high after the coronavirus pandemic significantly affected the market, BBC and Reuters reported.

    Between July and September 2020, the unemployment rate rose to 4.8% from 4.5%, and the number of those laid off reached a record 314,000, 181,000 more than in the second quarter of 2020.

    Companies increased the number of laid off employees, anticipating the end of the job support scheme, which was originally scheduled to end in December, but was extended until March 31, 2021.

    In Q3 2020, the number of unemployed rose by 243,000, the most significant advance since May 2009, when the United Kingdom was hit hard by the global financial crisis.

    Data shows a significant decrease, by 174,000, in the number of employees aged between 16 and 24, at a record low of 3.52 million.

  • New cars sales in the UK, at the lowest level since 2011 in October

    New cars sales in the UK, at the lowest level since 2011 in October

    New cars sales in the UK fell by 1.61% in October to 140.945 units, the lowest level since 2011 in October as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).

    The best-selling models in October are Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Puma.

    Demand for electric vehicles increased by 195.2% in October, while supplies of diesel and petrol vehicles fell by 38.4% and 21.3%, respectively.

    New cars sales in the United Kingdom fell by 31% in the first ten months of 2020 to 1.38 million units.

    Demand for electric vehicles increased by 168.7%, while deliveries of diesel and petrol vehicles fell by 55.1% and 38.9%, respectively.

    In the top of the best-selling models in January-October 2020 are Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

  • Streetbees closed a $40 million Series B round

    Streetbees closed a $40 million Series B round

    Streetbees closed a $40 million Series B round to accelerate the development of the world’s first human intelligence platform.

    This round was led by Lakestar with participation from LocalGlobe, Atomico, GMG Ventures and Octopus.

    Streetbees has its own community of 3.5 million consumers.

    80% of human decisions are made offline, and just as Google indexed the online world, Streetbees makes the offline world visible and searchable by indexing its proprietary dataset of millions of offline moments.

    Advances in data science and the proliferation of smart devices allowing consumers to share their brand experience in real time has seen 8 of the world’s 10 largest consumer goods companies – including PepsiCo, Unilever and Procter and Gamble – rely on Streetbees to provide intelligence.

  • Tridius Technologies opened a new location in London

    Tridius Technologies opened a new location in London

    Tridius Technologies, a United States-based technology consulting firm, announces a new location opened in London, located at 7 Pilgrim St.

    Many of Tridius’s clients are based in Texas but have a global presence within Europe, Asia, and South America. 

    ”While many of our clients are headquartered in Texas, their geographic presence spans the globe,” said Matthew Ramsey, president and CEO of Tridius. ”For this reason, we’re expanding to reach the United Kingdom and support our clients’ business needs in Europe.”

    Tridius Technologies is an information technology consulting firm that blends strategic planning with technology innovation to help mid-market businesses make the digital transformation shift from traditional models to the new economy, driven by innovative technology. 

  • Paris Charles de Gaulle is the busiest airport in Europe

    Paris Charles de Gaulle is the busiest airport in Europe

    In the busiest airports in Europe rankings, London Heathrow lost for the first time the first place, being overtaken by Paris Charles de Gaulle, BBC and Reuters reported.

    In the first nine months of 2020, about 19 million passengers passed through Heathrow Airport, compared to 19.3 million registered at the airport in the French capital.

    Amsterdam (Schiphol) and Frankfurt airports are close, in third and fourth places.

    Heathrow Airport, which has already laid off 500 employees, reported £ 1.5 billion ($ 1.95 billion) losses in the first nine months of 2020.

    The company also worsened its estimates of passenger numbers in 2021 to 22.6 million – less than a quarter of the 2019 level.

  • PayPoint sells its Romanian operations for 47 million pounds

    PayPoint sells its Romanian operations for 47 million pounds

    The UK cash and online payment operator PayPoint PLC announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement on the sale of operations in Romania to Innova Capital for 47 million pounds in cash.

    The company explained that the sale is in line with PayPoint’s emphasis on its strategic priorities and will generate growth and value in the UK main markets.

    In the financial year ended March 31, 2020, PayPoint Romania generated revenues of £ 69.7 million, an operating profit of £ 7.3 million and a pre-tax profit of £ 6.8 million pounds.

    Also, PayPoint Romania’s gross assets stood at £ 48.5 million as of March 31, 2020.

