Peer-to-peer lender Harmoney coming to Aussie shores
Peer-to-peer lender Harmoney has recently set up shop in Australia, with Brisbane the first lucky city to host the fast growing company. According to Harmoney Australia General Manager Ben Taylor, the lender is expecting to be popular with Aussie homeowners 40 years and older. “Early signs following our beta testing in Australia show that mom-and-pop borrowers will be quick to embrace a competitive, customer service focussed marketplace lending solution for debt consolidation, home improvement and travel,” he said. Initially, the platform will be open to borrowers only, for loans between $5,000 and $35,000 with terms of 36 and 60 months. Rates on unsecured loans start at 8.99% p.a., with no […]
Prospa secures $25M in funding led by AirTree Ventures; Passes $250 Million in Loans to Small Business
Prospa, Australia’s leading online lender to small business, has secured $25M in growth funding led by AirTree Ventures – Australia’s most successful tech-focused venture capital firm. The deal is the largest fintech venture capital investment in an Australian business. Prospa also announced it had passed $250 Million in total loans to small businesses in Australia. The investment comes after a period of significant growth for Prospa who is now the clear market leader for online lending to small businesses in Australia. Prospa will use the funds to accelerate its market leadership: boosting technology, product expansion and distribution, ramping up talent acquisition and building a world-class brand. Greg Moshal, Founder and […]
IRESS’ technology investment increases to meet demand
Listed Australian fintech IRESS predicts a continued increase in its product and technology investment as it meets growing client demand in Australia and internationally. IRESS is one of Australia’s largest financial technology businesses with offices in Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Singapore and New Zealand. It employs more than 1,750 people. IRESS today announced revenue for 2016 of $389.7 million, up 8% on 2015. Reported net profit after tax was up 7%. For the 2016 year, IRESS invested $96 million in product development and technology for financial services including banks and financial advisors. IRESS’ Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Todd, said strong demand from clients […]
Digital advice: from robo revolution to enterprise evolution
As digital financial advice gains ever-growing traction among superannuation providers, the hype around “robo-advice” gives way to enterprise-level requirements. Decimal Software CEO Nic Pollock says B2C wealth management and enterprise-grade digital financial advice serve very different needs, and customers. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison recently told a G20 conference in Germany of his plans to encourage more robo-adviser start-ups to launch in Australia. Undoubtedly he believed doing so would enhance opportunities for more Australians to gain access to financial advice and in turn provide better financial security and retirement outcomes. But his comments highlight a general lack of understanding of the differences between “robo-advisers” and the digital advice needs of the […]
Seeking bright Aussie fintechs to join ABCC delegation to UK
Five delegate places on fintech mission to London on offer to Australian startups and SMEs looking to grow and prosper internationally. The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) has partnered with the Australian British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) to give five internationally-focused Australian startups and SMEs the chance to join a fintech trade mission to London. Successful applicants will participate in a tailored business programme from 19 – 21 April 2017, and receive financial support for the majority of flight and accommodation costs. They will join senior figures from the UK and Australia’s fintech ecosystem across industry and government. Delegates will have the opportunity to network and share ideas with […]
ASX targets ‘late 2017’ for blockchain decision
Ongoing negotiations with market participants about a potential blockchain replacement for the CHESS settlement system are likely to bear fruit later this year, says the ASX. Speaking at an ASX half-year result analyst briefing, chief executive Dominic Stevens said there is a high level of engagement in the post-trade sector about the proposed CHESS replacement. The ASX has an 8.5 per cent stake in US-based Digital Asset Holdings, which is working on developing a replacement for CHESS based on distributed ledger technology (DLT), also known as the ‘blockchain’. Mr Stevens said there has been a lot of engagement at the business committee level and the consultation process has seen a […]
PropertyShares taps Australian Dream
The Australian dream has always been of property. For generations Australians have pined and toiled, with the dream of one day owning their own home. The lure has been strong enough to build cities. When Canberra, the nation’s capital was built, the commonwealth government promised three bedroom red brick bungalows to attract workers to the public service. So it only made sense that when P2P arrived on Australia’s shores, it would go for property. “Australia has always had a strong love affair with property,” says Scott Price, founder of PropertyShares. “People were told from a very young age about the great Australian dream of owning your own home. The birth […]
Epictenet launches i-Commerce platform
By Ritesh Srivastava, Founder & CEO, Epictenet Imagine a journey where instead of looking for information & options someone guides you. The i-commerce Platform is an experience will get your thinking going, bring more innovation and enhance the current customer experience. As the world advances, increasingly towards digital every day and the customers crave to do more things on mobile, Epictenet have innovated and coined a new customer interface called i-commerce platform – providing a personalised experience to customers they have been used to in traditional branch environments and places in their hands, at the convenience, pace and device of their choice. i-commerce platform – is a […]