JOSEPH GABRIEL LAGONSIN

News Editor

App store push

The Royal Horticultural Society has appointed Yodel Mobile to support the expansion of its RHS Grow app in the charity’s first partnership with an app marketing agency.

The appointment is part of a wider effort to extend the RHS’s reach beyond its gardens and shows and draw more users to its digital services. Yodel Mobile will work to improve the app’s visibility in app stores through app store optimisation, helping the charity target younger gardeners, beginners and people across the UK who may not engage with its physical sites.

RHS Grow offers gardening guidance, inspiration and practical advice through a mobile app. The partnership reflects a broader push to make gardening more accessible wherever people live, as the RHS develops its digital strategy alongside its traditional work in horticulture, education and public gardens.

Founded in 1804, the RHS is the UK’s largest gardening charity, with more than 600,000 members. It shares horticultural advice through its gardens, events, education programmes, publications and website, while also running campaigns linked to sustainability and school gardening.

For Yodel Mobile, the agreement adds a well-known national institution to its client list. The consultancy, part of NP Digital, specialises in mobile app marketing and says it has worked on more than 2,500 apps since its founding in 2007, including for TUI, UKTV, Global Player and Hinge.

Charity digital shift

The partnership also signals a shift in how the RHS is approaching audience development. Long reliant on its gardens, flower shows and publishing to connect with the public, the charity is now placing greater emphasis on mobile products to reach new demographics, including urban users and younger people.

RHS strategy 2030

The app forms part of the RHS’s 2030 Strategy, which aims to widen access to gardening, support more sustainable practices and use science-based approaches to address issues affecting people and nature. Digitally, that means using online tools to reach audiences who may not see gardening as an established part of daily life.

One likely focus is discoverability. Competition in app stores is intense, and charities and membership organisations often face the same challenge as consumer brands in turning recognition into downloads and repeat use. By focusing on organic app store presence rather than paid promotion alone, the RHS appears to be seeking longer-term user growth.

Jamie Meza De Paz, App Marketing Manager at the RHS, outlined the thinking behind the appointment.

“RHS Grow is about opening up gardening to new audiences and showing that it’s for everyone, wherever they live,” said Jamie Meza De Paz, App Marketing Manager at the RHS.

“It’s also important that we extend the reach of the RHS beyond our gardens, helping more people connect with nature and experience the joy of gardening in their everyday lives. We were looking for a partner with a proven track record of delivering measurable results, and Yodel Mobile stood out immediately. Their expertise will help us reach more people and strengthen our app store presence, ensuring even more users can discover and enjoy the app,” said Meza De Paz.

The charity’s focus on younger and newer gardeners reflects a broader trend across the horticulture sector, where established institutions are trying to connect with audiences shaped by mobile-first habits, smaller living spaces and growing interest in urban and sustainable gardening. Apps have become one way to offer advice and build regular engagement without relying on visits to physical venues.

Yodel Mobile role

That creates an opening for specialist marketing firms focused on app discovery, retention and engagement. Yodel Mobile said its role will centre on strengthening the app’s organic position in app stores, which can influence both download volumes and how a product is perceived by prospective users.

Mick Rigby, Chief Executive Officer of Yodel Mobile, said the partnership would support the charity’s digital ambitions.

“We’re delighted to partner with the RHS, a national institution with such a strong legacy, to help unlock the full potential of the RHS Grow app,” said Mick Rigby, Chief Executive Officer of Yodel Mobile.

“This initiative will support the RHS’s vision of making gardening accessible for everyone, while strengthening its digital presence for the future,” said Rigby.

The RHS has also set out a separate sustainability strategy aimed at making the organisation net positive for nature and people by 2030. Alongside its Planet-Friendly Gardening campaign, the charity has encouraged UK gardeners to respond to climate and biodiversity pressures, adding another dimension to its effort to broaden participation in gardening through digital tools.

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

ComplyCube has been named RegTech Partner of the Year at the British Bank Awards for the third consecutive year, as UK banks face rising fraud and tighter compliance demands.

The recognition reflects its work with banks and financial institutions on identity verification, fraud checks and customer onboarding. It is now processing more than 10 million transactions a week worldwide.

Pressure on the sector has intensified as fraud cases rise. According to Cifas, UK fraud reached a record 444,000 cases in 2025, with almost three-quarters linked to identity fraud and facility takeover.

That has increased scrutiny of how banks verify customers while keeping digital sign-up processes simple enough to avoid losing applicants. Firms are also dealing with stricter regulatory expectations and a shift towards digital-first account opening.

