Latest news with #OctopusInvestments
Finextra
7 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Seccl appoints Jonathan Dees as its new UK CEO, as David Ferguson transitions to executive chair
Seccl, the Octopus-owned embedded investment platform, has appointed Jonathan Dees as its new UK CEO, subject to regulatory approval. 0 The news comes three months after the business announced its search for a successor to David Ferguson, who will move into a new and growth-focused executive chair role. Jonathan has been acting as interim MD at Seccl since June, supporting the business in its day-to-day management while David moves to focus on the business's longer-term strategic opportunities and planned European expansion. He previously worked on secondment for Seccl for several months in 2024, supporting on the growth of its operations function. He joins from Octopus Investments, where he has acted as COO for the last six years. Before that, he held a series of senior operating roles at fast-growing technology companies - including COO for Zoopla's software business and MD for TripAdvisor's vacation rentals platform business. Commenting on the appointment, David Ferguson, outgoing CEO and new executive chair, said: "After an extensive search for our next UK CEO, which brought a large volume of exceptional external candidates, we decided the right person for the role was much closer to home. The truth is that, throughout his time with us, Jonathan has proven himself to be the standout candidate to take us forward. 'We've been looking for a leader with strong operational focus - someone who ensures we deliver for our customers day in and day out. No-one fits that brief better than Jonathan - and it's a natural evolution of his existing interim MD role, through which he has already brought renewed focus, clarity and consistency to our delivery. He's an outstanding leader, a wonderful human and someone who is 100% aligned with our values. I can't wait to work with him full time, while I focus on our future strategy and growth.' Jonathan Dees, Seccl's new UK CEO, added: 'I'm thrilled to be stepping in at such an exciting point in Seccl's growth journey. With some significant recent milestones and momentum building day by day, the business is truly starting to accelerate. I look forward to leading Seccl's fantastic team to safely scale new heights - freeing up Dave to unlock the enormous opportunities that lie ahead.' 'One of the great things about a career at Octopus is the chance to work alongside such an inspiring community of businesses. Having admired Seccl's growth from the sidelines, I feel both grateful and honoured to now play a direct role in shaping its next chapter.' Today, Seccl's software and services power the portfolios of over 300,000 investors, with nearly 60,000 new investors onboarded since January alone. The company continues to scale rapidly, processing an impressive 2 million transactions in June.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Form 8.3 - H&T Group plc GB GB00B12RQD06
FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the 'Code') 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: OCTOPUS INVESTMENTS LTD (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree H&T Group plc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 04/06/2025 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state 'N/A' N/A 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security. (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: Ordinary 5p (GB00B12RQD06) Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 3,416,254 7.77 (2) Cash-settled derivatives: (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 3,416,254 7.77 All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit Ordinary 5p Ordinary 5p Sale Sale 272 9,740 6.3501 6.35667 (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state 'none' None (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state 'none' None (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NODate of disclosure: 05/06/2025 Contact name: Holly Keyworth Telephone number/email: Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at in to access your portfolio
Sky News
21-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Octopus to get tentacles around Hammond-backed fintech fund
One of Britain's leading venture capital investors is close to unveiling a deal to take over a nascent fintech fund which counted Lord Hammond, the former chancellor, among its advisors. Sky News has learnt that Octopus Ventures has provisionally agreed to absorb the Fintech Growth Fund (FGF), which boasted of financial commitments from Barclays, the London Stock Exchange's parent company, Mastercard and NatWest Group after it was set up three years ago. The FGF has struggled to hit its original fundraising target and has yet to formally disclose any investments. Sources close to a number of its investors said it was expected to be taken over by Octopus Investments in the coming weeks, with the transaction to be completed by the end of June. Peel Hunt, the investment bank, had been advising on the fundraising for the last two years, and was itself an investor in the fund. The FGF was originally conceived as a vehicle that would back high-potential UK-based fintechs, largely between their Series B and pre-public listing rounds of funding. According to an announcement made in August 2023, it aimed to make between four and eight investments annually, with cheques of between £10m and £100m. In addition to Lord Hammond, the FGF's advisory board included Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the former Virgin Money boss; Dame Helena Morrissey, the former Legal & General Investment Management executive; Lord Grimstone, the former trade minister; and Sir Charles Bowman, former Lord Mayor of London. Octopus Investments, which is now run by Erin Platt, the former boss of Silicon Valley Bank UK, is said to have significant ambitions for the FGF, which has built a lengthy pipeline of potential investments.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Octopus to get tentacles around Hammond-backed fintech fund
One of Britain's leading venture capital investors is close to unveiling a deal to take over a nascent fintech fund which counted Lord Hammond, the former chancellor, among its advisors. Sky News has learnt that Octopus Ventures has provisionally agreed to absorb the Fintech Growth Fund (FGF), which boasted of financial commitments from Barclays, the London Stock Exchange's parent company, Mastercard and NatWest Group after it was set up three years ago. The FGF has struggled to hit its original fundraising target and has yet to formally disclose any investments. Sources close to a number of its investors said it was expected to be taken over by Octopus Investments in the coming weeks, with the transaction to be completed by the end of June. Peel Hunt, the investment bank, had been advising on the fundraising for the last two years, and was itself an investor in the fund. The FGF was originally conceived as a vehicle that would back high-potential UK-based fintechs, largely between their Series B and pre-public listing rounds of funding. According to an announcement made in August 2023, it aimed to make between four and eight investments annually, with cheques of between £10m and £100m. In addition to Lord Hammond, the FGF's advisory board included Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the former Virgin Money boss; Dame Helena Morrissey, the former Legal & General Investment Management executive; Lord Grimstone, the former trade minister; and Sir Charles Bowman, former Lord Mayor of London. Octopus Investments, which is now run by Erin Platt, the former boss of Silicon Valley Bank UK, is said to have significant ambitions for the FGF, which has built a lengthy pipeline of potential investments. A spokesperson for Octopus Investments declined to comment this weekend, while the FGF could not be reached for comment.
