James Neave

📊 🇬🇧 We recently presented our thoughts on the outlook for the UK Housing Market. Subscribers to Dataloft by PriceHubble had early access to the webinar and have exclusive access to insight and analytics on local markets across the UK via our platform. The rental market headlines were: 🏡 Rents continue to rise but the pace is now slowing. Leading indicators are showing a slowdown in renter demand and an improvement in supply of homes to rent. 📈 UK rents grew by 5.2% in the year to July 2024 but this has almost halved from 10.3% in July 2023. Rental growth is expected to continue to ease back in 2024, broadly in line with earnings growth forecasts. It is forecast to moderate to 2.5% by 2028. 📊 Affordability is critical. As a benchmark, spending more than 30 percent of your income on rent or interest payments is generally seen as problematic. Renters across the UK paid an average 32.7% of their income on rent in July. To watch the webinar in full, visit: https://lnkd.in/eDiKeePh #pricehubble #dataloft #propertymarketinsight #housingmarket #propertydatasolutions

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Want a demo of Deal Lite? Happy to give a personal demo https://lnkd.in/erspFMm9 At Deal Lite, we capture data on funding rounds. We focus on UK technology businesses only. Here’s a snapshot of what we have captured over Monday and Tuesday of this week. Our data includes: - 4,346 venture-backed UK tech companies. - 3,920 venture capitalists who have funded them. - 1,859 business angels who have funded them. - 6,512 funding rounds We focus on giving you timely information so you can do something about it. In most cases, our customers use us as a lead generation service. We are not attempting to replace expensive databases you already subscribe to, e.g. Pitchbooks. We sit alongside them, offering you bite-sized leads and information you can act on today. Accordingly, we have priced both Deal Lite News and Deal Lite Web App to be affordable to everyone. Book demo: https://lnkd.in/erspFMm9 Deal Lite website: https://deallite.uk Deal Lite weekly deal news: https://lnkd.in/efmz5xBP #UKtech #UKTechInvestments #TechInvestments #Investments

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Are building societies moving fast enough to meet the challenges of today’s housing market? The Building Societies Association recently highlighted that “Building societies continue to offer strong support to first-time buyers and maintain a substantial share of the mortgage market, even as conditions remain challenging.” But, as I’ve seen firsthand working with Nationwide and Furness Building Society, there’s still a massive tech gap holding back transformation for many. The key issue? Legacy systems and a lack of digital customer engagement. In today’s world, web analytics and personalized customer journeys are the foundation of any successful digital transformation. My advice to building societies: • Invest in technology that improves customer engagement. • Leverage AI and machine learning to understand your customers better. • Take compliance (like Consumer Duty) as an opportunity to build trust. The mortgage market is moving fast, and it’s time for building societies to step up. What are your thoughts? Are they keeping up, or do they risk falling behind? Follow along for more insights, and let’s discuss in the comments! Links: https://lnkd.in/e86jQQcp

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#BuzzTech If you stretch the truth too much, it will snap. The #UKhousing sector is in need of clarity around what tech provides and how it fixes some of the key concerns across all levels of an organisation. New tech is exciting but demonstrating real tangible benefits, to the people the sector provides an amazing service to, is more important than Gilding the Lily. 😉 #TCWin #PropTech #socialhousing

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If you missed this Oneserve podcast first time round, I'm talking about the #regulatory challenges facing the #socialhousing sector. Please get in touch if you want to find out more about how we are supporting our clients to meet these challenges. #housinguk #housingassociations #housingassociation #ukhousing #housing

