SMEs need protection from online Payday Lenders
In 2015, online SME lending in Australia was around $250m, up from a zero base two years ago. Growth will continue exponentially and online SME lending will become a significant alternative source of funding for Australia’s SMEs. Online lenders perform an important role by lending to thousands of SMEs that would otherwise struggle to attract support from a bank. I am a big supporter of this sector but am concerned that many SMEs don’t understand what they are getting themselves into when they borrow from some lenders that could be more accurately described as SME payday lenders to SMEs. These concerns together with suggestions as to how the interest of […]
FINCAST has secured a pilot programme with OCBC
Australian headquartered Fintech start-up, FINCAST, has secured a pilot programme with Singaporean headquartered Asian bank OCBC as its first deal. Managing Director and Co-Founder, Andrew Connors, commented, “the appetite for and commitment to innovation by Asian banks means the Australian big four banks are being left behind. Major Asian banks like OCBC aren’t just kicking the tyres on new technologies that will advance their business, they are firmly focussed on having a first-mover advantage by utilising technology”. “We are still hopeful that early adopters of our technology will include an Australian bank or corporate partner of our home, the Stone & Chalk Fintech hub”. The pilot between FINCAST […]
Fintech lender launches unique broker portal
An alternative online lender has launched a free digital marketing portal for mortgage brokers as it looks to strengthen its relationships with the third-party channel. Small business lender Prospa recently launched the Prospa Uplift Marketing Portal (PUMP) an online marketing resource of its partners. PUMP enables brokers to download application forms and fact sheets, send customised email and direct mail to clients and download images to use for social media. “There are over 60 registered partners in the first week who took it on board and ran activities with it,” Prospa CEO Beau Bertoli told The Adviser. “It is an easy to use but very powerful online marketing platform that […]
HashChing surpasses $1billion of home loans
Australia’s first marketplace for home loans, HashChing has today announced it has surpassed its $1 Billion of home loans milestone as momentum builds for the Sydney FinTech. The team also welcomes corporate heavyweight, Claire Wivell Plater of The Fold Legal to its Advisory Board, further strengthening its position in the market. Dubbed the Mortgage Whisperers, Mandeep Sodhi and Atul Narang are the founders of HashChing – an online marketplace for pre-negotiated home loan deals so good the banks don’t want you to know about them. HashChing offers home loans with interest rates below 4 per cent and well below banks’ standard advertised variable rates. The platform initially launched in August with […]
The 14 Australian fintech startups chosen for KPMG’s new accelerator program
KPMG Australia today launched mLabs, an accelerator to connect credit unions and mutual banks with some of Australia’s most promising fintech startups. The program follows the successful Energise accelerator run for the energy and natural resources sector last year. The program will initially be used by seven Australian mutual banks and credit unions: Beyond Bank, CUA, Greater Bank, Heritage, IMB Bank, Police Bank and Teachers Mutual Bank. The KPMG Mutuals Review 2015 found that mutuals are well placed to implement new technologies and ideas and to collaborate with fintech startups. “KPMG mLabs is designed to catalyse this process,” says James Mabbott, head of KPMG innovate. “It will be a platform […]
Which fintech innovations are really adding value to customers?
Financial services, of all sectors, has seen some of the most significant technology innovations in recent years. Banks and insurance companies have been very keen to leverage technology in such a way that is mutually beneficial to both vendor and consumer, and now even superannuation is getting involved in the technology revolution. While there is a lot of innovation happening for the sake of it, not all of it is useful for the end user. It sounds simple, but what we learned as we developed our automated SMSF solution is a lesson that a lot of other financial services apps seem to forget at times; good design principles that keep […]
New fintech player CreditSME is helping both banks and borrowers in SME lending space
CreditSME has recently launched in the Australian market and is working with both lenders and borrowers to create a streamlined process for small and medium sized businesses to obtain finance. CreditSME has developed a new credit scoring system for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) based on the financial and operating position of the company. This credit score, along with the financing requirements of the company, are then used to match the company to the most suitable financier. “There have been a number of new lenders entering the SME space over recent times which provides more options for borrowers, however it’s important for borrowers to understand what is being offered […]
Craig Wright says he will prove he is bitcoin creator
One day after Australian businessman Craig S. Wright declared he created the virtual currency bitcoin, he says he plans to prove it. After many bitcoin experts expressed scepticism about Mr. Wright’s claims, the 45-year-old computer scientist and engineer wrote Tuesday on his blog that he’ll present more evidence in coming days to prove he is Satoshi Nakomoto, bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator. “I will be posting a series of pieces that will lay the foundations for this extraordinary claim, which will include posting independently-verifiable documents and evidence,” Mr. Wright wrote. Specifically, Mr. Wright says he plans to move some bitcoin from an account that has been around since the early days of […]
