Seeking Australian Female Founders of startups for mission to UK
Australian Female startup founders to visit London as part of Startup Catalyst’s Mission to explore the world leading UK tech market. The UK Department for International Trade (DIT) has partnered with Startup Catalyst to offer a female Founder of an Australian startup the opportunity to join Startup Catalyst’s ‘Female Founders Mission’ to London in November 2017. The successful ‘Female Founder’ will join a 20 strong delegation to the UK, including startup Founders, investors, corporate innovators and government policy makers, all looking to learn about the UK startup eco-system and establish international networks. The successful applicant will receive access to the full mission programme of events, meetings and tours, accommodation and […]
Technology will shape financial services
Financial advisers must challenge themselves to see where technology can add value to their business models if they wish to remain relevant in the coming years. That was the key theme of a presentation delivered by futurist Chris Riddell at the 2017 Association of Financial Advisers National Adviser Conference which started on Wednesday at the Gold Coast. The rise of new technologies creating business efficiencies, particularly the significant potential offered by deploying blockchain, will be the biggest influencers on financial services over the next decade and those that don’t adopt will be left behind, Riddell said. While Riddell doesn’t think crypto-currencies will have any major impact on the financial services […]
Australian alternative finance market grew by 53% in 2016: Report
The Australian alternative finance (alt-fi) market grew by 53% in 2016, despite declines in equity crowdfunding activity in the face of regulatory uncertainty, according to a study released in September. The study was undertaken by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, the Tsinghua University Graduate School, the Australian Centre for Financial Studies at Monash Business School and KPMG. It found that the Australian alt-fi market has grown 53% over the past 12 months. According to the Cultivating Growth: The 2nd Asia Pacific Alternative Finance Industry Report, which surveyed 628 alt-fi companies, Australia overtook Japan in 2016 to become the second largest alt-fi market in the Asia Pacific, with a market […]
SocietyOne sets new record with triple milestones in 2017
SocietyOne, Australia’s pioneering and leading consumer marketplace lender, has set new records for lending with growth in 2017 already surpassing the level of volumes for the whole of 2016. Total lending since the company started operating five years ago has now topped $350 million as the current loan book also reached $200 million for the first time in SocietyOne’s history. These were new records for a consumer finance marketplace lender in Australia with SocietyOne having originated more than twice the loans than that of the company’s nearest competitor. SocietyOne has now enjoyed seven successive quarters of strong growth as it scales up. New lending to borrowers in […]
Myer launches credit card featuring Android Pay and Apple Pay
Myer’s new rewards-based Myer Credit Card is the first Australian retailer-provided Visa card with Android Pay and Apple Pay. The Visa credit card, issued by Macquarie Bank, will allow people to use their smart phone’s digital wallet to pay with either Android or Apple Pay. Consumers also have access to a range of security features and budgeting tools through the Myer Credit Card app, designed to make it easier to track and manage spending. The Myer Credit Card works off a rewards-based system, whereby customers can earn uncapped Shopping Credits on eligible purchases at Myer and MYER one affiliates by presenting their MYER one card number at point-of-purchase. Canstar Research […]
NAB’s Apple Pay gap
There have been curious developments over the Tasman in relation to Apple Pay, with National Australia Bank’s BNZ unit announcing today it will offer the service to customers by the end of this month. Yes, that’s the same NAB that tried to enlist the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in a nasty spat with Apple over access to the iPhone’s near-field communication antenna. Success would have enabled the bank to offer its own digital wallet to iPhone users in competition with the Apple’s wallet, but without using Apple Pay. The competition watchdog knocked back the application by NAB, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, ruling that competition could be distorted if the […]
Westpac increases investment in mortgage broker start-up uno Home Loans with $5m
Westpac Banking Corporation has increased its majority stake in digital mortgage broking platform Uno, ploughing another $5 million into the company. The big four bank has now invested about $26.5 million into the venture and owns 92 per cent of ordinary shares, according to Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents. Factoring in shares that are subject to vesting, on a fully diluted basis Westpac still owns more than three quarters of the company. Founder and chief executive Vincent Turner told The Australian Financial Review the funding provided by Westpac had given the fintech start-up a leg up it couldn’t have had otherwise. “If we wanted to move fast, learn fast […]
How consumers can help clean up the alternative lending market
An influx of alternative lenders and a seemingly unbreakable cycle of bad debt for borrowers have given the short-term loan sector a bad reputation. However, consumers have a role to play in helping clean up the industry. The first step – understanding how lenders should be acting. ASIC requires lenders to conduct ‘reasonable inquiries about a consumer’s financial situation.’ This means inquiries must be made about the consumer’s actual situation and, while alternative lenders are known to be more lenient when it comes to bad credit scores and being on Centrelink, they must still gather enough information about circumstances likely to affect a consumer’s ability to repay their loan. Daniel […]