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Buy-To-Let portal handed boost ahead of seed round… Mr Investa, the Salford-based Buy-To-Let property marketplace, has secured £1m SEIS/EIS Approval for the start of its seed round led by London firm Seed Legals. Given the current economic climate, Mr Investa said SEIS (seed enterprise investment scheme)/Eis (enterprise investment scheme) is an attractive scheme for investors to save on tax, while investing into high growth opportunity companies. SEIS/EIS offers investors between 30%-50% tax relief. The raise is now open with a first seed round set at £1m, with a seed round valuation of £5m. Ryan Hughes, Managing Director of Mr Investa, said: “Over the last three years we have been laying some solid foundations for the business and testing our MVP and now the time has come to start scaling our operation. “We are delighted with the support from HMRC in providing us £1m SEIS/EIS Advance Assurance for our investors, making an exciting and disruptive investment even more attractive.” Mr Investa’s raise comes after the continued growth of the business, as more landlords look to dispose of their buy-to-let properties/portfolios nationwide. The need for a dedicated portal for buying and selling a buy-to-let property with the new changes to tenancies with No Fault Evictions and EPC’s needing to be upgraded by 2030 has never been more crucial, said Mr Hughes. He added: “The lack of transparency in buy-to-let sector has allowed Mr Investa to thrive nationwide choosing to only deal with built properties whilst offering full detailed insight into the property condition by 3D mapping all units and providing full true financial performance allowing users to make an informed decision from the comfort of their own home or on the go.” The need for professional asset disposal and portfolio rotation has never been higher with more than 25,000 units alone being sold last year in the buy-to-let sector and the number set to increase this year, Mr Investa said. The company said private landlords are a significant pillar of the property sector, saying without them the already disappointing housing crisis would be disastrous if they didn’t have anywhere to dispose of their properties while allowing tenants to remain in the property. Thank you TheBusinessDesk.com & Neil Hodgson 👍🏼 #propertyportal #property #proptech #buytolet #eis #seis https://lnkd.in/eatuHznF

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My Comment on the FT website: The good news is that fintech innovation is going to assist the process: House builders build to traditional market conditions. Let's innovate to provide less complicated ways to a) Provide the capital to accelerate house building from non traditional sources. b) Introduce new pathways to home ownership that are less complicated that shared ownership or staircasing models or horrible schemes such as that provided by intervention such as Help to Buy or even worse: expensive deposit support solutions. c) Provide renters with a way to keep pace with the house prices as they try to save for a deposit. d) Reform planning (which is actually the number 1 priority to ensure the cost of building is actually viable; as fact lost on those who constantly moan about developers making profits and e) STOP the constant answer (by the least knowledgable in sector) of "we need to build more social housing" for as important as that is for the least fortunate in society, it also condemns residents to a life of rent, no effective asset wealth creation and therefore sets the fuse going on the future and ever growing burden of care in later life. The good news is this: There are people out there right now working on this as Air BnB and the Booking dot coms of the world did to transform the travel and tourism sector. Simplicity is key. ROE also. But what is happening, as Black Rock's Larry Fink is well quoted as noting, is the coming of W3 and the tokenisation of real world assets. This will revolutionise the residential real estate sector; introducing efficiency, liquidity and new forms of mobility into the complex housing sector that is currently a beautiful example of the opposite and one there to be significantly disrupted. https://on.ft.com/3wde9Dj

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Throughout the years I have talked to Italian startups (many are impressive) and occasionally have been surprised by companies solely focused on the Italian market, which will seem limiting for a typical US VC investor or entrepreneur, mostly (I speculate) because of the goals of their strategic investors. In the, US the domestic market is large enough to support a single market strategy, and still most companies focus on a global footprint, with rare exceptions (e.g. Zillow only expanded to Canada; OfferUp is US only). In Israel, where the domestic market is tiny, all startups (especially consumer internet startups, e.g. the many free-to-play game companies) are default-global. If you focus on a single market, it'd better be big, because as copycats emerge across the world, catching up to a global footprint may no longer be an option.

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As we wind down the year, let us take stock of what is happening in the UK tech investment landscape. Deal Lite just reported the weekly stats. If you have not received it in your inbox, please subscribe at https://lnkd.in/efmz5xBP UK Tech Investment News by Deal Lite - Week 337 A total of £200 Million was raised by 21 UK technology companies during the period ending 8th December 2024. Total raised this year so far is: £9.069 billion. Last year, it was £9.749 billion. 2021 was the mega year with £21.292 billion. Would 2025 be the turnaround year? With Syria falling and the conflicts accelerate, no one can predict the future. One thing is sure though. There would be more investment going into DefenceTech as alluded by Steve Blank - Steve is calling for private sector to get involved. I prefer no wars altogether but humans are complex beings who cannot live in harmony. Let's take a quick look at some of the companies who announced investment rounds last week: - Wexler raised £1.1 million Pre-Seed round led by Myriad Venture Partners. Wexler is incubated by Entrepreneur First. Gregory Mostyn is the CEO. - Jove Insurance raised £3.6 million Seed round led by Explorer. Want access to data? Subscribe https://lnkd.in/dcBH9kx Join us on 18th https://lu.ma/5se8gmqs to learn more and meet other tech founders. #DealLite #TechInvestment #funding #investment #venturecapital #seed #seriesA #preseed

