New record as fintech funding hit $5.4bn globally in Q1
Mega-rounds are back in fintech as 12 firms raised investments of more than US$100m each. Fintech funding continues to rise and rise as an investment class with US$5.4bn across 323 deals was raised globally in Q1 of 2018. According to CB Insights’ Global Fintech Report Q1 2018, global fintech activity hit a new record during the quarter. The US saw the largest boost in deals while Europe saw fintech deal activity dip to a five-quarter low. South America is already a region to watch as funding raised in the first quarter of 2018 of US$271m surpassed the entire funding total for 2017. Funding saw a boost from a US$150m mega-round […]
Robo advisers march in tracks of royal commission scandals
The shenanigans revealed by the banking royal commission over the past week will inevitably draw attention to the emerging batch of start-ups offering digital financial advice. Often referred to as “robo advisers”, these technology companies are cutting investment fees through automation thereby removing the human foibles dramatically exposed by Commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s inquiry. The commission has shown human adviser education levels can be appallingly low, and paper-based processes have led to poor record keeping. Meanwhile, customers are often apathetic and disengaged, and complexity reigns. Processes being digitised include the creation of broking accounts, executing trades, rebalancing portfolios and generating statements of advice. This can all be presented to customers for […]
FinTech startup Pelikin looks to recruit Gen Y investors
After a highly successful expression of interest campaign on equity crowdfunding platform Birchal, Melbourne FinTech startup Pelikin is continuing to rally millennials to invest in Pelikin. Encouraging Gen Y Professionals to invest in the banking alternative with as little as $100, Pelikin is hoping to get as many users as possible over the next month to be involved in building the travel banking app. Pelikin Founder Sam Brown said the younger market was the reason behind the development and creation of the app, so it was a natural progression for them to be a part of the Pelikin growth journey. “Rather than buying a house, Gen-Y are more interested in […]
Acorns Australia rebrands to Raiz Invest
Acorns Australia has rebranded to Raiz Invest, a move that follows the company’s announcement in February to divest from Acorns. From today, all users will be prompted to update their Acorns Australia app, after which they will see the new Raiz Invest brand, logo and colour scheme. The website will also reflect the new name and branding. Raiz Invest Managing Director, George Lucas, said: “Today marks another significant milestone in our company’s history with the name change from Acorns Grow Australia to Raiz Invest. “After our recent agreement with Acorns, we felt a new name was an important step forward. The change reflects our new autonomy and our ability to […]
Wealth management products make big leaps in digital sales readiness
Australians can now apply for 60% of all wealth management products offered by the country’s biggest banks from their mobile phones, according to a fintech which helps financial services companies acquire clients. Avoka measured digital sales readiness for the 50 largest banks across Australia, North America and Europe for products across three segments: personal banking, business banking and wealth management. Eleven of the 50 banks were Australian. Australia “leads them all” in digital readiness, the fintech said. “Banks have accepted that online account opening is a must have, not a ‘nice to have’. The focus now is on whether the largest banks can transform their entire customer engagement across all […]
HUB24 expands distribution with two appointments
HUB24 has announced Colonial First State’s (CFS’s) Shane Muscat and Paula Day have joined the platform provider to expand its distribution capability and support network. Muscat, former head of institutional sales at CFS, has been appointed as head of strategic sales at HUB24, and would lead new business initiatives with licensees, boutiques and new corporate partners. Prior to CFS, Muscat held senior roles at Macquarie Wrap and Avanteos. Day, former CFS head of strategic accounts has been appointed as head of key accounts and would manage and build strategic relationships with the platform provider’s large licensee clients. Day had previously worked for various firms including Westpac, ING Australia and BlackRock. […]
Crowd2Fund prepares to cross fintech bridge to Australia
Leading P2P lending platform Crowd2Fund are launching an Australian office by becoming one the first UK-based companies to utilise the new ‘FinTech Bridge’ between the UK and Australia. The Enhanced Cooperation Agreement, signed in March 2018 between the FCA and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), will make it easier for regulated FinTech companies in both Australia and the UK to start trading in either market. Key benefits of the Bridge include the speeding up of company licensing between the two territories, as well as more strategic collaboration between the FSA and ASIC in order to grow the respective markets of each country. Michael Ward, the Director General for […]
Australian millennials have taken to robo financial advice
Australian millennials are dominating when it comes to using robo-advice to get ahead with their money, according to the latest Robo-advice Report from Investment Trends. The study is based on a survey of 10,000 online investors and 1,425 financial advisers between February and December 2017 across Australia, the US, the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Singapore and Hong Kong. In Australia, robo-advice has gained significant recognition among the Australian online share investor population, with 22% saying they are familiar with these services. Only in the US, where the bulk of innovation in robo-advice is taking place, is familiarity with robo-advice significantly higher (39%). “The Australian financial services industry is ripe for […]
