Up launches conversational payments
Up, the digital banking platform that went live in October 2018, has today launched conversational payments in app for customers. An Australia first, the experience will bring functionality on par with the United States, Europe and China, where Venmo, SquareCash and WeChat Pay have significantly altered and improved customers’ payment experience. Up’s Chief Imaginer, Anson Parker, says many Australians will not have experienced this approach to payments before. “Driven by Osko, payments are made in real time to friends and merchants – there’s nothing ‘pending’ here. And we’ve built this platform from the ground up to enable the conversational format that gives customers clarity on where money is going to […]
Retreat & Destroy: what R&D reforms are doing to start-ups
For a government that is threatening to wipe out a significant number of tech start-ups with its proposed changes to the research and development tax incentive, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Morrison government appears to have failed to do any research into the potential impact. After all, if the government had conducted its own study it would know that R&D tax incentives are the unsung hero of the start-up world, and reducing accessibility could be the death knell for innovation in Australia. But this is the same government that is without a minister focused only on innovation and one that has reduced spending on science, research and innovation […]
Fintech joins express loans partnership
A digital mortgage service fintech has announced it will join a partnership to create fast, paperless home loans. Tic:Toc and Bendigo Bank announced recently they would be teaming up to offer “express” loans. Now, legal fintech LeadPoint, which specialises in providing automated home loan documentation, has announced it would join them. The group has generated more than 50,000 home loan contracts through its platform since it launched in 2013. LeadPoint’s involvement in Bendigo Bank Express is the next phase of LeadPoint’s partnership with Tic:Toc loans, which already offers ‘webmortgages’ loan documentation as part of its instant home loan assessment and approval platform. LeadPoint uses its proprietary platform to produce digital […]
Yet another end of Cryptocurrency? What influences the market now
Most cryptocurrencies have seen their growth slow down in recent months. The prices of Bitcoin and major altcoins have leveled out at a point well below their peak prices. While some investors take this as a sign that the market is starting to mature, others see this trend as disconcerting. The situation surrounding cryptocurrency is not what it was a year ago. This also means that the factors that influence the market have changed, although some factors are enduring and will always affect cryptocurrency performance. Here are some of the major factors influencing the market right now. Bitcoin Price The price of Bitcoin influences the prices of all other digital […]
86 400 marks completion of key milestones on road to public launch in 2019
86 400, a genuine alternative to Australia’s Big Four Banks, can today disclose that it has successfully achieved a number of key milestones as part of its mission to give Australians a better banking experience. The major milestones that the aspiring bank has completed since unveiling include: Product: Field testing of the beta 86 400 app with staff during Q4 2018 — as committed to during June’s unveiling Testing of the 86 400 debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay across Australia and overseas 86 400’s Core Banking Platform sourced from its Australian banking technology partner Data Action has been operational for a number of months. All payment rails […]
IRESS expands open integration approach for XPLAN
IRESS has announced that clients will be able to easily allow third party software providers to directly access and integrate with XPLAN. The announcement is part of IRESS Open, which will see IRESS expand the number of integrations available to clients by making access to IRESS’ existing APIs simpler and easier. Under IRESS Open, clients will be able to integrate XPLAN with third party applications in two ways: Standard integrations – a new approach where clients can directly engage with third party providers and integrate XPLAN to a third party application simply and directly. These integrations will facilitate the transfer of data with the third party application, rely on a […]
Fintech drops interest rates
A fintech has announced rate cuts across its investor home loans, including a 32 basis point reduction to its variable interest only product. Tic:Toc said the decision comes at a time of falling investor lending. The group has noticed a 33% drop in investment lending in the last quarter to November 2018. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the value of investment loans has also dropped by more than 20% over the last year and investment housing commitments fell by 0.9%. Tic:Toc founder and CEO, Anthony Baum, said now may be the opportune time for investors to secure a competitive rate via Tic:Toc’s digital platform. He said, […]
Home loan fintech raises $25m
A fintech start-up is celebrating a $25million raise as it continues on its pathway to becoming Australia’s “most innovative home loan provider”. Athena Home Loans, which is still in its pilot phase, has closed its most recent Series B raise led by Square Peg Capital. Industry super fund Hostplus and venture firm AirTree also joined the round, taking the group’s total capital raised to date to $45m. The Series B raise comes six months after the company announced a Series A fund raise led by Macquarie Bank and Square Peg Capital and three months after announcing a strategic partnership with Resimac Group. Powered by Australia’s first cloud native digital mortgage […]
