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LONDON — British online lending start-up Zopa has raised $300 million in a funding round led by SoftBank, adding to the soaring investment flowing into Europe's booming financial technology sector.
The company is now valued at $1 billion following the fresh cash injection, according to a source familiar with the deal, making it the latest European fintech to achieve «unicorn» status. The source preferred to remain anonymous as the information has not been disclosed publicly.
Founded in 2005, Zopa began life as a peer-to-peer lender, connecting investors with borrowers through a single online platform. The company has since shifted its focus toward becoming a fully fledged bank, after securing a banking license in the U.K.,
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