How incubators are empowering fintech startups
Of all the technological innovations taking the world by storm, fintech has certainly been one of the most prolific. Hundreds of new startups are entering the space, offering products including everything from lending to more specialised fare. Older, more experienced bankers and financial experts leaving their industries have created many of these startups. But just as many have started through young up-and-comers – and they’ve needed a little helping hand along the way. This is one of the reasons incubators and accelerators have been such a key part of the fintech industry. All over the world, fintech businesses have been flocking to incubators in droves. In the United States, the […]
Kerry Agiasotis of WUBS: Win-win when rivals turn partners
One of the world’s largest non-bank providers of international business payment solutions says aspiring fintech companies should seek to pursue partnerships with their big company rivals rather than fighting them if they want their ideas to reach their full potential. The chief executive of Western Union Business Solutions, the dedicated business payments unit of the New York Stock Exchange-listed Western Union Company, said the firm was increasingly looking to partner with fintechs and other start-ups. WUBS is primary spot foreign currency trading provider to 20 per cent of the SME market in Australia and secondary provider to another 20 per cent, including the big four banks. It has more than […]
The fintechs targeting SMEs
Fintech companies have increasingly started targeting SMEs looking for ways to finance their businesses, but fintechs shouldn’t expect a revolution without a few setbacks. At least, that’s the view of some of the industry’s own experts and participants. With the market having had a few years to run its course, digital lenders, payment platforms and other financial technology firms have been given a warning: change, or face extinction. The changing face of fintech In lieu of more banking alternatives, fintech companies have increasingly started targeting more specific niches. It’s these businesses – not just those offering simple loans – that will end up surviving a glut of entrants, experts say. […]
Major mortgage group partners with US-based fintech player
One of Australia’s largest providers of mortgage broking services has formed a strategic alliance with an international fintech company. AFG today announced that it has partnered with New York-based Biz2Credit. The exclusive agreement will enable AFG brokers to deliver an innovative lending experience for small businesses in Australia. AFG will leverage Biz2Credit’s patented analytics and financial services technology to process small business loan requests more efficiently. “Loan applicants will enter information through a new online small business portal,” AFG said in a statement. “The technology will enable AFG brokers to provide small business borrowers with a broader range of options and deliver faster access to capital.” Using the new online […]
Why trade finance is a good use case for blockchain
Trade finance is shaping up as one of the most promising early use cases for blockchain technology. The arrival of blockchain is prompting banks to search for analogue processes across the global economy which could be digitised to reduce financing risk. As a cumbersome process using multiple paper-based contracts with settlement typically taking weeks, the $US4 trillion ($5.3 trillion) trade-financing industry is set to be revolutionised by distributed ledger technology in the coming years. Many of the world’s largest banks and various start-ups have been pumping funds into blockchain research and development. They are now branching out of their laboratories to explain the opportunity to customers. In the trade finance […]
ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott says digital wallets may displace plastic cards in less than a decade
Digital wallets could take over from plastic credit and debit cards in less than a decade, as consumers become more comfortable making purchases on smart phones, ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott predicts. Google on Thursday launched its Android Pay system in Australia, which will allow consumers to use their smart phones for payments wherever contactless card payments are accepted, and to make purchases within apps. ANZ is the first Big Four bank to offer the service to its customers, and Mr Elliott anticipates it won’t be long before payments on smart phones overtake those using plastic cards. Digital wallet offerings from banks started to emerge a couple of years ago […]
Google launches Android Pay in Australia
Google has today announced the launch of its contactless smartphone payment system Android Pay in Australia, providing a new way to pay for just about anything without needing to grab your wallet. “We truly believe that we’re at a tipping point in Australia, where we can get mass adoption of mobile payments”, Google’s senior director of product management Pali Bhat tells Fairfax Media, noting that 60 per cent of Australians already make payments with a contactless card. Mobile payment solutions for phones are already offered by Apple, Samsung and some individual banks, but Google believes Android Pay differentiates itself with its ease of use. Because the system is baked directly […]
