LONDON, 2017-Sep-12 — /EPR Retail News/ — British Land and GIC announce that Starling Bank, the first mobile-only challenger bank to launch a current account, and Innovate Finance, the UK membership association for the global FinTech community, have agreed to take space at Broadgate’s 2FA (2 Finsbury Avenue).
Starling Bank will take 14,500 sq ft on the third floor of the building and Innovate Finance will take 1,600 sq ft on the seventh floor, bringing the building to 98% occupancy.
These new occupiers represent another milestone for 2FA, which is transforming into a hub for technology and creative companies. Other recent lettings at 2FA include Kingfisher, whose digital team has taken space with British Land’s flexible workspace brand, Storey. Theatre Delicatessen, a charitable organisation which focuses on supporting emerging theatre makers, opened at 2FA in July and delivers a new cultural angle to Broadgate.
These lettings demonstrate that Broadgate is successfully appealing to growth sectors, particularly FinTech, for which London is a well-established hub of talent, energy and ideas. Broadgate’s dynamic campus offering, with an evolving mix of retail and leisure, and an extensive programme of events and experiences is attracting a broader mix of occupier, and its appeal will be further enhanced by the arrival of the Elizabeth Line at Liverpool Street Station in 2018.
British Land and GIC’s vision for Broadgate includes a substantial redevelopment of 2 & 3 FA, which received planning consent last year. The lettings announced today preserve optionality on this building, enabling the progression of plans when the time is right.
David Lockyer, Head of Broadgate, British Land, said: “Starling Bank has blazed a trail as one of the UK’s most dynamic challenger banks whilst Innovate Finance has championed the UK FinTech community globally, helping to cement London’s place as the world’s FinTech capital. Their decision to take space at Broadgate illustrates just how successfully the campus is establishing a reputation as a centre of FinTech excellence, and is a great example of the how the campus is appealing to growth sectors. Our long term plans will see Broadgate evolve into a vibrant and mixed-use neighbourhood for London; expanding the occupier mix is an important step in that journey.”
Anne Boden, CEO & Founder of Starling Bank, added: “Broadgate is a special place for me – I remember first working here in the 80s and 90s. Sitting on the cusp of the City and Shoreditch, it has always been vibrant and a real attraction for talent. Now, initiatives like British Land’s 2FA are luring smart, innovative companies together and developing a fantastic community. They are building on that history, on the crossover between finance, technology, and creative sectors with exciting results. London is, and can remain the fintech capital of the world, but to do so it needs more spaces like this where diverse ideas and talent feel welcome and can flourish.”
Charlotte Cresswell, CEO, Innovate Finance, commented: “Broadgate’s location, on the doorsteps of both Shoreditch and the City, will enable Innovate Finance to support its growing membership base in the area, which includes many startups, technology companies and major banks. It will also bring us closer to our community partners and benefactors, particularly the City of London, who are keen to work together to help build expand London’s dynamic FinTech cluster. We are looking forward to making the most of our space and creating a network in the area. This includes strengthening the links and interface between the neighbouring tech and creative communities that are playing vital roles in shaping the success of UK’s FinTech sector- from the team at Google in King’s Cross to the app developers and coders in Shoreditch and Silicon Roundabout.”
For further details on the projects and events at Broadgate, visit www.broadgate.co.uk.
| Enquiries: | |
| Investor Relations | |
| Cressida Curtis, British Land | 020 7467 2938 |
| Media | |
| Claire Turvey, Emily Murphy, FTI Consulting | 020 3727 1000 |
About Broadgate
Broadgate is a 32-acre central London neighbourhood adjacent to the transport hub of Liverpool Street station. It is located alongside the creative communities of Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Old Street, and borders the City to the south.
Joint owners British Land and GIC are investing in Broadgate’s evolution into a world class, mixed use destination, bringing people together to work, shop, drink and dine, reflecting people’s changing lifestyle ambitions and attitudes.
Broadgate is the largest pedestrianised urban neighbourhood in central London. Its appeal as an established location for financial and business service companies endures, however it is seeing increasing demand from tech, media and other growth sectors, all looking for a well-located and vibrant place to both work and enjoy spending time.
Broadgate’s shopping, leisure and restaurant offer will increase dramatically over the next few years with the arrival of new and exciting brands throughout the campus. Broadgate’s public realm is enhanced by forward-thinking artwork and design and its open spaces play host to a popular year-round events programme.
An estimated 65 million people visit Broadgate every year; this is expected to increase with the opening of the Elizabeth Line at Liverpool Street in 2018.
To find out more, visit www.broadgate.co.uk.
About British Land
Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on Retail around the UK and London Offices. We own or manage a portfolio valued at £19.1 billion (British Land share: £13.9 billion) as at 31 March 2017 making us one of Europe’s largest listed real estate investment companies.
Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles – Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance.
Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 49% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 46 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Our Retail portfolio is focused on Regional and Local multi-let centres, and accounts for 48% of our portfolio.
Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. Our industry-leading sustainability performance led to British Land being named a European Sector Leader in the 2016 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark for the third year running.
In April 2016 British Land received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK’s highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental benefits achievements over a period of five years.
Further details can be found on the British Land website at www.britishland.com.
About Starling Bank
We’re a fintech business with a banking licence, fully regulated by the FCA and PRA. We were granted a banking licence in July 2016. Starling Bank is a member of Faster Payments and an issuer of MasterCard.
We’re not copying the traditional banking model – we’ve learned from it, taking the not-so-good bits and turning them into our best bits. We believe giving our customers access to a mobile market of products and services that best fit their financial needs, helps them on their way to a happier, healthier financial life.
For more information, please visit www.starlingbank.com or contact Harriet Allner, Head of Communications, at media@starlingbank.com.
About Innovate Finance
Innovate Finance is an independent membership association that represents the UK’s global FinTech community. Founded in 2014 with the support of the City of London and Canary Wharf Group, Innovate Finance is a not-for-profit with over 250+ members that aims to accelerate the country’s leading position in the global financial services sector by directly supporting the next era of technology-led financial services innovators, whether they be a young startup or an established industry player.
The goal is to create a single point of access across the sectors to help foster enabling policies, regulation, talent development, business growth opportunities and investment in the UK — and, most importantly, to create a global finance sector that offers services that are more sustainable, more inclusive and better for everyone.
SOURCE: British Land