ACCC says Apple Pay will boost card competition
Apple Pay’s ability to toggle through different payment cards was seen as pro-competitive by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and became one of the key factors leading the regulator to favour Apple over the banks. In an interview with The Australian Financial Review after the ACCC knocked back an application by the banks to collectively negotiate with Apple over access to the iPhone’s “near field communication” (NFC) controller, ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the banks’ arguments that such access could increase competition for digital wallets were “strong” – but the regulator always has to be cautious about intervening in markets. At a time when the industry is looking for […]
ACCC knocks back the banks on Apple Pay
The competition regulator has rejected an application by the banks to collectively negotiate with technology giant Apple over access to the iPhone’s “near field communication (NFC) controller. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corporation, National Australia Bank and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank had asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for permission to negotiate as a block in order to give them more negotiating power to have Apple open the NFC to their own digital wallets. But ACCC chairman Rod Sims said on Friday: “We are concerned that the proposed conduct is likely to reduce or distort competition in a number of markets. “The banks said they are “disappointed” with […]
Jost: Pace of reform is too slow
Australia must disrupt its banking regulations or face waking up one day to find a FinTech innovator such as Chinese giant Alibaba becoming the bedrock of our financial system, rather than the Big Four banks. So says Jost Stollmann, a German expat with decades of experience in technology entrepreneurship, government and FinTech innovation. “One day we might not be talking about the Big Four but AT&T Financial Services and Alibaba owning banking services in Australia,” says Mr Stollmann. Mr Stollmann sees Australia at a tipping point, not only with FinTech regulation but also with its overall innovation thrust. In a strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threat analysis, Australia has great lifestyle […]
Fintechs like Hashching cash in on bank lending limits to curb property boom
As regulators weigh new limits on bank lending to cool the housing boom, their impact may be muted as tech-savvy borrowers turn to fintechs to access cheaper rates offered by non-bank lenders. Hashching is raising $6 million of fresh equity on the Neu Capital fundraising platform in a deal valuing the Sydney-based start-up – which gives borrowers access to the best interest rates negotiated by mortgage brokers – at $40 million. Since it was set up in August 2015, Hashching has received applications for $5 billion of home loans, which has doubled in the last five months. Around 20 per cent of loans are made to property investors. On the platform, borrowers are […]
BT Panorama partners with fintech
BT Financial Group has gone live with its retail superannuation administration functionality by partnering with international fintech company, Avaloq. The functionality was launched within BT Panorama. BTFG said it had previously relied on multiple legacy systems to undertake administration functions but this new functionality would allow them to migrate to a more cost effective, single platform. The ability to meet complex tax, regulatory, and compliance requirements associated with administration in the personal super segment formed part of BTFG’s ongoing Panorama project, which has now acquired 3,442 self-managed superannuation funds and 3,035 registered advisers since its initial cash hub launch in 2014. Avaloq Asia Pacific general manager, Peter Scott, said the […]
H2 Ventures announces new startups following fresh funding
The co-founder of fintech accelerator H2 Ventures, Toby Heap, has warned Australia’s big four banks that they are underestimating the wave of digital disruption taking place in their sector, as it announces its next intake of hopeful startups. H2’s next group of entrepreneurs will range from a startup that provides people with their own personal chef, called DishMe, to a social sporting platform that lets sport fans compete against their friends during live matches, called FanTrade. To date 25 startups have gone through the accelerator program, including online marketplace for home loans HashChing, which raised $1 million from Sapien Ventures last year, and crowdfunding platform Equitise, which also raised more […]
Equity crowdfunding bill passed, but proprietary companies still excluded
Retail investors will from September be able to buy up to $10,000 of equity in their favourite business ideas, after crowd-sourced funding legislation passed the Senate. The legislation will allow unlisted public companies with annual turnover or gross assets of up to $25 million to advertise their business plans on licensed crowdfunding portals, and raise up to $5 million a year to carry them out. Investors can put up to $10,000 a year each into an unlimited number of ideas. A 48-hour cooling off period had applied to the legislation which passed the House of Representatives in February, however the Labor Opposition successfully amended this to five days, with support […]
Qantas partners with Slingshot for its first startup accelerator program
Qantas will open its technology platforms, data and anonymised customer information to up to 10 start-up or scale-up businesses when it runs its first ‘accelerator’ from May. The Avro Accelerator, named after Qantas’ first aircraft, is a 12-week program designed to help the airline innovate across its business, including its offshoots in insurance and banking. Qantas’ partner in running the accelerator is Slingshot, a specialist in bringing corporate sponsors together with relevant start-up and scale-up businesses. Slingshot’s venture capital fund, whose investors include industry super fund Hostplus, will back each business selected for Avro with $50,000 upfront, with a further $100,000 for those still showing promise at the end of […]
