Indonesia’s fintech lending boom exploits shortfall in bank loans
Fintech firms, offering loans of as little as a few hundred dollars, are seeing a spike in lending in Indonesia where tens of millions of people have little or no access to bank credit – helping alleviate a financing shortfall estimated at more than $73 billion. The emergence of these peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms has so far been welcomed by Indonesia’s financial regulators which see them as offering a much needed service to cash-strapped businesses and consumers at a time when Southeast Asia’s biggest economy has been hobbled by sluggish bank lending. Wimboh Santoso, head of Indonesia’s financial regulator (OJK), said while the trend was still a drop in the […]
The 10 Biggest Fintech Companies in America
Financial technology companies in the U.S. raised $3.5 billion in the first half of 2017, according to KPMG, as investors rushed to place bets in buzzy sectors like insurance and digital currencies. The U.S. is now home to 13 fintech unicorns who have scored valuations of at least $1 billion. This year alone, Robinhood (free trading), AvidXChange (automated invoicing for small businesses) and Symphony (Wall Street messaging platform) all joined the billion-dollar club. Here are the ten most valuable private venture-backed fintech players based in the U.S.: 1. Stripe Value: $9.2 billion* Founded: 2010 Founders: Patrick and John Collison CEO: Patrick Collison Allows merchants to accept online and mobile payments […]
Singapore’s GIC leads $220 million funding round for Chinese P2P lender Dianrong
Chinese peer-to-peer lending platform Dianrong has raised $220 million from Singapore sovereign fund GIC Pte Ltd [GIC.UL] and other investors to fund R&D in China and potential ventures elsewhere in Asia. Other investors in the funding round included CMIG Leasing, a unit of China’s biggest private investment conglomerate China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG), and South Korean fund manager Simone Investment Managers, Dianrong said on Wednesday. The Shanghai-based firm will use the funds to automate some of its new branches across China, for research and development and potential acquisitions, Dianrong’s co-Chief Executive Soul Htite told Reuters. “Now we’ve graduated to another level, so people that know finance are also seeing us […]
Oxford University is getting into fintech
Oxford University, the centuries-old British education institution, is branching out into fintech. The university’s Saïd Business School announced on Wednesday that it will launch an online short course in fintech — financial technology for the uninitiated — that is designed to help prepare business executives for a future where more and more financial services functions are based around tech. “Oxford Saïd has a commitment to preparing global executives for the challenges of both today and tomorrow,” Peter Tufano, the Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Finance at the school, told Business Insider over email. “Our faculty have been active in fintech research and teaching, up to and including starting fintech […]
Fintech the future
There are an estimated 600 fintech operators in Australia. The industry is burgeoning and continues to attract new players, so receiving less than double-digit complaints in 16 months isn’t a bad track record. “In addition to those 600 there’s probably another 20 to 30 overseas-based fintech companies that are operating here such as PayPal, Stripe and Square, for example,” says Cameron Dart, Australian FinTech chief executive and founder. “When we first started Australian FinTech back in 2015, we estimated there to be around 100 to 150 Australian fintech companies. We were very wrong. There were about 300 fintech companies back in 2015, which grew to around 450 in total during […]
Search for 2017 Fintech 100 innovators kicks off
Nominations are now open for the 2017 KPMG & H2 Ventures Fintech 100, the annual list designed to recognize leading fintech innovators. Visit www.fintechinnovators.com by Thursday, 31 August 2017 and nominate your company, or any fintech you think should be considered for the Fintech 100. The Fintech100, available at www.fintechinnovators.com, is compiled by fintech investment firm, H2 Ventures in collaboration with KPMG’s Global Fintech practice. The annual Fintech 100 includes both the leading 50 established fintechs, and the most intriguing 50 “emerging stars.” How to nominate and the judging process: Nominations for the Fintech 100 can be made at www.fintechinnovators.com website by Thursday, 31 August 2017. […]
FINTQ expands digital partnerships to become biggest fintech firm in Philippines
FINTQ, the financial technology arm of PLDT and Smart’s Voyager Innovations, on Thursday announced a string of new digital partnerships with banks and non-banking institutions for a variety of financial technology products and services, making it the biggest fintech firm operating in the Philippines today. Among its newly signed partners for Lendr, its pioneering and award-winning digital lending platform, include the Development Bank of the Philippines, EastWest Bank, the Philippine Bank of Communications, Philippine Veterans Bank, Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, Insular Bank, Philippine Business Bank, Card Bank Inc., Card SME Bank Inc., Rizal Bank Inc., Radiowealth Finance Company, Asialink Finance Corporation, Filidian Rural Bank, JK Capital, Esquire Financing, Algo Leasing, FINEX, […]
Ireland is well placed to ride the fintech wave
It was almost inevitable that Dublin would emerge as the hub of a thriving fintech sector in Ireland. The co-existence along the banks of the Liffey of the well-established International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) and the more youthful “Silicon Docks” with its coterie of world leading born-on-the-internet firms created an ideal breeding ground for the new sector, which merges traditional financial services with the latest advances in social media, data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies. According to the Fintech & Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI), fintech in its broadest sense comprises every area of technology and innovation in the financial services arena, including payments, trading and foreign exchange, big data, […]