Sharequity wants to lead equity crowdfunding in new direction
Australia’s newest equity crowdfunding platform, Sharequity, is planning to work with the corporate fundraising sector rather than compete with it as the first companies get ready to raise capital through the crowd in Australia. Founded by former GMP Securities Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific, Geoff Reilly and backed by leading crowdfunding figure Jack Quigley, Sharequity already has several companies ready to raise capital by traditional routes, and then through equity crowdfunding when it’s license is approved. Sharequity, which will also feature other complimentary products, has also already signed a partnership with share registry business Automic and expects to do deals with more corporate advisors, brokers and other traditional […]
Australian fintech startup HCash just revealed it raised $53 million through an ICO in July
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are polarising the business world at the moment, but one Australian company has made hay while the sun shines, raising 21,000 Bitcoins worth of capital. Blockchain security startup HCash, which is developing its technology in conjunction with Melbourne’s Monash University, has revealed to Business Insider that the round closed on July 15. Based on that day’s exchange rate, the 21,000 Bitcoins were worth $53 million. ICOs are a method of raising funds where a startup sells electronic tokens or “coins” to buyers that are betting that the business will do well in the future, thereby raising the value of the token. Unlike traditional venture capital, no […]
Venture capital tax incentives extended to fintech
The federal government has released exposure draft legislation that will remove restrictions for venture capital investors to access tax concessions when investing in fintech. Treasurer Scott Morrison has announced the government will seek to reform Treasury laws in order to make it easier for fintech firms to receive early stage investment. In the 2016-17 federal budget, Mr Morrison announced a number of new tax incentives for venture capital and angel investors aimed at boosting innovation in the economy. The fintech sector, however, was exempted from those incentives – a decision the government is now looking to reverse with its draft legislation. “The proposed amendments highlight the Turnbull government’s commitment to […]
Finch raises $2.25m for Gen Y finance app after ‘proving it can rival’ Silicon Valley fintechs
The changing landscape of crowdfunding in Australia
When Aussie start-up, Nura, wanted to raise funds to help launch its hi-tech, self-adjusting headphones onto the global market, it turned to crowd-funding platform Kickstarter. The groundbreaking Nuraphones attracted the support of over 7,000 ‘backers’ who pledged money in return for early access to the product, netting Nura over US$1.8 million and breaking records for an Australian crowd-funding campaign. Recent decisions by the Australian Government to expand the use of crowd-funding for equity raising, initially by public companies and now potentially by SMEs and start-ups, could make a huge difference for companies seeking capital for growth and expansion. The first round of legislation came into force last month, allowing licensed […]
New advice fintech WealthO2 doubles FUA in 3 months
WealthO2, the fintech for financial advisers, has doubled in funds under administration between June 2017 and October 2017.
Investment platform Stake opens the US floodgates for self-managed super accounts
Stake, the fintech platform redesigning investing for Australians, today announced the beta launch of Stake Premium, which gives self-managed superannuation funds direct access to commission-free US share trading for the first time. Stake has also appointed Matthew Rady, a global financial markets expert and former IRESS executive, as Head of Business Development to help expand Stake into new services and offerings for investors and prospective partners. Stake Premium takes the features already available to Stake members — zero brokerage, paperless sign-up and a powerful dashboard to discover and buy US shares at any amount — and makes it available to the $700 billion SMSF market in Australia to help diversify […]
Treasurer rules out further super changes
Future reforms to superannuation appear to be off the table, as the Treasurer sets his eyes on the fintech scene. Speaking at the FSC BT Political Series, Treasurer Scott Morrison said revisiting changes to superannuation was not the way he preferred to “do business”. “I hope people will pick up one thing from the way I like to do business,” said Mr Morrison. “Once I go into a particular area and seek to make change, I seek to do it once and for all. I tend not to go and revisit it. “We made some major changes to superannuation, I’ve made some major changes in previous portfolios on pensions, made […]
