Greg Medcraft urges innovation on blockchain technology
Australian Securities & Investments Commission chairman Greg Medcraft has called on market regulators around the world to “start thinking about” the challenges of blockchain, the technology behind cyber-currency bitcoin. Mr Medcraft, who is also chairman of the International Organisation of Securities Commissioners, urged regulators to consider the potential challenges of blockchain at a recent meeting in Madrid. In an interview with The Australian, Mr Medcraft said the broader commercial use of the blockchain technology was “on the horizon” with industry claims that it could “save billions of dollars if they can make it work”. He said it also had the potential to “improve liquidity” in some financial instruments, “which is […]
Investec buys into H2 Ventures
This is great news for Ben and Toby Heap, the brains behind H2 Ventures, with Investec Australian taking a stake in their businesses. This is also great news for the Australian FinTech industry. Investec Australia has taken a stake in the fintech accelerator H2 Ventures, a move the specialist lender believes will put it in the box seat to win work from entrepreneurs as they scale their businesses. The amount of Investec’s investment in H2 has not been disclosed but is understood to be several million dollars. David Phillips, the head of principal investing at Investec Australia, will join the board of H2, whose only other two shareholders are the […]
Seven Australian fintechs to watch in 2016
It’s set to be a flagship year for Australian fintechs, as the local ecosystem strives to become the “top dog” in Asia. It’s a “pivotal” year that could prove to be “make or break” for many local fintechs, MoneyPlace co-founder Stuart Stoyan says, and many startups are already “punching above their weight” worldwide. While the last few years have seen the various stakes being placed in the ground, Prospa co-founder Beau Bertoli says 2016 is all about growth for fintech. “A lot of the groundwork has been done this year and 2016 is going to really be when the industry starts to get some serious momentum,” Bertoli says. As Stone […]
Auswide Bank lends $60m, takes 20pc in MoneyPlace
Auswide Bank is offering $60 million in personal loans over five years via fledgling peer-to-peer lender MoneyPlace along with a 20 per cent stake in the start-up to boost its personal loans to younger borrowers. Martin Barrett, the managing director of the small, listed Queensland bank, which has a loan book of about $2.4 billion, said it had been in talks with MoneyPlace about investing in and via the platform for about a year while it was seeking its credit licence from the corporate watchdog. “What the P2P guys have to offer is something that is more advanced and capable than what we would be able to put into the […]
What can we learn from fintech disruptors?
On Tuesday Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, declared: “there has never been a more exciting time to be in fintech,” – but in truth, there has never been a more exciting time to be in any kind of innovation. We can’t deny that technological innovation came late to financial services but it’s here now and it’s booming. Fintech has become a multi-billion dollar consumer driven industry globally and we’re on the cusp of something great here. As we grow as an industry, we’re making mistakes and learning from them – after all, that’s what innovation is all about! Thankfully, there is much to be gained from this learning process, not just […]
What You Really Need To Know About Working In Fintech
This is a great article to read if you’re thinking of working for or an Australian FinTech company From the outside, the tech industry can look like a homogenous sector, populated either by entrepreneurial whiz kids or bearded computer ‘geeks’. However, as with most industries, once you get beneath the surface, it becomes clear that the people who inhabit the tech industry are a varied bunch, utilising different skill sets and working in sub-sectors that have little in common. One of these sub-sectors, financial technology (or fintech), is attracting a range of talent, particularly workers who, in the past, may have been attracted to investment funds, law firms, or accountancy […]
P&N seeks fintech partners – The West Australian
WA’s biggest locally owned lender, P&N Bank, will scout potential partnerships and other investments to keep pace with the technological changes gripping the banking industry. Having dipped its toe in the fintech sector last year by taking a small equity stake in a superannuation software start-up, chief executive Andrew Hadley says the mutual bank “certainly has the intent of partnering, collaborating and potentially taking small equity positions” in other businesses of interest. Source: P&N seeks fintech partners – The West Australian
