#Fintech
Australia’s top fintech awards enter their tenth year with 160 finalists and several names SMEs will recognise
FinTech Australia has named 160 finalists across 22 categories for the 2026 Finnies Awards.
Xero and Stripe join forces to streamline payments for SMEs worldwide
Stripe and Xero have announced their expanded collaboration and integration of Stripe Connect into Xero’s primary offerings. This move will bring greater ease and efficiency to small businesses globally, allowing them to receive payments, typically 14 days soon
3 in 4 Aussie customers are losing trust in traditional banks: Survey
The survey also showed that 74 per cent of Australians would leave their present bank in search of more affordable financial services, according to the report.
Fintech firm BankiFi announces Australia expansion to support SMEs
UK-based technology platform BankiFi has announced its entry into the Australian Financial Services market.
Athena raises $15m in Series A funding to disrupt the $1.7 trillion home loan market
Fintech startup Athena Home Loans has raised $15 million in Series A funding from Macquarie Bank, Square Peg Capital and Apex Capital for its cloud-native digital mortgage platform. Athena, which previously raised $3 million in seed funding from Macquarie, Apex and Rice Warner, was launched in June 2017 by ex-bankers Nathan Walsh (CEO) and Michael […]
Federal Budget: startup wish list, part three
Ahead of tonight’s Federal Budget announcement, startups have urged the Turnbull Government to facilitate better access to finance for small businesses, extend the instant asset tax write-off scheme, better support startups with global ambitions, implement sharing economy regulations, expand the R&D tax incentive and incentivise early stage investments. Beau Bertoli (Prospa), Tim Bos (ShareRing), Mike […]
How SelfWealth’s MD got his startup IPO-ready
Startups contemplating an IPO must have all their ducks in a row and be willing to get their hands dirty, says Andrew Ward, founder and managing director of recently-listed fintech company SelfWealth. Launched in 2012, the online, cloud-based share trading platform offers investors flat fee brokerage, regardless of the trade size, as well as access […]
Novatti launches platform for Chinese residents to pay BPAY billers with AliPay
ASX-listed fintech Novatti Group has launched a new bill payment solution for members of Australia’s growing community of Chinese residents, migrants, students and toursist, resulting in its shares surging more than 36% in a day. The chinapayments.com platform enables consumers to pay billers registered with the BPAY electronic bill payment system, using funds from their […]
A tale of two SMEs: what distinguishes a growing business from a declining one?
What are the attributes of an SME that is growing, and how do they differ from a business with static or declining revenue? [Related: SMEs trading banks for fintechs, poll suggests] Twice a year, when more than 1200 owners or leaders of SME businesses are interviewed for our SME Growth Index, one of the first questions […]
SMEs trading banks for fintechs, poll suggests
Fintech and other non-bank lenders are set to overtake banks as the preferred source of growth funds for Australian SMEs, the latest Scottish Pacific SME Growth Index suggest. [Related: Let’s Talk… Fintech, FinTech Australia’s CEO steps down but will continue to help Aussie fintechs from Asia and Fintech Code of Conduct recommended by report into best-practice for SME […]
FinTech Australia’s CEO steps down but will continue to help Aussie fintechs from Asia
In the wake of announcing her resignation as CEO of industry association FinTech Australia, Danielle Szetho has flagged her intentions to continue supporting and championing Australian fintech companies from Asia. Sarah Worboys, formerly of the Startup Victoria Female Founders committee, will step in as interim CEO for FinTech Australia, whose chair Stuart Stoyan thanked Szetho […]
Entries now open for the 2018 Finnie Awards
Entries are now being accepted for the second annual Finnie Awards, giving Australia’s 600+ fintech companies an opportunity to be recognised for their successes. Presented by FinTech Australia in partnership with the NSW Government’s Jobs for NSW, the industry-backed ‘Finnies’ boast 23 awards, including FinTech Organisation of the Year, Outstanding FinTech Leader of the Year, […]
Fintech Code of Conduct recommended by report into best-practice for SME lenders
A report outlining steps being taken by fintech lenders to increase transparency and disclosure has been released by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), Kate Carnell, in partnership with FinTech Australia and theBankDoctor.org. The report, Fintech lending to small and medium sized enterprises: Improving transparency and disclosure, looks at the different approaches to […]
“I’m confident we’ll get there”: Checkbox’s CEO on his regtech startup’s Atlassian-sized plans
Despite having only launched in January, last year, Checkbox has already amassed a small fortune of accolades. Notably, the Sydney-based regtech startup was named Regtech of the Year at the Australian FinTech Awards and Best SaaS Startup at StartCon in Sydney. In addition, CEO Evan Wong took out the Westpac Innovation Challenge and StartCon Pitch […]
FinTech body seeks changes to APRA’s proposal to reduce market barriers to challenger banks
The Australian Government’s proposal to make it easier for digital-first challenger banks to compete against industry incumbents is could be improved, according to the peak body for fintech startups. FinTech Australia has lodged a submission with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) in response to its discussion paper, entitled “A phased approach to authorising new entrants to […]
“Innovation will flourish” in the digital currency sector as anti-laundering laws pass
The passage of anti-money laundering legislation through Parliament on Thursday will facilitate further growth in Australia’s local blockchain and digital currency industry, according to local fintech leaders. The Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2017 will extend anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulation to digital currency exchanges. The legislation requires these exchanges to monitor […]
“We’re positioned to be amongst the world’s top 50 fintechs next year,” says MoneyMe CEO
Millennial-centric fintech lender MoneyMe has hit some impressive milestones in 2017. In addition to reaching $150 million in loans funded, the North Sydney startup received a $120 million capital injection and debuted on the coveted Fintech100 list, placing it amongst the world’s most innovative fintech companies. Despite reaching lofty heights, co-founder and CEO Clayton Howes […]
Ethical investing should be on business radars
The rise of fintech has made investing more simple than ever and the housing affordability crisis has led to a lot of people, especially millennials, looking for alternative ways to grow their wealth. People are investing more and the rise of ethical investing shows that they’re becoming increasingly conscious of what they’re actually investing in. […]
So, you want to become an entrepreneur… Prepare to say goodbye to these five things
There’s something really sexy about the idea of being an entrepreneur. Why else would there be so many TV shows and publications dedicated to the pursuit? But the reality of creating, building, and exiting businesses is often far from expectations. Endlessly inspired creativity sessions, constant deal making, investors throwing cash at your brilliant ideas… These […]
China and Australia cooperating on fintech
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) have entered an agreement to promote innovation in financial services in their respective markets. The Information Sharing Co-operation Agreement provides a framework for information sharing between the CSRC and ASIC on emerging market trends and developments, as well as regulatory developments […]
The Fintech sector’s median revenue has tripled but gender imbalance persists, EY report finds
Median revenue in Australia’s fintech sector has jumped by 208% over the 12 months to June 2017, with one in four companies (24%) enjoying a revenue boost of at least 700%, the 2017 EY FinTech Australia Census reveals. According to EY, the Census, which is based on survey results from 166 fintech companies, is “the […]
Draft legislation to boost fintech startup investment released for comment by treasurer
The Turnbull Government has drafted legislative reforms to support investment in innovative fintech companies by venture capital and angel investors, Treasurer Scott Morrison has announced. Released yesterday for a public consultation period ending Friday, 10 November, the exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. #) Bill 2017 proposes amendments to the Tax […]
Removal of double tax on cryptocurrencies said to support Australia’s own Silicon Valley
Legislation to remove double taxation on digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, has been passed by Australian Parliament, with fintech industry leaders describing the news as a win for consumers and businesses. The Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. 6) Bill 2017 was tabled in Parliament, last month, by Treasurer Scott Morrison. He said the reform, which will […]
“In Silicon Valley, success means something much bigger”: startup specialist Colin Kinner
Colin Kinner doesn’t have much patience for the tall poppies of Australia or people who are intellectually dishonest in business. He does, however, have a great deal of time and respect for individuals who take the entrepreneurial plunge and attempt things “nobody else has tried before”. In fact, he’s coached hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs over […]