Stone & Chalk hopes interstate foray can spread innovation
In the intensely competitive world of fintech, it’s hard to overstate the benefit for Brand NSW from the ultra-low-cost Stone & Chalk hub, which aims to spread its tentacles to Melbourne before the end of the year. Sydney is already jostling for attention with global fintech destinations such as Silicon Valley, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore and Hong Kong — a status it’s achieved with the paltry investment of $2 million raised from the state government and industry. This column, however, has always advocated a national approach, which is why it’s so important that the rubber is starting to hit the road in Victoria. By the end of September, funding will […]
DigitalX announces deal with global telco Telefónica
ASX ANNOUNCEMENT: DigitalX Limited (ASX:DCC and “the Company”) is pleased to announce that Telefónica Internacional S.A.U. (“Telefónica”) is the Company’s first strategic partner in Latin America following the successful integration of the DigitalX AirPocket App into Telefónica’s network. The mobile phone giant signed a marketing, distribution and sales agreement with DigitalX, which was announced to the market via the ASX on 17 February 2016, that will give Telefónica’s Latin American customers access to DigitalX’s unique value transfer and remittance application, AirPocket. Telefónica, which has nearly 232 million telecommunication access points in Latin America, is one of the largest telcos in the region and is among the top five biggest telecommunications […]
Triple A Super partners with Ignition Wealth to provide online advice for SMSF’s
Leading SMSF administrator Triple A Super will provide SMSF administration services through automated advice provider Ignition Wealth. “The rapid adoption of technology in financial services is driving the trend towards a full service, onestop shop solution for advisers with SMSF clients.” Brian Pedretti, CEO, Triple A Super. Triple A Super’s newly launched Preset administration service, with online reporting and administration services, delivers significant business efficiencies and data accuracy. Clients include wealth advisers and accountancy practices servicing SMSFs. “Preset, Triple A’s new online administration offering has already been approved by a large number of dealer groups and IFAs. The integration with Ignition Wealth will enable advisers to receive […]
OFX celebrates a momentous $100bn transfers internationally milestone
MEDIA RELEASE: OFX, Australia’s leading international payments provider and Fintech leader, have today announced a significant milestone in their transaction history, reaching $100bn in international transfers since launching nearly 18 years ago. The announcement follows CEO Richard Kimber’s first financial year results, revealing the company exceeded $100m in profit for FY16. In the process of notching up their billion-dollar century, OFX have helped customers with more than 5 million bank-to-bank transfers. An estimated 31,000 properties have been bought or funded, over 10 thousand students supported and countless other weird and wonderful things financed. Whether it’s blocks of Italian marble for a sculptor’s next masterpiece, containers of pig’s ears […]
Outcomes from the National Fintech Cybersecurity Summit
Last week an assembly of Australia’s who’s who of cyber security came together for a roundtable in Sydney. The event was organised by CSIRO’s Data61 and Stone & Chalk with partners KPMG and the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC). This roundtable, was chaired by Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel, and the discussion well moderated by Tony Jones from the ABC. In an interview with Computerworld Australia, Alex Scandurra, CEO of Stone & Chalk, shared his reflections on the event and its outcomes. A key theme that emerged time and again in the inaugural National Fintech Cybersecurity Summit was the criticality of collaboration – a point echoed by both key […]
Fintech a $US1 trillion fight
Consultants Oliver Wyman has been talking to banking clients all around the world over the past few months about the concept of “modular financial services”. It’s the coverline adorning one of the firm’s latest research pieces on the impact of information technology on the future of banking. Even as the equity prices of US fintech poster children like Lending Club and OnDeck are pummelled as capital markets reassess valuations, incumbent banks around the world show no sign of losing interest in fintech. Indeed, if the interim results of three of Australia’s big four banks last week were any guide, thinking about fintech in the C-suite is only accelerating. The earnings […]
Budget 2016: fintechs; MoneyPlace, OzForex hail recognition
The Turnbull government’s maiden budget may have lacked the necessary fireworks for the local innovation sector but fintech start-ups are not complaining. Melbourne-based peer-to-peer lender MoneyPlace’s founder and CEO Stuart Stoyan is pleased to see the Australian fintech ecosystem singled out in a budget that didn’t dole out many handouts to start-ups. “It’s an election budget so they had to balance a few things but the fact that fintech got attention is a big win,” he said. The government overnight unveiled measures designed to boost the fintech industry that Mr Stoyan said is a reflection of the sector’s growing prominence. “What we have is a number of factors coming together […]
Afterpay fintech float closes up 25pc
The Ron Brierley-backed buy now, pay later fintech Afterpay got a positive response to its $125 million listing on Wednesday, closing up 25 per cent. The company – which received $8 million in private investments before the float from several former members of Mr Brierley’s Guiness Peat Group – listed at midday at $1 and ended the day at $1.25. The All Ordinaries closed down 1.47 per cent. The executive chairman and co-founder is Anthony Eisen, former chief investment officer of Guiness Peat Group. “What we’re pioneering in Australia is buy now, pay later online, in real time,” said Mr Eisen. “We have a transaction integrity engine that allows us […]
