Westpac puts another $50 million into Reinventure
Westpac Banking Corp has doubled its exposure to venture capital, investing a further $50 million into a second fund to be managed by Reinventure Group to invest in fintech start-ups including those which could potentially disrupt the bank. The closure of Reinventure’s $50 million Fund 2 reflects Westpac’s belief that technology is reshaping financial markets and that the bank should hold equity stakes in a selection of potential disrupters as a defence mechanism to potential disintermediation. It also shows how Westpac wants to improve the experiences of its customers by developing relationships with start-ups. The second fund will be managed by Simon Cant and Danny Gilligan, the co-founders of Reinventure […]
Brokers in ‘unique position’ to benefit from fintech: CEOs
The heads of an Australian lending business and an industry association believe forward-thinking mortgage brokers are poised to benefit from the growing fintech trend. Marketplace lender FundX says the symbiotic nature of the broker/fintech relationship will serve both channels well, provided brokers are open-minded about new technology. FundX founder and CEO David Jackson believes the additional value brokers can offer clients via fintech products and services, combined with the reliance many fintechs have on brokers as an important avenue for growth via referrals, means those who leverage this relationship instead of resisting it may be poised to benefit most from the fintech revolution. “At its core, finance broking is based […]
Fintech B2B small business lending marketplace Bigstone raises $3 million
Fintech start-up Bigstone has raised $3 million from a range of investors, including ASX-listed diversified investments and venture capital firm CVC, to grow its small business lending marketplace and offer an alternative to the big banks. The seed funding round is the first capital raised by the start-up, which connects small businesses wanting to borrow up to $250,000 with non-bank lenders. Other major investors in the round were the founders of Bangkok-based fund Lighthouse Venture Partners Paniti Junhasavasdikul and Narith Phadungchai, in addition to private investors. Bigstone co-founder and chief executive Boyd Pederson said the capital would be used to fuel expansion, grow its marketing team and to continue developing […]
Adelaide Fintech solution disrupts Invoicing
Adoption of cloud software has gained acceptance and is increasing dramatically. Over 600,000 Australian businesses currently use cloud accounting solutions. And yet, when they send an invoice they need to print and post it, or PDF and email it. This is because cloud accounting systems do not talk directly to other cloud accounting systems. An Adelaide Fintech company has worked to address this problem with a solution called Link4. Link4 delivers your invoice instantly to your customer. It creates a secure Link that allows cloud accounting systems to be connected. This includes popular systems like Xero, MYOB, Quickbooks, Reckon, Saasu and SageOne. No matter which cloud software a supplier uses, […]
FINCAST has secured a pilot programme with OCBC
Australian headquartered Fintech start-up, FINCAST, has secured a pilot programme with Singaporean headquartered Asian bank OCBC as its first deal. Managing Director and Co-Founder, Andrew Connors, commented, “the appetite for and commitment to innovation by Asian banks means the Australian big four banks are being left behind. Major Asian banks like OCBC aren’t just kicking the tyres on new technologies that will advance their business, they are firmly focussed on having a first-mover advantage by utilising technology”. “We are still hopeful that early adopters of our technology will include an Australian bank or corporate partner of our home, the Stone & Chalk Fintech hub”. The pilot between FINCAST […]
Visa hunts Australian and New Zealand fintech start-ups with launch of contest
Payments giant Visa is on the hunt for Australia and New Zealand-based fintech start-ups, with the local launch of a contest it hopes will encourage the brightest young companies to develop applications on its network. They will open up applications for the contest it calls The Everywhere Initiative this week, which will require tech companies to tackle real world challenges faced in the financial services sector, with entries closing on August 26. Visa’s global head of digital and marketing transformation Shiv Singh told The Australian Financial Review that while the contest winners would have the opportunity to win up to $70,000, the real value came in the chance to run […]
Nominations for the Fintech100 list of top fintech companies is now open
Nominations have opened for the highly coveted inclusion on the list of the world’s top fintech innovators – known as the ‘Fintech100’. Fintech companies from around the world are invited to apply, at www.fintechinnovators.com, the Fintech100 incorporates both the leading 50 established fintechs, and the most intriguing 50 ‘emerging stars’. Through the Fintech Innovators website (www.fintechinnovators.com), H2 Ventures, in collaboration with KPMG Fintech, produces the Fintech100 Report to highlight the world’s most successful, exciting and high impact new companies reshaping the financial services industry using new technologies. The Fintech100 list will be curated by a judging panel with members based in financial centres across the world. The 2016 Fintech100 […]
Equip launches pilot program for Equip MyMoney robo investment service
Equip is piloting its robo investment service, branded Equip MyMoney, with a select group of members, with release to all members planned by the end of the month. Equip MyMoney is the fund’s custom-built superannuation version of Clover.com.au’s automated investment service and will help members make the right choice from the fund’s existing investment options based on their risk profile. This is calculated from user responses to a short series of questions. Equip’s Executive Officer, Member Relationships, Justin Sadler, said: “Equip MyMoney will be a quantum leap forward in the online experience and capability available to our members, and reflects our commitment to on-going development of our financial education and […]
