Fintech Startup Trade Ledger expands UK operation. Appoints New CFO
Fintech startup Trade Ledger — which describes itself as the world’s first corporate open banking lending platform — has announced the opening of its European operation, headquartered in London, along with additional hires. Lisa Callaghan will move from the role of accountant to Chief Financial Officer at Trade Ledger’s Sydney office, after representing technology start-ups from inception through to early fundraising as a partner at Interactive Accounting. The UK operations will be headed up by a new Chief Innovation Officer with the company tapping some talent from Equifax UK. The expansion is designed to boost Trade Ledger’s international traction and product market fit, and should allow it to take advantage […]
Milliman and Ignition Wealth announce synergistic collaboration
Milliman Australia Practice Leader Wade Matterson and Ignition Wealth CEO Manish Prasad today announced a global collaboration between their two firms to combine Ignition Wealth’s integrated bank grade white label digital engagement and advice solutions with Milliman’s analytics, data and consulting prowess. Wade Matterson, Practice Leader, Milliman Australia and Manish Prasad, CEO, Ignition Wealth said, “We are delighted to announce a symbiotic new collaboration between Milliman and Ignition Wealth. Our businesses share a commitment to enrich the advice experience and enable better financial outcomes for every consumer.” The relationship has grown naturally from multiple synergies including an emphatic consumer-centric focus, growing global footprints and equally matched best in class status […]
Digital cash not on RBA agenda
The Reserve Bank has poured cold water on the idea of a digital Australian dollar, with head of payments policy Tony Richards declaring the demand isn’t there. A group of Australian fintech start-ups through industry body FinTech Australia last year wrote a letter to the RBA calling for a new digital currency, known as the ‘DAD’ or Digital Australian Dollar. “A centrally issued Digital Australian Dollar, backed by fiat [physical] currency, would enable payments to be made between participants in real time and 24/7 along the supply chain,” AgriDigital co-founder Emma Weston said last year. Meanwhile Othera CEO John Pellew said in the letter a ‘DAD’ would help his company […]
This Aussie fintech is now helping give banking services to rural communities in Syria
Novatti Group Limited, an online financial transactions processor and financial technology developer, announces it has entered into a supply agreement with Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi (BBSF). Novatti has entered into the supply agreement with BBSF to supply its agency banking services and mobile payments platform. BBSF is a leading and trusted bank among Non-Government Organisations (NGO’s) that has been operating in accordance with global banking standards providing retail-banking services for 14 years. Under the NGO umbrella, a key program of the bank is to enable distribution of financial aid to rural consumers within Syria, most of who are not catered for in the current banking space. The platform being supplied […]
Comprehensive credit reporting laws will drive innovation and protect banks
In the blue corner, lining up to support the bill to ensure customer repayment history is provided in credit reports, are: the government, all of the banks, the entire fintech industry, the credit bureaus, the regulators (especially the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority), and many equivalent western economies such as the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand. In the red corner, lining up against it, are consumer groups and the Labor party. At the last election, Labor also supported “comprehensive credit reporting” like nearly everyone else, but this month decided to back a 12-month delay to the reporting of “repayment history information”, which sits at the core of the regime. Positions […]
NAB’s UBank to ‘use technology as a weapon’
National Australia Bank says its digital bank UBank will take advantage of the government’s ‘open banking’ reforms by developing new ‘platforms’ that will connect users to a broad range of financial services – not necessarily NAB’s – which could open up new revenue streams. NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn described the open data reforms as “potentially a transformational-type change” and said in an interview NAB is planning to “use technology as a weapon, not just a tool of commerce”. NAB created UBank a decade ago; its customer base has grown to 400,000, half are Millennials, and only a small minority are existing NAB customers. NAB is lifting investment in UBank […]
IRESS dismisses Intelliflo threat, ups AI investment following royal commission
Financial software company IRESS has dismissed the threat of new market entrant Intelliflo, with chief executive Andrew Walsh saying the local marketplace is already competitive and values IRESS’s independence. IRESS, which is valued at $2.1 billion and generated $430 million in revenue in the last financial year, is also making significant investments in artificial intelligence. About half of its 1800 employees are now part of its technology team, and this could increase on the back of the Hayne royal commission. “What we’ve seen in aspects of the royal commission is collecting data to respond to the commands of the commission has been a massive exercise for some businesses. But the […]
The crypto community isn’t happy with a negative report by the ‘bank for central banks’
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has weighed in on the crypto debate, and it was less than positive. The aim of the BIS is to foster global financial stability, and it’s owned by 60 central banks across the world. In that sense, the BIS also describes itself as the bank for central banks. Given that one of the stated aims of crypto is to disrupt the status quo of centrally controlled currencies, it’s perhaps not surprising that the BIS was critical. The report said crypto networks get less efficient the bigger they get. Along with scaling issues, they’re also volatile and subject to stability threats due to forks. […]
