‘We’re tech companies’: The neobanks’ advantage
A big advantage that “neobanks” have over the big four is that they are nimble and highly scalable technology companies focused on customer experience, according to the co-founder of Up. After hearing Stephen King from the Productivity Commission (PC) claim that challenger lenders do not have a realistic chance at competing with the major banks and will ultimately be “gobbled up” by them, Dominic Pym said the advantage that challengers such as his company Up, along with the likes of Volt and Xinja, have is that they are technology companies with a focus on improving customer experience and the ability to move and adapt fast. Speaking on a panel at […]
Aussie-founded fintech Banked secures $2.7 million in seed funding, to launch open banking data solution
An Aussie-founded fintech, based in London, has secured £1.5 million ($2.66 million) in seed funding, while it’s still pre-product, pre-revenue, and less than a year old. Founded in early-2018 by Australian native and chief executive Brad Goodall, along with co-founders Neil Ambler, Patrick Cox and Ellen Fernandes, Banked aims to open up the possibilities of financial data by providing a trustworthy channel of communication between banks, businesses and individuals. The entirety of the seed funding has come from London-based venture capital firm Backed VC, although Goodall tells StartupSmart he is in talks with other investors regarding a potential secondary seed raise. Open banking came into effect in the UK earlier […]
Priviti is a finalist in Westpac’s Innovation Challenge as Australia prepares for data privacy legislation
Selected as one of five finalists, Priviti’s patented consent management solution gives users greater control over how their data is shared and mitigates companies’ compliance and reputational risk amid growing data privacy concerns. Australian bank Westpac has announced that Priviti is one of five finalists for its 2018 Innovation Challenge, an initiative that gives startups the opportunity to pitch their ideas to help businesses meet their regulatory obligations and drive game-changing enhancements to customer experience. As Australia prepares for Open Banking standards and the Consumer Data Right, this year’s Challenge features RegTech solutions addressing topical issues including responding to regulatory change, ensuring customer privacy and consent, and product management. The […]
Fiserv open banking survey shows emergence of strategic focus
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced the results of a survey revealing insights into the implementation of open banking initiatives by banks in the U.K., Poland, France and Australia. To date, banks have primarily focused on compliance, with only 42 percent of respondents (and just 24 percent in Australia) saying their strategy for open banking goes beyond day one. However, some banks are beginning to leverage open banking for strategic initiatives such as improving customer service. Banks are united in the belief that open banking will have an impact on financial activities, with 67 percent expecting at least a moderate impact, […]
Banking royal commission drives investment in open banking, regtech
Within minutes of National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Thorburn entering the witness box at the banking royal commission on Monday morning, he was riffing about Uber and Snapchat. These sorts of apps have fundamentally changed customers’ expectations of banks, he said, forcing banks to lift investment in new technology. “I think the expectations of having new products and services out in the market quickly to cater for increasingly granular subsets has created the expectation that we can move faster,” he said. “And yet if you’re not investing in new and modern technology enough, your technology systems can’t keep up with it.” It’s been rare for the Hayne inquiry to tread […]
Fintech disruption threatens wholesale payment revenues
Banks with large wholesale payments and cash management operations must innovate to avoid being ousted by disruptors. Wholesale payments and cash management (PCM) is a rapidly growing area, but existing players are under threat from technological disruption and must innovate in order to survive, according to a report by management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. In ‘Wholesale payments report: Disrupt from within’, the consultancy argues that banks must look closely at the strategies adopted by challengers and make changes to their legacy systems in order to defend their turf. “We see up to $175 billion (70% of revenue pool) in revenues at risk for incumbents,” writes Ronan O’Kelly, partner at Oliver […]
Australian-founded fintech firm Ignition Advice finalists in the 2018 Banking Technology Awards
The Banking Technology Awards have announced the finalists for 2018, including Ignition Advice as a finalist in the category Best Use of IT in Private Banking / Wealth Management. The Awards recognise excellence and innovation in the use of IT in financial services worldwide, and the people who make it happen. “This is an exciting time for Ignition as our international business is developing and our reputation is growing at a rapid rate. To be a finalist in a respected and highly competitive global event such as the Banking Technology Awards recognises Ignition as a rising global player in the fintech space.”- Manish Prasad, Group CEO, Ignition Advice. Ignition is […]
Will Australians trust startups with their money as the cashless economy takes hold?
F5 Networks today announced new research showcasing that while Australians are moving towards a cashless economy, they remain divided when it comes to the future of payments. The study, The Changing Face of Payments & The Rise of the Cashless Economy, revealed over a third (34%) of Australians wouldn’t trust a startup with their money despite 58% of people using digital banking apps today. The F5 research explores the intersection between traditional and digital transactions with 60% of Australians indicating their behaviour will be guided by security. This builds on F5’s earlier Curve of Convenience survey, where 63% of Australian respondents emphasised valuing security over convenience. Jason Baden, Regional Vice President, AN/Z of F5 Networks commented, “With a major shift to […]