  • Chinese real estate investors are no longer dominating the central London market

    Chinese real estate investors are no longer dominating the central London market

    Buyers from France made the largest international purchases in the central London real estate market in the first nine months of 2020, accounting for 11% of all transactions involving foreign buyers.

    It is a major change after the Chinese buyers dominance, who accounted for 8.3% of foreign purchases between January and September 2020, compared to a share of 15% in the first nine months of 2019, according to real estate company Knight Frank.

    French buyers were followed by buyers from Hong Kong and the US, who were tied for second, each making up 9.2% of all home sales to foreigners in central London.

    The share of British buyers who made purchases in the real estate market in central London rose to about 59%, compared to 47% between January and September 2019.

    Last month, real estate sales in the UK reached a record high, amid a continuing boom in the real estate market.

  • Tide and GoCardless to launch an invoice payment service

    Tide and GoCardless to launch an invoice payment service

    Tide announced a partnership with GoCardless to launch a service that will allow Tide members to collect invoice payments by Direct Debit.

    This service gives small business owners control over when they are paid, helping them to get paid faster, as well as cutting the stress and wasted time out of chasing payments.

    On average, businesses get paid 47% faster with GoCardless according to IDC’s ”The business value of taking recurring payments with GoCardless”.

    Tide members will be able to schedule the collection of payments from their customers when the invoice is due and track the progress of these payments with  low, per-transaction fees.

    Tide members’ customers will be protected by the Direct Debit guarantee.

    60% of small businesses regularly have invoices paid late

    Recent research by Tide reveals that over 60% of small businesses regularly have invoices paid late, with almost 16% of those saying they regularly have invoices paid over four weeks late.

    This creates a huge cash flow issue and puts small businesses in serious danger of collapse, particularly in the current turbulent climate.

    When it comes to failed payments 42% of small businesses say the biggest problem they pose is awkward conversations with customers, 29% citing the cash flow impact, and 27% the cost of recovering payments.

  • UK businesses borrow £52.6bn to survive the COVID-19 crisis

    UK businesses borrow £52.6bn to survive the COVID-19 crisis

    The devastating COVID-19 crisis caused a massive financial hit to businesses in the United Kingdom, confronting them with substantial revenue and cash flow losses.

    Many of them were forced to ask for support through the government-backed loan schemes to survive in the times of unprecedented economic disruption.

    According to data presented by BuyShares.co.uk, the cumulative value of loans that have been approved through the Coronavirus Businesses Interruption Loans Scheme (CBILS), Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), and Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILs) in the United Kingdom hit £52.6bn in August.

    More than 1.2 million loans approved in four months

    The United Kingdom’s Government created a range of measures to help support businesses of all sizes throughout the coronavirus crisis.

    The smaller companies can apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), which operates through the British Business Bank via more than 40 accredited lenders.

    These lenders can provide up to £5 million worth financial help in the form of term loans, overdrafts, and asset finance.

    The Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facilitates access to finance for medium-sized and larger businesses with a group turnover of more than £45 million. This scheme can provide up to £200 million worth financial help for the companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

    The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) allows lenders to provide a six-year term loan from £2,000 to 25% of a business’ turnover.

    In the second week of May, the combined value of facilities approved through these three schemes amounted to £14.8bn, revealed the HM Treasury data. By the middle of June, this figure surged by 157% to £38.2bn worth of loans.

    Statistics indicate the total value of facilities approved through the Government-backed loan schemes hit £46.2bn by the end of the second week of July. By August 16th, this figure jumped by 14%, reaching a total of $52.6bn.

    Statistics indicate the banking and finance industry has supported more than 1.2 million UK businesses with lending schemes to help them through the COVID-19 crisis.

    £35.5bn worth of loans approved through the Bounce Back Loan Scheme

    The Bounce Back Loan Scheme represents the most significant part of the government-backed aid package in the United Kingdom, with £35.5bn worth of loans approved by August.

    This scheme has been a success in providing more than 1.1 million firms with vital government-backed loans at an affordable rate with no interest or repayments due in the first year.

    The HM Treasury data revealed the cumulative value of lending through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme reached almost £13.7bn in August or 25% of all approved loans.

    Statistics indicate that between May 10th and August 16th, 516 medium-sized and larger businesses in the United Kingdom received £3.5bn worth financial help thought the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme.