Why to accept Bitcoin as a payment method
By Josh Lehman, Co-Founder of Digital Surge It has been more than a decade since Satoshi Nakamoto published the original Bitcoin whitepaper and single-handedly disrupted our financial landscape, changing the way we send and receive money. Today, Bitcoin is no longer a niche interest of a handful of early adopters but a legitimate payment method that’s accepted by some of the largest companies in the world, including Overstock, Microsoft, Namecheap, ExpressVPN, Shopify, and Newegg, just to name a few. Even though Bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency space may seem confusing and difficult to get into, the fact is that you don’t need to be an expert to start accepting Bitcoin […]
Afterpay rival PayRight targets larger purchases with $30m funds raised
Australia’s booming, but controversial, buy now, pay later market has another major competitor after fintech firm PayRight raised a total of $30 million to expand its operations, which targets consumers making larger purchases than Afterpay allows. The company has largely flown under the radar in the sector, with $4.7 billion-valued ASX-listed Afterpay its most prominent rival. But PayRight is pitching itself as an option for retailers and service providers of bigger ticket items, rather than smaller impulse buys like clothing. Its funding has been compiled through a mix of debt and equity raisings over the last year led by corporate advisory firm Henslow and wealth manager Escala Partners, with the […]
SocietyOne and Loan Market collaborate to broaden customer offering
Australia’s leading marketplace lender, SocietyOne, and Australasia’s largest family owned mortgage brokerage, Loan Market Group, have joined forces in a new partnership through which Loan Market will distribute SocietyOne personal loans. The partnership indicates a growing trend of brokers embracing alternative lenders in the wake of the banking Royal Commission, according to SocietyOne, as consumers are increasingly requesting banking alternatives in order to access a better deal. “The Royal Commission has uncovered a large number of issues within the consumer lending market, and both brokers and their retail customers have been equally exposed to the publicity surrounding this,” said Mark Jones, CEO of SocietyOne. “This has driven many brokers to […]
Wisr named in HCF Catalyst program
Neo-lender Wisr (ASX: WZR) is participating in the 2019 HCF Catalyst accelerator program. As part of the program, Wisr is focused on providing solutions to HCF to make healthcare more affordable for its members. HCF and corporate startup accelerator Slingshot have selected Wisr to participate in HCF Catalyst, the country’s first corporate-supported health-tech accelerator. As part of HCF Catalyst Wisr will participate in a 12-week program working with HCF and Slingshot to develop a compelling business model for more affordable health care solutions. Founded in 1932, HCF is one of Australia’s largest combined registered private health fund and life insurance companies. More than 1.5 million Australians choose HCF for understandable, […]
Stone & Chalk supports Indigenous startup initiative
Fintech hub Stone & Chalk has partnered with not-for-profit Barayamal to provide Indigenous entrepreneurs with co-working spaces and access to investors, as part of its Indigenous Accelerator program in Victoria. The initiative, happening for first time in Victoria, will see five Indigenous startups receive a funding total of $50,000 in grants, also receiving support through free co-working space, mentoring and training from industry experts at the Victorian Innovation Hub, Goods Shed North. The program aims to have the startups grow their businesses over three months, with a final showcase at its demo pitch night. In the lead up to it, Barayamal is also running a two-day Pre-Accelerator in late March […]
Fintech investment doubled while Australian banks hammered
Investment in financial technology startups more than doubled last year while Australian banks came under intense public scrutiny for their treatment of customers. Globally, fintechs managed to attract US$26.7 billion investments in the 2017-18 year, which was 107 per cent more than the year before, according to Accenture analysis of CB Insights data. The increase could be directly attributed to fintech’s explosive growth in China, where the amount of money that went into the sector stunningly increased nine-fold. Its US$25.5 billion of capital raising in this nation alone almost matched the US$26.7 billion generated in the rest of the world. Australia saw similar growth with US$756.7 million total investment into […]
Fintech unveils mortgage under 3.5%
Fintech and online lender loans.com.au has unveiled its newest home-loan offering for owner-occupiers with a low interest rate of 3.48%. Dubbed the Smart Home Loan, the mortgage product is a principal-and-interest loan that has no ongoing fees and has a comparison rate of 3.5%. The product has a maximum loan amount of $1m and has several features such as redraw facilities and the ability to split and make additional repayments. Homebuyers can borrow as much as 80% of the value of their targeted property. Loans.com.au managing director Marie Mortimer said the new home-loan product aims to drive competition in the mortgage space and provide other options for borrowers who are […]
Power has shifted from banks to consumers: Bendigo Bank MD
A fundamental change in banking has occurred in a relatively short period of time: power has shifted from large financial institutions to consumers. In response, banks need to rethink how they serve their customers. That’s the view of Marnie Baker, managing director, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. “The times are gone now where the power sits with the financial institution. The power is absolutely in consumers hands and they are dictating what they expect to see in an experience,” Baker told Which-50. Notably, the days of going to see a bank in their time and at their instruction have passed, Baker said, and today financial services need to be embedded into […]