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Looking for a middle or senior analyst at Dwelly Dwelly is an AI-enabled UK residential lettings player. We are taking existing (one might call them long unchanged) agencies processes and reengineering them to significantly elevate client experiences and improve efficiency. What to do: — to test hypotheses, — to answer team questions through data, — to solve optimization problems, — to figure out how to get the maximum result in a minimum coding, — to write scripts / make dashboards (see the full landscape by the link) Why it's cool: — experienced founders who have already walked this path before (built PIK Arenda): Dan Lifshits, Ilya Drozdov, Dmitry Khanukov, — a large but compact and well-capitalized market: 20 thousand agencies on the island, — we are now on the way from 0 to 1, then there will be scaling 1 -> N, and there is an opportunity to see how companies of different stages grow and develop — to work with me (tbh there are different opinions on this =) Requirements: — grade from “Analyst 1” to “Senior Analyst” [grades guide by the link], — do not be afraid of diverse work and small data, — remote work, +/- London time zone. How to apply Send your resume or linkedin profiles to: — telegram @eugenekozlov (faster) — email: [email protected]

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📊 🇬🇧 PriceHubble's Real Estate Economist, Julia Middleton recently presented her latest thoughts on the UK housing market outlook. Subscribers to Dataloft by PriceHubble, our market data and insight platform, had early access to this webinar and have exclusive access to insight and analytics on local markets across the UK. The headlines from the webinar are: 🏡 Political stability is a welcome boost for housing market sentiment. So too is the new government’s pro-growth agenda and ambitious targets for housebuilding. Indeed, improved sentiment was reflected immediately in housebuilder share prices which rose as the election result was announced.   📈 The recovery in the sales market has continued to solidify, although it lost a little momentum in the weeks before the election and confirmation of the interest rate cut.   📊 Stable prices provide buyers and sellers with more certainty. While transaction levels remain low, leading indicators for activity are strengthening. Indeed, mortgage approvals are now almost back to their long-term trend. Affordability metrics are encouraging too, underpinned by improvements in mortgage rates and continued strong earnings growth.   To watch the webinar in full, visit: https://lnkd.in/eDiKeePh #pricehubble #dataloft #propertymarketinsight #housingmarket #propertydatasolutions

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Starting a business is no small feat; many people face uncertainties that can feel daunting. If you're in that position, a practical checklist can make all the difference. It starts with researching the market to find a real customer need. This foundational step helps you craft your unique selling proposition. Next, a solid business plan is invaluable. It defines your mission and outlines your strategy for success. Once you have that, it's time to think about registering your business and choosing the right structure, whether that's a sole trader, partnership, or limited company. Financing is often a challenge, but exploring grants, loans, and crowdfunding can provide the necessary fuel without burning a hole in your wallet. Branding follows, where you define who you are as a business, not just what you offer. Building a seamless customer experience is crucial too, so plan your operational processes carefully. Finally, when you're ready, launch your business and keep the conversation going with your customers online. These steps are crucial for setting up a successful venture, and anyone starting out can benefit from following them. Feel free to drop your own tips or share your experiences while starting a business. https://lnkd.in/eBWtc3aS

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I am glad Ryane Tully 🎥 🤖 gave me the opportunity to discuss with him about cold email, email enrichment and SaaS in general, in his fantastic podcast! 💕 Here is the recording of our conversation:

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PROPTECH-X ‘Proptech & Property News’: CEO Adam Pigott on tour in Norfolk with tlyfe App | UK rental market sees slowing inflation amidst easing demand: Andrew Stanton’s daily PROPTECH-X 'Proptech & Property News' in association with Estate Agent Networking and News Now. #startups #realestate #Property #Proptech #digitaltransformation

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If you don’t know where to look, you’ll never find it 🔍   Many of our clients tell me an unexpected bonus of working with us is how they discover insights that they previously had no idea about!    Whether their data contains hidden value or insights into their business they hadn’t considered analysing, we help our clients get a clearer view.   With the right information and clarity, your business can suddenly see the repeated pinch points causing delivery delays or the hidden impact of that long lead time…   Let me help you shine a light on your existing data and turn it into actionable information 👇   https://lnkd.in/e2Umvbai    #Insights #BusinessOpportunities #Data #DataManagement

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Are you a business in Jersey wanting to take payments online? It's not that easy and you’ll need a payment gateway that works! Here’s a little insight to get you started, for the full scoop - check out our blog: https://lnkd.in/etZ-5n7K #WebDesign #BlueLlamaWebDesign #BlueLlama #JerseyCI #ChannelIslands #ECommerce #ChannelIslands

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A Few Thoughts on Spending Money Interesting read via @collabfund https://lnkd.in/e3n6GWA2

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