Brisbane to play host to Google-powered FinTech startup weekend
In early July, Suncorp’s offices in Brisbane Square will throw open their doors to aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the fintech industry for a weekend of idea development, teamwork, and financial innovation. Created with the goal of fostering exciting new developments within the financial services industry, startup weekends are “a great way for financial services product owners and innovators to hand some hands on experience creating new and exciting financial products and services” according to co-organiser Adrian Juarez. “There’s never been a better time to be in Financial Services and FinTech. It’s Australia’s largest and fastest growing industry. The scale and speed of disruption is unprecedented and […]
zipMoney proposes Pocketbook acquisition
zipMoney has also announced that it has entered into a non-binding indicative term sheet to acquire Pocketbook, which is subject to zipMoney completing satisfactory due diligence and the Pocketbook founders and other Pocketbook shareholders agreeing to and entering into transaction documents necessary to give effect to the acquisition. The zipMoney Board may as a result of its due diligence decide not to proceed with the acquisition. The total consideration is A$7.5 million, comprised of A$6 million upfront consideration and A$1.5 million deferred purchase consideration, subject to various performance milestones. The cash requirement is currently estimated at A$2.5 million, with the balance in zipMoney shares at the capital raising price, […]
zipMoney announces A$20.6 million in oversubscribed institutional placement
Highlights of the zipMoney placement: zipMoney has completed an oversubscribed placement to institutional and sophisticated investors to raise A$20.6 million Placement funds will provide loan book equity capital, fund the proposed acquisition of Pocketbook and provide expansion capital Potential to approximately halve the weighted average cost of capital of zipMoney’s loan book zipMoney has entered into a non-binding indicative term sheet to acquire Pocketbook for an upfront consideration of A$6.0 million Pocketbook is one of the most popular apps in the personal finance sector, with over 200,000 users
Turn debts into income
PROFITING from other people’s debts has always been popular way to make money, and investors seeking income are being given more choice than ever before. While interest rates wallow at record lows and are tipped to fall further, a new breed of peer-to-peer — or marketplace — lenders is gaining ground and other income funds are multiplying. Peer-to-peer lending — which removes middlemen such as banks and allows people to lend directly to borrowers via online platforms — is forecast to at least double in size every year for several years to come. RateSetter CEO Daniel Foggo says Australian peer-to-peer platforms funded $50 million of loans last year and that […]
Global regulators attuned to blockchain risks
The use of blockchain in financial services would need to be carefully regulated with access restricted to only approved participants and institutions may be required to use kill switches to stop computers automatically executing in times of stress. Greg Medcraft, who has just relinquished the chair of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), told The Australian Financial Review that blockchains must be able to operate with each other and the financial services companies that use them will have to stand behind the technology in case it fails. Mr Medcraft was commenting on the principles guiding global regulators’ assessment of emerging blockchain technology which have been set out for the […]
Perth start-up wins Silicon Valley comp
Perth bank security start-up BankVault has won its category at the World Cup Tech Challenge in Silicon Valley, beating out a range of start-ups from across the world. Speaking to thewest.com from Silicon Valley after his start-up was announced as the winner in the fintech category, Bankvault founder Graeme Speak said it opened up a world of opportunity. “It’s massive,” Mr Speak said. “We’ve had a lot of introductions to people in Silicon Valley connected with a lot of big money over here. And the win will help us launch internationally.” Bankvault is aiming to prevent online hacking through a banking security solution connecting smartphones and computers to a virtual […]
LendingPost closes $100m in loans – set to revolutionise small business finance
Cheaper, faster, more flexible online small business loans – that’s the winning formula that has cemented LendingPost’s position in the finance industry. In fact, LendingPost.com.au has secured over $100m in small business loans in the last 3 years alone, proving their unique online loan matching service is a faster and easier way to get small business finance compared to traditional banking options. Founded as an alternative to big business finance, Aussie-owned LendingPost burst onto the finance scene in late 2013 by directly addressing a pain point of small business owners. “We know small business owners want the best deal but just don’t have the time to research, meet and speak […]
SuiteBox appoints new chair, adds to board
SuiteBox, the mobile office solution for the financial services industry, has appointed former AIG Life Australia boss David Whyte as Chairman and Craig Anderson as a Director of the Board. Ian Dunbar, SuiteBox CEO, said, “With our planned geographical expansion and user-growth plans, SuiteBox management and founders believe that an experienced board is critical in providing sage guidance and direction to our growth focused strategy. I’m delighted that David has agreed to Chair SuiteBox’s board and also to have Craig’s corporate advisory skills on the board.” Mr Whyte formerly led American International Group (AIG) life operations in NZ and Australia, and served on the Board of Fidelity Life and Southern […]
