The conversation on private markets is changing among Wealth Managers, according to a recent report by Delio.

Private markets are going mainstream, as Wealth Managers increasingly establish or grow private market propositions. Nine out of ten surveyed already offer private market propositions or are planning to launch one; with direct investments and impact investments emerging more and more in the market.

SmartWorking startup Abodoo is set to accelerate its UK expansion following a successful crowdfund. The Co. Wexford based business, on a mission to change the future of work by connecting global citizens with remote working job roles, overfunded its £100,000 target within 48 hours.

Abodoo connects professionals needing more flexibility in how they work with employers seeking top talent. The SaaS platform, which provides high accuracy hiring and reduced bias, currently works with clients includingVodafone, Deloitte, Citibank and Automattic to help grow more inclusive and diverse workforces. With 70% of technology employers experiencing a skills shortage – and this figure mirrored across other industries – accessing talent has become critical.  Abodoo has grown its candidate community of 22,000 members across 60 countries in just two years and this is set to reach 90,000 in the next year alone.

British Business Investments, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the UK’s national economic development bank, has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2018/19, its fifth year of operation.

Blend Network, a leading property investment platform specialising in funding low-cost, accessible housing developments outside of London has announced its largest deal so far with a £2,335,000 loan to finance the acquisition and redevelopment of a key Stafford office building into residential departments. This milestone highlights BLEND Network’s commitment to the Midlands, with loans extended by the company to fund low-cost and accessible housing projects in the region now totaling over £3million over the past four months.

QVentures, manager of 29PP Pre-Seed Fund, has led the funding round in Rosecut Technologies, a digital wealthmanager. Founded by Qiaojia Li, a former Coutts and Credit Suisse private banker, and Gustavo Silva, an experienced entrepreneur and machine learning specialist, Rosecut creates bespoke investment solutions that combine artificial intelligence with top-tier human advice.

The Financial services industry has entered into a period of unparalleled opportunity as our nation enters what many are calling the inheritance economy.

The inheritance economy represents the greatest transfer of wealth in history as capital of some £5.5trillion is expected to flow through the generations over the next 30 years.

For financial advisers it presents some outstanding opportunities to participate in this wealth transfer and Stellar Asset Management has launched a new service to help financial advisers and wealth managers to maximise these opportunities.

Stellar ICENI is a new service for advisers which provides them with the tools to unlock planning opportunities and offer a superior service to their clients.

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.

GrowthInvest and Partners Wealth Management have launched a strategic partnership between the two organisations.

Hardman & Co is leading a new initiative to support (S)EIS funds entering the investment market. It has brought together a wide range of professional services providers with the specific aim of advising, educating and supporting new funds at the start of their journey. By understanding at the outset all the elements needed for a successful launch, the new entrant is in a better position to come to market faster and in a more co-ordinated way.

NVM Private Equity has completed the management buy-out of Leicestershire-based Secure Retail Limited (Secure), a leading provider of electronic payment solutions.

The Insurtech M&A Market Report from international technology mergers and acquisitions advisors, Hampleton Partners, reveals that 2019 global fundraising for insurtech neared $3 billion in 1H 2019* and is on track to reaching $6 billion by the end of the year. Last year, insurtech fundraises increased 27 per cent, with 257 deals closed in 2018 vs 202 deals in 2017.

Hampleton Partners also noted that nearly one third of insurtech investments targeted European companies, with Europe’s global investment share growing from 23 per cent to 31 per cent.

This trend is spearheaded by insurtech hubs in Germany, the UK and France – with half of the ten largest insurtech investments in 2018 flowing into companies based in Berlin.

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.