Intelligent SME.tech Issue 03 | Page 9

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NetUtils new managed services offers enterprise grade cybersecurity for smaller businesses ’ budgets

Liberis grows embedded business finance platform to help SMEs weather the COVID storm

Liberis , a leading global embedded business finance platform , has secured £ 70m in financing from long-term partners British Business Investments , Paragon Bank , BCI Europe , as well as financing and venture debt from new partner Silicon Valley Bank ( SVB ). This brings Liberis ’ total funds raised to £ 200m total , including over £ 50m in equity funding . The new funds will be used to fuel company growth , launch new products and markets , and provide additional customer financing solutions . Liberis ’ global partner network consists of marketplaces , software providers and acquirers , such as Worldpay from FIS and Global Payments . These partners integrate with Liberis to offer up to one million SMEs personalised pre-approved revenue-based financing for up to £ 300,000 . Payments are linked to a company ’ s transactions , enabling them to pay for the funds more comfortably , in line with income .

NetUtils , a leading IT specialist , has launched a new , highly integrated managed cybersecurity services portfolio to help businesses gain enterprise class protection at competitive price points to suit small and medium sized organisations .

The new four tier bundles combine between four and 16 cybersecurity services ranging from endpoint protection and email security all the way up to fully fledged SOC services with prices starting at just £ 8 per user per month .

“ Managed security services provide a huge array of benefits for our enterprise customers yet have tended to be outside of the price range of smaller businesses that are just as likely to be attacked by cybercriminals ,” said Ashok Thomas , CEO for NetUtils . “ By building a set of integrated managed security services , using multiple vendors along with our own 24 / 7 teams , we are typically able to deliver our bundles at an overall cost that is between 40 % to 70 % less than a small business trying to buy and implement all of the separate solutions – and that ’ s even before staffing costs .”

FinTechs see increased growth as firms adapt to COVID-19

The World Economic Forum has released results of a study on how the FinTech industry has been impacted by COVID-19 .

Since the onset of the pandemic , the FinTech industry has seen increased growth . In 2020 , firms saw an average rise of 13 % compared to 11 % growth in previous years . The expansion of transactions was noticeably higher in countries with strict lockdown measures , where growth was 50 % higher , compared to firms who were operating in countries with looser measures .

Though the highest gains were seen in the digital payments sector , nearly all FinTech services saw increased growth . Digital lending was the only service that did not see increased growth .

“ It ’ s clear COVID-19 has disrupted the global economy with lasting implications for corporates and consumers ,” said Matthew Blake , Head of Financial and Monetary Systems , World Economic Forum .

“ Despite this challenging backdrop , FinTechs have proven resilient and adaptable : contributing to pandemic relief efforts , adjusting operations and offerings to serve vulnerable market segments , like micro , small and medium-sized businesses , while posting year-over-year growth across most regions .”