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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Robo-adviser Six Park launches with Brian Watson, Lindsay Tanner and Paul Costello on Advisory Board
Australia’s pre-eminent financial experts have joined the next generation of automated financial advice providers with the launch of robo-adviser Six Park. Six Park’s team includes former Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, founding chief of the Future Fund Paul Costello and Six Park co-founder and former J.P. Morgan Australia Chairman Brian Watson on the company’s Advisory Board. Six Park has raised $1.4 million in seed funding pre-launch and combines the use of cutting edge technology with more than 100 years of investment expertise and wisdom led by co-founders Patrick Garrett (CEO) and Mr Watson (Chairman of Advisory Board). Independently-owned and operating in beta-mode for over a year to […]
Former Macquarie boss Allan Moss an investor in fintech ChimpChange
Former Macquarie Group chief and Reserve Bank of Australia board member Allan Moss has emerged as a backer of IPO hopeful ChimpChange, sources told Street Talk. Australian “digital bank” start-up ChimpChange has chosen to disrupt US banks, given their high fees for transferring money, but the company is back at home and seeking to raise circa $15 million with a planned listing on the Australian Securities Exchange. Moss’s support may provide ChimpChange’s sponsor brokers with extra momentum as they test the appetite of potential investors. He most recently threw his weight behind online consulting start-up Expert360, which also counts former Commonwealth Bank and Westpac chief information officer Bob McKinnon among […]
NAB, Westpac and Qantas invest in Data Republic
National Australia Bank, Westpac Banking Corp and Qantas have taken stakes in Data Republic, a Sydney-based start-up that has designed a platform which allows companies and government to exchange data in a secure environment. The deal indicates some of Australia’s largest companies are considering sharing data with each other to enhance service delivery but under strict controls to protect customer privacy. NAB, Westpac and Qantas have invested a combined $10.5 million into Data Republic’s recent Series A equity fundraising round. The stakes were acquired through Qantas Loyalty, NAB’s venture capital fund, NAB Ventures, and Westpac’s venture capital fund, Reinventure Group. The deal is Qantas’ first investment in a tech start-up […]
