Bravura Solutions’ Sonata hits high note at 20-times profit
Private equity-owned Bravura Solutions will seek to raise $200 million for its initial public offering before the end of the month. Brokers Goldman Sachs and Macquarie Capital kicked off the marketing program with face to face meetings in Melbourne and Auckland on Monday. Their analysts also released detailed pre-IPO research reports and setting investor price expectations at 16-to-20-times forecast profit and up to 16-times adjusted EBITDA, as Street Talk revealed. Small cap fundies are familiar with the story. Bravura was listed for almost a decade before Ironbridge and management took the financial services software company private in 2013. It’s now preparing to return to market with $100 million invested in […]
Valiant announces partnership with Octomedia to launch Inside Small Business LoanConnect
Leading fintech business loan marketplace, Valiant and Inside Small Business publisher Octomedia, announced the official launch of an exclusive partnership to bring business loan solutions to Australia’s small business community. The partnership is a major Australian publishing first which delivers an exclusive business loan search and application portal as a co-branded offer: Inside Small Business LoanConnect. By dynamically accessing Valiant’s panel of 35+ leading lenders, Inside Small Business LoanConnect compares small business owner’s loan requests to the lender’s credit criteria. Matching works instantaneously through Valiant’s proprietary marketplace technology – saving business owner’s time and stress. Valiant Co-founders, Alex Molloy and Richard Cotton expressed excitement for the new […]
This $55 million ASX fintech fund is Australia’s first listed venture company
Seed funding venture capital specialists Ben and Tony Heap today launched H2Ocean, an ASX-listed vehicle to raise up to $55 million for the fintech startup market. The prospectus, offering $1.10 shares to raise between $27.5 million and $55 million, is now live and is being led by Ord Minnett and Shaw and Partners. The float, due to list around October 19, was launched by treasurer Scott Morrison. Joining the brothers on the board are financial journalist David Koch, former federal MP Wyatt Roy and Anne O’Donnell, a former CEO of Australian Ethical Investment. Ben, the chairman, told Business Insider the company is a first to list on the ASX. “This is […]
Fintech moves in when banks fail their customers
In November the Monetary Authority of Singapore will hold a major fintech festival as part of the regulator’s push to promote financial services technology. It’s all part of what broker CLSA calls the Singapore government’s $35 billion campaign to promote technology in the country. A recent Ernst & Young report ranks Singapore fourth overall behind Britain, California and New York in terms of global fintech ecosystems. Australia came in fifth in the survey, behind Germany but ahead of Hong Kong. Australia ranked third behind Britain and Singapore in terms of fintech policy, including regulatory regimes and tax policy. It ranked fifth in terms of talent and capital and seventh in […]
Australia recognised for embracing fintech startups
Australia is establishing hubs and improving business conditions for fintechs. Despite tough market conditions and a global drop in investments, Australia has been praised as a forward-thinking, cultivator of venture-capital (VC) backed fintech startups. KPMG and CB Insights analysed the global status and outlook of fintech venture funding in their Pulse of Fintech Q2 2016 report and found VC-backed fintech companies raised $2.5 billion through 195 deals, a 12% decline in volume compared with Q1 2016. However, funding is on pace to exceed 2015 investment levels. The report says that while some jurisdictions are fighting to advance regulatory changes related to fintech, Australia is establishing hubs and improving conditions for […]
Banks to develop new digital cash unit for settlement
Four of the world’s biggest banks have teamed up to develop a new form of digital cash they believe will become an industry standard to clear and settle financial trades using blockchain, the technology underpinning bitcoin. UBS, the Swiss bank, pioneered the “utility settlement coin” and has now joined forces with Deutsche Bank, Santander and BNY Mellon – as well as the broker ICAP – to pitch the idea to central banks, aiming for its commercial launch by early 2018. The move is the first example of a group of leading banks coming together to co-operate on a specific blockchain technology to harness the power of decentralised computer networks and […]
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 […]
Moula ramps up for long-term growth
Australia’s leading data-driven lending platform for small businesses Moula, today announced the appointment of former Managing Director of Xero, Chris Ridd, to its board as it positions itself for significant growth. The announcement coincides with the release of findings from the Disruption Index, showing that the number of data-approved loan applicants has doubled over the past year. The Disruption Index is a Moula initiative designed to track the waves of disruption in Australia in the small business lending sector. Ridd’s appointment comes off the back of strong growth for Moula over the past twelve months, as Australian small businesses change the way they access loans. Business confidence among SMEs seeking […]
