The UK chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, delivered his Autumn Statement 2023 on 22 November, which was accompanied by a better-than-expected economic and fiscal forecast by the Office of Budget Responsibility. With the government having met its pledge to halve inflation, the chancellor said that he was delivering an "Autumn Statement for...

Against a backdrop of rising inflation and market volatility, confidence in the cryptoasset market has wavered in recent months. Nonetheless, venture capital firms (VCs) are still considering investments in crypto and related businesses and there has been an observable increase in interest in investments in digital tokens. 1. Tokens, cryptoassets...

UK election special What would a Labour government mean for venture capital, start-ups and founders? We take a look at the Labour Party's main policies of relevance to the venture community, focusing in particular on industrial strategy and growth, tax and workforce. Read more > Insights Venture capital's taste for...

For some US fund managers, Europe represents advanced innovation that's driving their interest in a range of sectors – and most notably in renewables, energy transition, green hydrogen and biotechnology. Meanwhile, spinouts from Europe's top universities are spurring a wave of investible innovation. Diversification and collaboration The "repatriation trade" of...

As foreign direct investment (FDI) control measures become increasingly stringent in the European Union and the UK, it is crucial for US investors who are considering investment opportunities in Europe to conduct a thorough assessment of the FDI control regimes of their target countries. National security controls EU Member States...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a feedback statement on the potential competition impact of Big Tech entry and expansion in retail financial services. The 12 July statement is part of the UK financial regulator's three-year strategy, which was launched in April 2022 to identify the potential benefits and...

That the current global economic climate is unstable is not in doubt. The aftermath of Covid-19, war in Ukraine, high inflation and instability in financial markets has led to the borrowing of money being more difficult and expensive. This in turn affects the possibility of prospective purchasers to leverage their...

Venture debt, or growth lending as it is also known, has become a catch-all term to describe a type of debt financing product available to early and growth-stage companies that are fast scaling but generally pre-profit. As venture debt facilities are designed specifically for pre-profit businesses, they require lenders to...

The UK government has published new guidance on the National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) focused on early-stage ventures, spin-outs and international investors, but has postponed a wider consultation on the regime. The government had previously planned on launching a wider-ranging consultation on the NSIA regime this summer; however, it...

Most of Labour's business policies were trailed in Labour's Business Partnership for Growth, published in February 2024, and so most of the party's manifesto commitments will not come as a surprise to the venture community. Below we take a look at the main policies of relevance to the venture community...