ComplyCube’s platform supports verification in more than 250 countries and territories and uses more than 3,000 data points from external sources and partners. It has verified more than 4 million identities to date and maintains a 98% client onboarding rate.

The group offers biometric and document verification, sanctions and politically exposed persons screening, fraud intelligence signals, and a no-code workflow engine. Financial institutions use those tools to identify customers, flag risks, and adapt internal processes as rules and fraud patterns change.

The award adds to a run of recognition in the financial crime technology market. ComplyCube has also been included in the FinCrimeTech50 and says its clients include Citi, Lyca Mobile, AXA and Accenture.

Demand for digital identity checks has grown as financial institutions try to reduce fraud losses without creating long delays for legitimate customers. That has strengthened the position of verification and compliance software providers as banks review older onboarding systems.

Market pressure

The latest fraud figures underline why identity systems have become a central issue for lenders and payments groups. Identity fraud and account takeover can expose firms to direct financial losses, regulatory penalties and reputational damage, while weak onboarding controls can also hinder customer growth.

For banks, the challenge is not only detecting suspicious activity but doing so quickly enough to avoid disrupting applications from genuine users. This has become more important as more retail and business customers open accounts remotely rather than in branches.

ComplyCube says the scale of that challenge has helped drive its growth over the past year. It positions its products as helping regulated firms reduce fraud, meet compliance requirements and improve digital onboarding flows.

“Winning RegTech Partner of the Year for a third year running is a real milestone for the team, and a reflection of the trust UK banks and financial institutions are placing in ComplyCube. The compliance landscape is shifting fast – fraud is becoming more sophisticated, regulatory expectations are rising, and customers expect onboarding to be seamless. Our job is to give financial institutions the tools to meet all three at once, without compromise. This recognition is a credit to our customers, our partners and a team that refuses to stand still,” Tarek Nechma, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ComplyCube, said.

The British Bank Awards are organised by Smart Money People and draw on customer feedback. Organisers said this year’s responses indicated demand for stronger digital identity and fraud-prevention measures.

“Congratulations to ComplyCube for winning RegTech partner of the year for the third year running. Following feedback in this year’s British bank awards, clients say that ComplyCube continues to demonstrate excellence in regulatory technology, delivering innovative solutions that help organisations stay compliant while strengthening the safety and integrity of customer interactions. This year, firms are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing focus on digital identity and fraud prevention, so ComplyCube’s approach to streamlined and scalable compliance is more important than ever. A huge well done to the entire team on this fantastic achievement,” said Peer Jelendorf, Chief Executive Officer of Smart Money People.

Located within Oxford North, a £1.2 billion innovation district, the fully fitted lab and office space marks the latest milestone in the development of the 64-acre site.

The space is designed to support start-ups, spin-outs, and established businesses across the life sciences, technology and artificial intelligence sectors.

Simon Ruck, managing director of Oxford North, said: “Oxford North has been purposely designed to support businesses at all stages of their development, from start-ups to scale-ups to global corporates.

“Fast-growing businesses require flexible, adaptable space, and this fully fitted lab space means companies can expand quickly in line with funding and research milestones, saving time and costs on fit-outs and delivering operational efficiencies.

“This is essential for smaller companies across the science, technology and innovation sectors.

“Delivering this latest phase at Oxford North, on time, is an important step as we continue building out one of the UK’s most dynamic mixed-use ecosystems, which benefits stakeholders across the city and beyond.”

The new labs, totalling 13,500 sq ft, include on-site technical support, a shared equipment room, and access to specialised facilities such as an -80°C freezer and a fume cupboard.

The associated write-up space features sit-stand desks and has a direct data connection to its lab.

Oxford North’s first phase also includes The Red Hall, a 33,000 sq ft workspace hub spread across four floors.

A new 100-seat auditorium is part of the community-focused amenities on the ground floor of The Red Hall and is available for hire.

Designed to support collaboration across the district, the auditorium can be used for conferences, lectures, or subdivided for smaller meetings and seminars.

Co-working and breakout areas for up to 40 people are located nearby, alongside Taylor’s Oxford North café, which faces Fallaize Park.

The scheme is being delivered by Oxford North Ventures, a joint venture between Thomas White Oxford (the development arm of St John’s College), Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and London property developer Stanhope.

Kevin Darvishi, head of leasing at Stanhope, said: “This is the latest milestone in our vision to create the UK’s leading purpose-built innovation district which caters for the whole science and technology lifecycle ecosystem.”

Oxford North already counts international law firm Mishcon de Reya among its occupiers.

The firm recently signed a five-year lease for 3,500 sq ft of office space on the first floor of The Red Hall.