H2 Ventures eyes global expansion and data and AI start-ups after fresh intake
Sydney-based fintech accelerator H2 Ventures is preparing to take its program international and expand into artificial intelligence and big data after doubling its intake of startups. The accelerator brings on startups, which receive $100,000 in return for a 10 per cent stake in their company, and in exchange they partake in a program that runs for 20 weeks, based out of Stone & Chalk in Sydney. H2 has just set up an office in San Francisco, designed to support its rapidly-growing portfolio of startups when they expand to the US and take on a fresh intake of 16 startups, after it received 300 applications following a roadshow across major cities […]
How Fintech is shaping the future of Wealth Management
A new report from the World Economic Forum and Deloitte confirmed what many advisors, technology vendors and industry analysts have long insisted: it is established wealth management firms, not startups, best positioned to capitalize on disruptive technology. Robo advisors have proven to be an effective tool for customer engagement, but they’ve also proven relatively inexpensive and easy to replicate. By offering their own robo, firms increase customer stickiness while also avoiding the high client acquisition costs that plague startups. But the future is far from certain. Robos have set a new standard for the kind of personalized digital experience clients expect from financial services, and business-to-business fintechs—the so-called wealthtech companies—continue to automate more middle and […]
How to buy Bitcoin: Crypto currency making a comeback with investors
Ever wondered what $50,000 looks like in cash, gold and silver? While piles of $100 notes or ingots of silver might make the money hungry salivate, the equivalent value in gold is a paltry #g bar and almost doesn’t seem worth acknowledging. But spare a thought for those who invest their hard-earned money in an item that delivers even less of a visible return but which has rapidly grown in popularity around the world: Bitcoin. A $50,000 “piece” of the crypto currency is rendered physically as a mere printout of a QR code on a piece of card. Hardly inspiring stuff. Yet, the way Australians invest their hard-earned cash seems […]
Fractional investing company BrickX adds Adelaide to its portfolio
BUYING pieces of a property — rather than an entire house — is gaining traction as Australians seek fresh ways to enter the increasingly expensive real estate market. Fractional investing company BrickX this week launches its first property in Adelaide — its first purchase outside the big cities of Sydney and Melbourne — and plans to buy in Brisbane and Hobart within the next 12 months. But BrickX’s platform — which divides a residential property into 10,000 units or “bricks” for buyers to share in its growth and expenses — is not only appealing to a traditional investment crowd. More than half of the 6500 users it has attracted since […]
Who is using bitcoin in Australia?
If you’re wondering who are the major bitcoin users in Australia, they are white males under the age of 34 living on the eastern seaboard, according to research undertaken last month. The research, carried out by Bitcoin.com.au, shows millennials are adapting to bitcoin, the peer-to-peer (P2P) digital currency, just like other systems of “collective commons” such as Uber and Netflix, which provide greater savings and efficiency to customers. Most of those Australians surveyed said they were using bitcoin for the purpose of investment. With the price of one bitcoin rising more than 500 per cent in the past 12 months (August 2016: $US600; August 2017: $US3200), it’s historically been a […]
Igniteme heats up crowdfunding
Australia’s newest fundraising platform, Igniteme, is looking to push the crowdfunding barrow beyond its traditional confines, having raised more than $1 million since its inception. Igniteme, put together by Australia’s first winner of The Apprentice, Andrew Morello, and former Australian Property Institute associate Kristjan Geering, covers a host of funding options, including charity donations, and private lenders offering loan facilities. There’s also a crowd-sourced equity funding feature that will come into play once the Australian equity crowdfunding legislation comes into effect late next month. The platform’s biggest project to date is raising money for an independent Australian full-length documentary on NSW one-punch attacks called The Polisher. It’s a bit left-field […]
Bitcoin Cash just exploded in value
Bitcoin Cash is the latest major cryptocurrency to surge in value, with prices more than doubling over the past two days. Following Bitcoin’s split on August 1, the alternative Bitcoin Cash traded consistently at around $US300. Demand then spiked and a short time ago, prices had shot up to more than $US700. The price surge means that Bitcoin Cash is now the world’s third biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, behind Bitcoin and Ethereum. Prices for Bitcoin were holding steady this morning at just over $US4,100, but down from their record highs earlier in the week above $US4,400. Amid the recent surges in both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum prices have […]
Blockchain in race to remake one of the world’s oldest markets
The blockchain revolution is gunning for the gold market. Public online ledgers that emerged from the explosive markets for bitcoin, a virtual currency, already have drawn the attention of businesses from banks to retailers who see blockchain systems as a revolutionary way to verify and record transactions. Now, companies including exchange owner CME Group, IEX Group spinoff TradeWind Markets and financial technology firm Paxos are rolling out similar platforms to bring gold into the digital age. About $US27 billion ($34.1 billion) of gold changes hands every day in over-the-counter markets where settlements can sometimes takes days, leaving price risk for buyers and sellers. Using blockchain promises more transparency, security and […]
