Prospa and The Entourage combine to inspire small business owners
Prospa, Australia’s largest online lender to small business, has launched an innovative partnership with educator The Entourage that enables business owners and budding entrepreneurs to fund education through their business cashflow. The partnership will enable business owners to access The Entourage’s Launch, Build and Scale education programs and advice from leading entrepreneurs using an interest free loan from Prospa, instead of a large upfront payment, credit card or expensive personal loan. Beau Bertoli Joint CEO of Prospa said “It’s amazing that two of Australia’s entrepreneurial success stories are partnering to offer Australian small business owners and fledgling entrepreneurs access to finance and education. “Prospa and The Entourage have the same […]
Fintech SME lender GetCapital heads to New Zealand
The Australian lender is now able to service New Zealand SMEs through a Lending as a Service partnership. GetCapital, a leading Australian fintech lender that specialises in small- to medium-sized businesses, is expanding internationally through a strategic partnership. The partnership with New Zealand lender Avanti Finance will see the licensing of GetCapital’s technology and underwriting via a Lending as a Service (LaaS) model. This is believed to be a first for an Australian lender. GetCapital‘s CEO Jamie Osborn said expanding into the New Zealand market was the next logical step. “With the large number of SMEs in New Zealand facing the same challenges as the Australian market, we are excited […]
Move over term deposits, peer-to-peer lending is on the rise for Aussie investors
Individual Aussie investors have lent an average of $13,508 in the last nine months as they chase better returns in a low-yield environment, according to leading peer-to-peer lender RateSetter. This figure is a 25.4% increase from the $10,770 lent in the previous nine months. With the RBA keeping interest rates at rock bottom levels, and savings returns suffering as a result, Daniel Foggo, RateSetter CEO, said that investors were turning to peer-to-peer platforms as they shifted away from “volatile equities and low-return savings accounts and term deposits.” “We hear from investors that they are attracted by the compelling returns and lower relative risk, in particular the protection of their money […]
Why the parliamentary inquiry was good for fintech
Discussion of data sharing, small business loan rates and investment troubles spell increased opportunities for fintech. The parliamentary inquiry into banks saw CEOs of the Big Four – Westpac, ANZ, NAB and Commonwealth Bank – grilled about a range of issues pertaining to their bank’s conduct. While the line of questioning taken by House of Representative economics committee did not directly relate to fintech, the answers and defences at the four inquiries reveal several interesting points that relate to the fintech sector, for both banks and fintech companies. Data sharing Westpac and NAB were questioned over the sharing of customer data in order to increase competition. This is a key […]
Key appointment of CEO at DirectMoney
The Board of DirectMoney is very pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Anthony Nantes to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Former Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Beaumont will become the Chief Operating Officer. Mr Nantes brings substantial experience in fintech and technology to the role, which together with his exceptional set of skills will lead and deliver the next phase of the Company’s growth. Mr Anthony Nantes said: “I am excited to have the opportunity to take over the reins of such an outstanding Australian fintech company that has proven capability and has successfully grown through the early stage with a proprietary technology platform foundation that can […]
Valiant announces partnership with Octomedia to launch Inside Small Business LoanConnect
Leading fintech business loan marketplace, Valiant and Inside Small Business publisher Octomedia, announced the official launch of an exclusive partnership to bring business loan solutions to Australia’s small business community. The partnership is a major Australian publishing first which delivers an exclusive business loan search and application portal as a co-branded offer: Inside Small Business LoanConnect. By dynamically accessing Valiant’s panel of 35+ leading lenders, Inside Small Business LoanConnect compares small business owner’s loan requests to the lender’s credit criteria. Matching works instantaneously through Valiant’s proprietary marketplace technology – saving business owner’s time and stress. Valiant Co-founders, Alex Molloy and Richard Cotton expressed excitement for the new […]
AFG ties up with US fintech to roll out SME lending platform
Small-business lending, not wealth management, will be the mortgage broking industry’s next growth engine, according to Australian Finance Group, which is busy trying to sign up lenders to its new technology platform powered by US fintech company Biz2Credit. In August, AFG quietly formed an alliance with Biz2Credit to use the company’s patented analytics and financial services technology to give its army of 2650 brokers the ability to better offer small business loans alongside traditional mortgages. AFG plans to roll out the platform early next year with a “panel” of 15 lenders that customers can choose from, including the major banks and new fintech lenders. This contrasts with the strategy of […]
SocietyOne shuffles senior ranks as volumes accelerate
Peer-to-peer lender SocietyOne is looking for a new chief marketing officer following the departure of star recruit Mitch Harad while co-founder Matt Symons has been shifted to non-executive director, as the high-profile fintech upgrades its lending forecasts and attracts more institutional capital on to its internet platform. Mr Harad was hired with fanfare mid-last year after guiding Lending Club, also a P2P lender, to a public listing in the US. It is understood his departure is amicable and he will stay in Australia to establish his own start-up. Mr Harad was lured to SocietyOne by co-founder Matt Symons, who will relinquish his executive duties and move to the boardroom as a non-executive director. His management role will be taken up by former […]
