Fintech PR
LGBTQ+ businesses contribute over £106 billion to the UK economy despite huge challenges, report finds
- Based on largest-ever survey of UK LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs
- Sector focus on tech, fintech, biotech and sustainability
- Challenges include disclosure issues, discrimination and doubt
LONDON, Oct. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In partnership with OutBritain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce, Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), a leading think tank focusing on diversity and tech, has today launched its LGBTQ+ Businesses Count report, which examines the contribution, challenges and characteristics of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs across the UK. In the absence of official UK data on LGBTQ+ businesses, this pioneering report presents the results of the largest-ever survey of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the UK.
The report, sponsored by Accenture, Dow and Goldman Sachs, estimates that there are at least 250,000 LGBTQ+ businesses in the UK, which employ at least 750,000 people, many of them LGBTQ+, and have a combined turnover of at least £106 billion. The largest business founded by an LGBTQ+ entrepreneur that the report identifies is Global Media and Entertainment, which owns Heart, Capital, LBC and many other radio stations, whose founder and CEO Ashley Tabor-King is openly gay.
Most LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the report’s survey pointed to particular challenges that they have faced in business because of being LGBTQ+. The most prevalent was doubt, followed by disclosure issues, notably invasive or inappropriate questions and a lack of role models. Next were discrimination and disconnection from mainstream business networks.
At the same time, most entrepreneurs mentioned benefits to their business from being LGBTQ+. Some 68% said it made them more determined to succeed and overcome adversity and 67% that their diverse perspectives and experience yielded business benefits, while 42% gained from an LGBTQ+ customer base.
To mitigate some of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, OPEN proposes three recommendations on collecting better data, providing distinct support and developing supplier diversity:
- Better data. Good public policy, sound business decisions and broader public understanding all require solid data. Companies House therefore ought to ask (but not require) company directors to disclose their sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Distinct support. To ensure that LGBTQ+ businesses have a voice in government, an LGBTQ+ business envoy should be appointed. Mainstream business networks should also be more pro-active in attracting, including and representing LGBTQ+ businesses. OutBritain also has a crucial role to play.
- Supplier diversity. Both large corporates and public authorities ought to do more to enhance equality of opportunity for diverse businesses, notably LGBTQ+ ones, in their procurement decisions. This would help LGBTQ+ businesses overcome the entrenched disadvantages they face, while providing corporates with more diverse and resilient supply chains.
Philippe Legrain, Founder of OPEN and lead author of the report, said: “While the UK has made huge progress in tackling legal injustices and social prejudices against LGBTQ+ people, the past leaves scars. Moreover, business tends to lag behind society as a whole in its acceptance of LGBTQ+ people; among the chief executives of the FTSE 100 leading companies, only one is openly gay. So, it is hugely important to document both the contribution and the challenges of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the UK, which is why we have produced this report as a call to action to the government, mainstream business organisations and large corporations.”
Matt Dabrowski, Founder of OutBritain, said: “OutBritain has become a beacon in the UK’s business landscape, demonstrating how diversity is not merely a tagline but a potent catalyst for unprecedented change. Supporting LGBTQ+ businesses and seamlessly integrating them into the global economic ecosystem is at the heart of our organisation. This report not only celebrates the vibrant and dynamic contributions our community make to the UK’s economy, but more importantly, it will allow us to focus and align our efforts in driving a fairer, more diverse UK economy where LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and businesses are given fair representation and the opportunity to thrive.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT THE REPORT #LGBTQBusinessesCount
The report is based on an online survey of 1,517 self-identified LGBTQ+ business founders and owners conducted between January and May 2024.
ABOUT OUTBRITAIN
OutBritain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce, connects, supports and grows the UK LGBTQ+ business community, while connecting it with the rest of the world.
ABOUT OPEN @open2progress
OPEN is an international think tank that focuses on diversity and other openness issues. Its previous reports include Minority Businesses Matter: The Contribution and Challenges of Ethnic Minority Businesses in the UK.
DISCLAIMER
OPEN gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the sponsors of this report, Accenture, Dow and Goldman Sachs. At the same time, the content, words, opinions and views are solely its own and do not necessarily reflect the institutional views of said sponsors or any of their affiliates.
PRESS CONTACTS
[email protected]
[email protected]
Report https://www.opennetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/OPEN_LGBTQ-Businesses-Count-final_hi-res.pdf
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Fintech PR
PingPong Partners with China’s Largest Trade Fair to Empower Global Businesses finding High-Quality Supply Chains
GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PingPong, one of the leading global cross-border payments platforms for businesses, is proud to officially announce its role as the cooperative partner of the ‘Trade Bridge’, a trade promotion initiative during the 136th Canton Fair. The multi-day event will feature over 30,000 global companies exhibiting goods, and host more than 130,000 global buyers from over 200 countries and regions.
