IAG makes ‘smart move’ to name Peter Harmer as innovation boss
Insurance Australia Group has appointed former commercial insurance boss Peter Harmer as chief executive of its new digital innovation hub, as the $14.4 billion insurer ramps up its technology drive. Source: IAG makes ‘smart move’ to name Peter Harmer as innovation boss
Square thinks outside the box in Australia
Big investments in chip and PIN cards and tap-and-go payment terminals by Australia’s dominant banks and supermarkets has slowed the advance of Jack Dorsey-led payment upstart Square, but it claims it has found another chink in their armour.Square has had an office in Australia since May – its fourth country after the US, Japan and Canada, since it was started by Twitter co-founder Dorsey in 2009. Australian companies have been able to use beta versions of its free apps for years, but Square – which is rumoured to be heading for a listing in the US – announced its second product offer in Australia, a “digital dashboard” for small business, […]
Fintech might be hot right now, but banks are still winning
Banks are still way out in front, but FinTech is on the improve in Australia… The term “fintech” – the marriage of financial services with technology companies – has only recently come into vogue in Australia, with venture capital starting to flow into the sector. It was only around October 2014 that the term fintech started to appear in Australia’s mainstream media – rather late given it was just two months later peer-to-peer lending platform LendingClub listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Source: Fintech might be hot right now, but banks are still winning
FinTech Investments Quadruple: Top Trends To Watch
Investments into FinTech startups recently quadrupled, growing from just over $3 billion in 2013 to over $12 billion in 2014. And consider alongside that another trend showing that crowdfunding will surpass VC in 2016 as a funding source–given that crowdfunding itself is a segment of the FinTech market. Source: FinTech Investments Quadruple: Top Trends To Watch
Australia can be the global start-up laboratory | The Australian
What if Australia was named the most ideal environment to create a global start-up? It sounds like an unlikely prospect but it’s not as unlikely as we would like to think. Examining the current appetite US venture capital funds have for the Australian market, there’s something unique at play in Australia, which makes it a great birthplace for start-ups. Source: Australia can be the global start-up laboratory | The Australian
Afterpay: Ron Brierley backing fintech start-up | The Australian
Legendary corporate raider Ron Brierley and a host of alumni from his former Guinness Peat Group have joined a group of wealthy investors in backing online commerce-tech start-up Afterpay to target the $100 billion market for online retail and e-services. Source: Afterpay: Ron Brierley backing fintech start-up | The Australian
Australia a hotbed for digital banking tests: Citi
Banks are “all moving too slow” when it comes to providing digital products that are relevant to customers, according to Heather Cox, the head of digital for one of the world’s most powerful consumer banks, Citi.”We’re all moving too slow – and we have to figure out how we are going to be really relevant in people’s lives,” Ms Cox, who was recently named Digital Banker of the Year by American Banker in 2015 Source: Australia a hotbed for digital banking tests: Citi
Robo-adviser Stockspot raises capital from H2, Rocket Internet
Stockspot, a robo-adviser seeking to disrupt wealth managers by offering a low-cost, automated financial advice process, has completed a capital raising and welcomed onto its register the Berlin-based start-up investor Rocket Internet, and H2 Ventures, the new fintech venture capital fund run by brothers Ben and Toby Heap.Stockspot, founded in 2013 by former UBS portfolio manager Chris Brycki, has 3000 registered users after launching in May last year. It won’t disclose funds under management but says these have tripled this calendar year. Source: Robo-adviser Stockspot raises capital from H2, Rocket Internet
