UK’s Cazoo Launches in France and Germany

In today’s top Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) news, the U.K.’s Cazoo expands into mainland Europe; Israeli FinTech startup Anchor closes a $15 million seed round; the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposes changes to European Union regulation; Saudi food delivery platform Jahez plans to go public; HSBC adds an investing feature for U.K. customers; Fiverr and Stride Health partner to enable access to affordable healthcare; and more.

UK’s Cazoo Launches in France and Germany, Intensifies Competition in Europe’s Used Car Market

Cazoo, a European online car retailer, has launched its used car marketplace in both France and Germany, after making its first step toward European expansion in February with the purchase of Germany’s leading car subscription service, Cluno. The U.K.-based firm already has “hundreds of cars” available in the two European countries, all of which come with a 12-month warranty.

Israeli FinTech Startup Anchor Closes $15M Seed Round

Autonomous billing platform Anchor has closed a $15 million seed funding round. The fresh capital will be used to grow its team beyond its current workforce of 16, connect with new partners and increase marketing efforts. Founded in 2019, Anchor is headquartered in Tel Aviv and offers a full-cycle, autonomous, end-to-end billing and payments solution for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Saudi Food Delivery Platform Jahez to Go Public

Saudi-based food delivery startup Jahez is readying its initial public offering (IPO) on the Saudi stock exchange. The company intends to list 1.36 million shares, or 13% of its share capital post-listing. In addition, the offer shares consist of a secondary offering of 4.5% of total share capital by way of a pro-rata sell down by Jahez shareholders, and a primary offering of 8.5% of the total share capital through the issuance of new shares.

HSBC Adds Investing Feature for UK Customers

British bank HSBC has added a function to its mobile app that lets customers invest in a suite of funds for a minimum of 50 pounds ($66.62). The move is aimed at younger people across the U.K. and pits HSBC against other FinTech platforms that offer wealth management. The new service will be available on iOS and Android in the next several weeks.

Fiverr, Stride Health Partner to Enable Access to Affordable Healthcare

Israeli freelance platform Fiverr is partnering with portable benefits platform Stride Health to give Fiverr members access to Stride’s suite of health, dental and vision insurance. The companies are also raising awareness of America Rescue Plan-inspired subsidies and tax credits, as well as educating Fiverr members about the healthcare available to them through Stride Health.

Confirmation of Payee (CoP) Offering Makes ‘Massive Difference’ for UK Businesses Tackling Fraud

Digital fraud in the U.K. is increasing at an alarming rate. To combat the authorized push payment (APP) fraud epidemic in the U.K., the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) scheme has emerged as an industry-wide response to reducing the ways that scammers can lure people into sending authorized payments into criminal accounts.