First came steam and water power; then electricity and assembly lines; then computerisation… So what comes next? Technologies are emerging and affecting our lives in ways that indicate we are at the beginning of a Fourth Industrial Revolution, a new era that builds and extends the impact of digitisation in new and unanticipated ways. The […]
Early Stage Companies show an average of 30% increase in valuation per year, why wouldn’t you invest?
Can a sector as diverse as venture funding be judged on an average performance basis? If you are considering investing in this area what can you learn from successful venture capital investment?
Successful companies are only as strong as their management teams
Most experienced investors know that when they are assessing alternative investment capital opportunities, the right management team is vital. This is even more true for smaller entrepreneurial companies, where the founding team is the driving force in the company’s growth strategy. The problem is that if the founders have a track record of building successful […]
How will the recent changes in the Enterprise Investment Scheme affect private investors?
The November 2017 Budget announced several changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS Scheme). EIS is designed to help smaller trading companies to raise finance by offering a range of tax reliefs to investors. The changes are part of the government’s Patient Capital Review of support for small businesses. Below we look at the main […]
Where to Invest in 2018
Every New Year brings the opportunity to address those things we feel we can do a little better. That equally applies to our investment portfolio and is dependent upon assessing the opportunities for the year ahead. Here we take a look at the prospects for: Equities Bonds Property Ventu#Venture Capitalre Capital Bitcoin
Artificial Intelligence – The Most Transformative Technology of the Century?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been mooted as the most transformative technology of the 21st Century as we allow computer algorithms to run more aspects of our lives. Amazon Echo, Apple’s Siri and Google Home all demonstrate consumer appetite for AI-enabled products. Over the next few years, AI is expected to deliver driverless cars, better healthcare […]
There is much debate about blockchain, what does it do and how does it work?
Blockchain allows people who have no particular confidence in each other to collaborate without having to go through a neutral central authority. Simply put, a blockchain creates trust. Blockchain provides mass access to an open, collectively controlled record that cannot be changed and offers a very high level of protection through cryptography and mathematical […]
How to Build a Billion Dollar Company
The billion dollar startup was once the stuff of myth, but now they’re everywhere, backed by a bull-market and founded on new, disruptive digital technologies and business models. A company that has achieved a valuation of $1 billion dollars or more within five years of first opening their doors is commonly known as a Unicorn. […]
7 Keys to Success for Growth Companies
What to look for when assessing whether an emerging company has got what it takes to succeed. Innovation Small companies looking to compete with large, established incumbent players need an edge. Customers are more likely to look at unknown brands if they feel the product offers a benefit over competition, is easy to use […]
With a Technology Oligopoly are GAFA or NATU really too big to fail?
Will today’s technology powerhouses maintain their stranglehold on world tech for the next ten years and still be the companies we are talking about in 2027? With the emergence of the technology powerhouses they have been grouped by acronyms GAFA, Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon, closely followed by NATU, Netflix, AirBnB, Tesla and Uber. GAFA […]
Where will Artificial Intelligence (AI) take us in 10 years?
What developments in AI are needed for us to reap the true advantages it can bring and is the world ready for it? Is AI worth and AI is a general term that implies the use of a computer to model and/or replicate intelligent behavior. Research in AI focuses on the development and analysis of […]