As a cooperative partner of the Canton Fair’s “Trade Bridge” initiative, PingPong has leveraged its global ecosystem to bring over 300 buyers to the event from around the world, particularly Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam. These buyers can easily connect with top Chinese sellers and screen suppliers, facilitating global trade corridors.
PingPong has also created a platform to match Chinese merchants with high-quality global buyers, facilitating 1-on-1 meetings to support both buyer and seller needs. Additionally, PingPong is hosting three online and offline procurement matchmaking events, opening new opportunities for global expansion.
Earlier this year, Canton Fair’s Trade Bridge signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with PingPong to utilize its global ecosystem to help Chinese businesses expand internationally.
Jianqin Shu,Partner and General Manager of SMB Business Group at PingPong said, “At this year’s Canton Fair, we’ve mobilized local teams, partners, and buyers from around the world, including Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, forming a delegation of hundreds to meet face-to-face with trade companies. This shows PingPong’s value is more than just in payments, it is a global ecosystem of buyers and sellers. In September, we also led an industry summit in Vietnam with over 4,000 attendees to help businesses access global markets. Going forward, we will continue expanding our network to more countries and regions, offering valuable connections and fostering growth for merchants on our platform.”
One of PingPong’s clients is Thai buyer Sumin Tunpeiroh, who is also a representative at the event. He hopes to source new steel grinding machines for next year’s sales, commenting, “PingPong built an excellent platform, allowing us to engage directly with top companies and discover the newest products.”
PingPong will continue to facilitate trade connections during the second and third phases of the 136th Canton Fair, focusing on matching buyers from Thailand and South Korea with high-quality Chinese suppliers. And PingPong also invited top Vietnamese influencer ZhuZhu and leading Thai beauty blogger PeePee to livestream their exhibition experiences during the fair. These livestreams create in-depth opportunities for foreign trade businesses to connect with international influencers, opening a window to overseas markets and consumers, and helping businesses transform in the digital trade era.
About PingPong
PingPong was founded in New York in 2015, with the goal of solving the immense challenge of scaling enterprise businesses globally. Fast forward to today, and PingPong has become one of the world’s leading global cross-border payments platforms, processing more than $200 billion USD. Our API-first cross-border payments platform integrates with enterprises to send, manage, and receive money faster on a global scale.
PingPong currently has 30 offices spanning 11 countries, with over 1000 employees. Our international presence helps businesses solve complex payment needs in every major economy across all time zones.
About Canton Fair:
As a comprehensive international trading event with the longest history, the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the largest buyer attendance, the most diverse buyer origin and the greatest business turnover in China, Canton Fair is hailed as China’s No.1 Fair and the barometer of China’s foreign trade.
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Fintech PR
PROJECT GRAND (UK) PLC ANNOUNCES THE PRICING OF A PRIVATE PLACEMENT OF ITS €50,000,000 9.000% SUSTAINABILITY-LINKED SENIOR SECURED NOTES DUE 2029
LONDON, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Project Grand (UK) Plc (the “Issuer“) a public limited company incorporated and existing under the laws of England and Wales, announced today it has entered into a private placement (“Private Placement“) pursuant to which it intends to issue €50,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 9.000% Sustainability-Linked Senior Secured Notes due 2029 (the “Notes“), which have the same terms as, and which are expected to be fungible with, its existing 9.000% sustainability-linked senior secured notes due 2029 (the “Existing Notes“), to certain institutional investors. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about November 12, 2024, and is subject to customary closing conditions.
The Notes will initially be issued bearing a temporary ISIN and Common Code during the 40-day period commencing November 12, 2024 (the “Distribution Compliance Period“) prescribed by Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Regulation S“). Following the Distribution Compliance Period, the Notes will become fully fungible with, and have the same ISIN and Common Code as, the Existing Notes sold pursuant to Regulation S.
The Issuer expects to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement (i) for general corporate purposes and (ii) to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Private Placement and the use of proceeds therefrom.
Jefferies International Limited and RBC Europe Limited are acting as placement agents on the Private Placement. They are not advising any other person, nor are they responsible for providing protections afforded to clients of Jefferies International Limited or RBC Europe Limited to any other person, in relation to such transaction.
Jefferies International Limited is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. RBC Europe Limited is authorised in the United Kingdom by the Prudential Regulation Authority (“PRA“) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA.
This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The Notes may not be sold in the United States unless they are registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act“) or are exempt from registration. The offering of Notes described in this announcement and any related guarantees has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, and accordingly any offer or sale of Notes and such guarantees may be made only in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Notes have been offered in this Private Placement only to outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. No money, securities or other consideration is being solicited, and, if sent in response to the information contained herein, will not be accepted.
