Cuscal takes c11% stake in software development company Moroku
Cuscal and Moroku, a Sydney-based developer of mobile banking and payments software, have agreed terms which see Cuscal take a circa 11% stake in Moroku and a seat on its Board. Cuscal’s investment is part of a broader capital raising by Moroku. Moroku was founded in 2012 by Colin Weir and Dave Durbin. Its main business is creating immersive digital experiences to help banks connect better with customers, so increasing their competitiveness and ability to acquire more customers. In the financial services area Moroku has already developed two innovative products: Game System – a platform for next generation financial services applications that employs motivational theory and gamification to build financial […]
NAB eschews fintech push, keeps online business lending in-house
National Australia Bank has decided against partnering with a “fintech” company for its first automated online business lending product, ensuring a tighter grip on customers as the banks cautiously explore the burgeoning sector that threatens to eat into profits. The bank yesterday revealed QuickBiz Loan, one of the first products from in-house innovation hub NAB Labs, would be launched early this month, offering small businesses up to $50,000 unsecured via a new online application process. The move contrasts with Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, which are working on referral partnerships with business fintech lenders OnDeck and Prospa. NAB business lending division chief Angela Mentis said that while partnerships could be done […]
Celebrate innovation that puts the customer in charge
It’s no secret that the word innovation is in vogue. It’s not just that it’s one of our prime minister’s favourite words, it’s a trend across the English-speaking world. Use of the word has grown steadily since 1943, according to Google’s database of books published from 1800 to 2008. It was used almost twice as much in 2008 as 1969, the year humans first landed on the moon, and it’s a dead cert the past eight years have been no different. But using “innovation” as a mantra doesn’t make you more innovative. Many people feel that it’s become, or becoming, a meaningless catchphrase. It’s time to reclaim it. It’s a […]
Fintech platform enables consumers to broker loans
A new fintech platform has launched which enables consumers to broker their own home loan online. The site, uno, claims it puts the consumer in the driver’s seat, giving them access to the tools and information that traditional brokers use to find a home loan, across a wide panel of lenders. Uno also has its own home loan experts that provide advice to provide a “human element”, however, creator and CEO of uno, Vincent Turner, said they do not personally receive sales commissions. “What uno provides, for the first time, is a chance for the consumer to be part of the process and see all of their personalised options,” Turner […]
Fintech ChimpChange has $15m IPO
It’s the latest fintech outfit looking to list on the local bourse, but ChimpChange’s founder and chief Ash Shilkin reckons he has the right mix of executive talent and runs on the board to ensure a smooth landing on the stock exchange. The company, founded in 2012, lets users transfer money instantly between accounts using mobile phone numbers and the MasterCard network. It boasts former Westpac chief operating officer Peter Clare as chairman and is focused on the US market where local banks charge high fees for transferring money electronically. With a $15 million IPO in the offing, ChimpChange’s immediate focus is on spreading the message as far and wide […]
FlexiGroup now funding Kikka’s business loans
FlexiGroup will become the sole funder of Kikka Capital’s business loans as emerging fintech players continue to reshape Australia’s shadow credit markets. FlexiGroup told the Australian Securities Exchange on Monday it had invested $2 million of equity into Perth-based Kikka Capital and provided it with a funding line. FlexiGroup will also use a “white label” version of Kikka’s platform to trial unsecured lending as a complementary offering to its secured asset financing operations. The deal comes less than a week after RateSetter Australia said it would start matching retail investors with business loans over its peer-to-peer platform. Meanwhile, loans by Moula are being funded by low doc lender Liberty Financial, […]
The DAO: Australians buy into the virtual company of the future
Australian investors and organisations are among hundreds of backers of a new virtual organisation that only exists online, is run entirely by computer code, but which promises to change the nature of corporations worldwide. The DAO, or Decentralised Autonomous Organisation, represents the largest non-political crowdfunding project to ever hit the internet, closing a $US132 million ($184 million) fundraising round over the weekend, to create a corporation with no management, no board and essentially no legal rights in any jurisdiction. The Australian Financial Review has tracked down a number of Australians who have invested including Duncan Campbell, a 26-year-old early cryptocurrency adopter, Bitcoin company Bit Trade and smaller research organisations hoping […]
With Gyft.com Inaccessible Outside of the US, You Can Still Buy Gift Cards Using Bitcoins
In May 2013, one of the biggest news was that Gyft.com had chosen to accept Bitcoin. Purchasing almost everything using Bitcoins was now a reality. This is because Gift cards from over 200 retail brands are sold on the digital gift card platform. And that translates to close to hundreds of thousands of both online and brick and mortar stores where you could spend your bitcoins. But Gyft.com has never been quite accessible from anywhere on the globe. It still defines its geographical market as the United States. Even so, in the early days, you could still create an account from anywhere on the globe and purchase gift cards. It […]
