The average UK SME faces a skills gap that would impact total revenue by £145,000 in the next year, rising to £318,000 in the next five years, according to new independent research[1] from Robert Half UK, the recruitment specialist.

The phenomenal increase of scaleups in recent years has seen the UK make great advances in support of high-growth businesses. In light of this, John Duckworth, Managing Director at Instant Offices delves into the rapid growth of a Scaleup Nation and what the key factors are to help SMEs step up to the next stage of development.

IW Capital - an EIS-specialist Venture Capital firm in London - has unveiled a nationally representative report revealing the sentiments of a population of 2004 high net-worth and retail investors regarding robo-investors and advisors. 

The first half of 2019 has seen automotive technology deal-making news led by major tech giants challenging traditional OEMs for ‘ownership’ of the vehicles of the future, says Hampleton Partners’ latest report on Automotive Technology M&A.

Hampleton Partners, the international technology mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance advisors, noted that deal volumes were stable at just under 50 transactions. In addition, investments by Uber, Amazon and Tesla – plus on-going rumours of Apple’s development of an autonomous vehicle software system – garnered the headlines. Not only did they invest in core automotive technology; they also targeted the supporting industries which will allow autonomous and electric vehicle technology to go mainstream.

Savers in defined contribution pension schemes are missing out on higher returns due to a lack of investment in some of the UK’s fastest growing and most innovative companies reveals a new report.

Retirement savings for the average 22-year old could be increased by as much as 7-12 per cent if schemes made a small allocation to venture capital and growth equity funds. This is according to The Future of Defined Contribution Pensions, a new report published by the British Business Bank and global management consultancy, Oliver Wyman.

Hampleton Partners’ latest global IT & Business Services M&A Market Report reveals that the sector’s total disclosed deal value reached a whopping $97 billion in 1H 2019 – the highest total on record for a six-month period.

Hampleton Partners, which specialises in international technology M&A and corporate finance, also noted a significant rise in valuations, with overall median disclosed deal amount reaching $43 million in 1H 2019, up from $23 million in 2H 2018.

In a week that saw the announcement of CMR Surgical as the latest UK company to be valued at over $1b, there is hardly a more appropriate time to examine the state of the UK's unicorn herd. These companies, so named due to their coveted rarity (there are just 16 in the UK), are an exciting cohort to examine owing to the prospect of a multibillion dollar exit.

In this report, Beauhurst profiles the UK's billion dollar businesses, the fundraisings and investors that have supported them, and the founders leading them forward.

Negative sentiment towards the economic outlook for the UK over the next 18 to 24 months amongst the UK investment community has increased sharply from 49% in 2018 to 67% in 2019, according to the annual Investment 360 Index by CIL, the leading management consultancy. The Index is based on research amongst private equity investors, business management teams, corporate debt providers and business advisors in the UK and has been running for three years.

At the end of the second quarter of this year, more than 150,000 lenders were invested in 321,483 loans facilitated by Peer-to-Peer Finance Association (P2PFA) platforms – a record level of involvement in the sector. 

High Net Worth private investors are increasing their exposure to alternative assets to achieve greater portfolio diversification in an uncertain economic climate, reveals research from Connection Capital, the specialist private client investment business.

Three in 10 office workers (29%) are considering moving jobs in the next year, driven by the demand for a better work-life balance, higher remuneration and flexible working hours.

New research from specialised recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK¹ reveals the desire to move jobs is being fuelled by the current war for talent, especially in technical areas such as software development and cyber security.