This communication is directed only at persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion Order“), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.”) of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are persons who are outside the United Kingdom (the “UK“), or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA“)) in connection with the issue or sale of any Notes may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons“).
Any investment activity to which this communication relates will only be available to, and will only be engaged in with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the “EEA“). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II“); (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended or superseded), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a “qualified investor” as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation“). Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “PRIIPs Regulation“) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA will be prepared. Therefore, offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. Any offer of Notes in any Member State of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of Notes.
The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the UK. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“EUWA“); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the FSMA and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK Prospectus Regulation“). Consequently, no key information document required by the PRIIPs Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation“) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK will be prepared. Therefore, offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation. Any offer of Notes in the UK will be made pursuant to an exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of Notes.
MiFID II professionals/ECPs-only – Manufacturer target market (MIFID II product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only each as defined under MiFID II (all distribution channels).
UK MiFIR professionals/ECPs-only – Manufacturer target market (UK MiFIR product governance) is eligible counterparties, as defined in the Financial Conduct Authority Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook, and professional clients only, as defined in Regulation (EU) 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (“UK MiFIR“) (all distribution channels).
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication and other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of the Company contains forward-looking statements. In particular, statements using words such as “may,” “seek,” “will,” “likely,” “assume,” “estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “do not believe,” “aim,” “predict,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “potential,” “guidance,” “foresee,” “might,” “objective,” “outlook,” “trends,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “target,” “on track,” or their negatives or variations, and similar terminology and words of similar import, generally involve future or forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current views, plans or expectations with respect to future events and financial performance. They are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other risks, uncertainties and contingencies. The inclusion of forward-looking statements in this or any other communication should not be considered as a representation by the Company or any other person that current plans or expectations will be achieved. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statement speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.
CONTACT:
Contacts:
Apollo, Rettig
Tero Huovinen
Tel. +358 50 4099 373
[email protected]
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
The following files are available for download:
Grand II – Pricing Press Release |
Fintech PR
REALTY ONE GROUP OPENS IN URUGUAY
Now in 22 Countries, the UNBrokerage Continues to Paint the Globe Gold
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Realty ONE Group International, a modern, purpose-driven lifestyle brand and ONE of the fastest-growing franchisors in the world, is opening in Uruguay, the 22nd country to join the black and gold movement around the globe.
Eugenia Aiello, with 26 years of experience as an independent broker specializing in construction and development, became the International Regional Owner of Realty ONE Group Argentina just last year. She is now partnering with Hernan Bach, also with two and a half decades of commercial experience, to drive innovation in Uruguay’s active real estate market.
“There’s no stopping this high-powered duo as they seize the opportunity for growth in Uruguay,“ said Kuba Jewgieniew, CEO and Founder of Realty ONE Group International. “We’ve proven the success of the Realty ONE Group model and COOLTURE in markets around the world, especially when championed by impassioned entrepreneurs like Eugenia and Hernan.”
Both Aiello and Bach were attracted to Realty ONE Group’s forward-thinking business model and rapid international growth and are eager to invest their sales, business development and leadership experience into helping real estate professionals achieve greater success faster.
“These two dynamic entrepreneurs are poised to leave a lasting mark on the vibrant Uruguay market,” said Danny Hernandez, Vice President of International for Realty ONE Group. “With their infectious energy and shared vision, they are ready to introduce Realty ONE Group’s unique “COOLture” and its empowering “Be Golden Be You” philosophy to our International real estate professionals and reshape the real estate landscape in Uruguay!”
The UNBrokerage, as it’s known in real estate, just surpassed 20,000 real estate professionals worldwide as the brand’s popularity continues to soar because of its 100% commission model and comprehensive offering of business coaching, support, tools and marketing.
Realty ONE Group International claimed the No. 1 spot for real estate franchisors for the third year in a row on Entrepreneur’s highly competitive 2024 Franchise 500® list. The only modern, lifestyle brand in the industry now has more than 20,000 real estate professionals in more than 450 locations in 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and 22 more countries and territories.
Learn more at www.OwnAOne.com.
About Realty ONE Group International
Realty ONE Group International is one of the fastest growing, modern, purpose-driven lifestyle brands in real estate whose ONE Purpose is to open doors across the globe – ONE home, ONE dream, ONE life at a time. The organization has rapidly grown to more than 20,000 real estate professionals in over 450 locations across 22 countries and territories because of its proven business model, full-service brokerages, dynamic COOLTURE, superior business coaching through ONE University, outstanding support and its proprietary technology, zONE. Realty ONE Group International has been named the number ONE real estate brand by Entrepreneur Magazine for three consecutive years and continues to surge ahead, opening doors, not only for its clients but for real estate professionals and franchise owners. To learn more, visit www.RealtyONEGroup.com.
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