Kerry Agiasotis of WUBS: Win-win when rivals turn partners
One of the world’s largest non-bank providers of international business payment solutions says aspiring fintech companies should seek to pursue partnerships with their big company rivals rather than fighting them if they want their ideas to reach their full potential. The chief executive of Western Union Business Solutions, the dedicated business payments unit of the New York Stock Exchange-listed Western Union Company, said the firm was increasingly looking to partner with fintechs and other start-ups. WUBS is primary spot foreign currency trading provider to 20 per cent of the SME market in Australia and secondary provider to another 20 per cent, including the big four banks. It has more than […]
BPS Technology acquires Entertainment Publications
Leading channel enablement and payments platform provider BPS Technology Limited (“BPS”, “BPS Technology” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its underwritten $27.5 million institutional placement. Net proceeds of the capital raising will be used to fund the transformative acquisition of Entertainment Publications Australia and New Zealand (“Entertainment” or “Entertainment Publications”), a leading B2C deals platform with 12,000 SMEs, 18,000 NFPs and 550,000 members, and for additional growth/working capital. The consideration for the Entertainment Publications acquisition is $22.5 million in cash and 2,659,574 in BPS shares. The combination of BPS and Entertainment brings together two proven, profitable and scalable businesses with significant growth potential. […]
zipMoney – User Experience
We here at Australian FinTech are mad mountain bike riders. So when one of us – me – decided it was time to buy a new bike, this time a road bike, I thought that instead of just walking in and paying cash or dumping it yet again on the credit card, why not utilise an Australian FinTech company to assist with the purchase, interest-free. And here are the reasons: We here at Australian FinTech wanted to see how these FinTech companies work, how easy it is and how they perform; how much effort it is to apply and get interest-free credit; how ingenious the technology is; we wanted to […]
The fintechs targeting SMEs
Fintech companies have increasingly started targeting SMEs looking for ways to finance their businesses, but fintechs shouldn’t expect a revolution without a few setbacks. At least, that’s the view of some of the industry’s own experts and participants. With the market having had a few years to run its course, digital lenders, payment platforms and other financial technology firms have been given a warning: change, or face extinction. The changing face of fintech In lieu of more banking alternatives, fintech companies have increasingly started targeting more specific niches. It’s these businesses – not just those offering simple loans – that will end up surviving a glut of entrants, experts say. […]
Apple says Australia’s banks pose a security threat to iPhones
Apple has launched a blistering attack on three of Australia’s big banks, saying their request to collectively negotiate over digital wallet access to the iPhone will compromise the handset’s security, reduce innovation and blunt Apple’s entry into the payments market in Australia. In a sign of growing acrimony between the world’s largest company and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank and Westpac Banking Corp, Apple told the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that “allowing the banks to form a cartel to collectively dictate terms to new business models and services would set a troubling precedent and delay the introduction of new, potentially disruptive technologies”. The three large banks […]
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 […]
BPS Technology further expands Bartercard operations in USA
BPS Technology continues to execute its Bartercard growth strategy in North America, opening new franchises in New Hampshire, Alabama and Georgia, with at least four more US franchises in the pipeline Leading financial technology platform provider BPS Technology Limited (ASX: BPS, “the Company”) is pleased to announce that it has continued to expand the reach of its Bartercard operations in North America. BPS has recently opened three new Bartercard franchises in Mobile (Alabama), Portsmouth (New Hampshire) and Savannah (Georgia). Mr Paul Bolte, President and Chief Executive of Bartercard USA, said of the new franchisees: “Bartercard is pleased to see our franchise growth strategy working, as we have now brought on […]
TruRating clinches $16.5 million in latest funding round as it looks to further global expansion
UK mass-market ratings system, TruRating has today announced that it has raised $16.5M AUD (£9.5M GBP) in Series A funding, which will be used to further propel the company’s expansion into global markets and enable TruRating to further develop new technology to provide additional value to consumers. This funding round was led by Sandaire, wealth management specialist, and private family investment group, bringing the company’s total amount of investor-lead funding to $23.85M AUD (£13.7M GBP), following prior rounds of angel and seed funding totaling $7.3M (£4.2M GBP)**. On the importance of the investment, TruRating founder and CEO Georgina Nelson said: “We have had an incredible year and securing this […]
