fintech digest
Novicap's Capital Injection, Tiger's Venture Slowdown, AI's Moment, A Digital Pound Sterling & More
Research Team
10 February 2023
Novicap raises €200 million for its Credit platform as it hits major €1bn transaction volume milestone
London, December 2022 – Novicap – the European fintech providing end-to-end working capital solutions – is today announcing it has raised a €200 million debt facility from London-based asset manager, Fasanara Capital.
The capital raise, which enables Novicap to further accelerate its growth and deliver more impact for thousands of SMEs, mid-market companies and public administrations, will be used to bolster its credit portfolio and support the development of new market-leading solutions for its customer base.
Tiger catnapped as 2022 wore on
During the venture capital heydays of 2021, few firms were more front and center than Tiger Global, leading huge growth rounds and minting new unicorns on what seemed a weekly basis.
However, just as the venture market significantly slowed, Tiger also quietly decelerated dealmaking in the latter half of last year.
Generative AI: how will the new era of machine learning affect you?
Another breakthrough in AI has just shaken up the tech world. This time, the machines are operating in plain sight — and they could finally be ready to follow through on the threat to replace millions of jobs. ChatGPT, a query-answering and text-generating system released at the end of November, has burst into the public consciousness in a way seldom seen outside the realm of science fiction.
HM Treasury and Bank of England consider plans for a digital pound
The Treasury and the Bank of England are consulting on a potential digital pound, or central bank digital currency (CBDC). A digital pound would be issued by the Bank of England and could be used by households and businesses for everyday payments in-store and online. If introduced a digital pound would be interchangeable with cash and bank deposits, complementing cash.
Francesco Filia, Founder & CEO of Fasanara Capital, speaks on The Naked Short podcast
Francesco opines on the uphill struggles SMEs are experiencing in the face of the increased retrenchment of banks, a trend that has been at play for more than a decade. Further, there is a case to be made for fintechs as facilitators for channelling much needed funding to these SMEs, who are major contributors to employment and GDP.