Crowdfunding success for Australian brewers
Gold Coast brewery Black Hops has hit its fundraising target of $400,000 just six days after opening its offer to the public. Matt Vitale from equity crowdfunding platform Birchal said he was delighted with the result. “Black Hops offer was fully subscribed last night, reaching its maximum target in just six days,” Vitale said. “We are thrilled with the result, as is the Black Hops team.” The $400,000 is earmarked for finishing Black Hops’ second brewery and taproom located 30 minutes north of its current site in Burleigh Heads. Investors could invest for as little as $50 to receive ordinary shares in the company. Depending on the value of their […]
Fintech currency wars heat up as Pelikin prepares to launch
A travel cash mishap in Croatia was Sam Brown’s inspiration to launch startup Pelikin into the competitive space of travel money and foreign exchange. “I was in Croatia, I went to get money out, put my travel card into the ATM and then cancelled my transaction because I changed my mind. My travel provider thought that was suspicious and blocked my funds. What that led to was having to borrow money, from the people I was travelling with,” Brown says. Brown has just closed out a crowdfunding raise for Pelikin of close to a quarter of a million dollars that has been “essentially a marketing campaign” for a the company’s […]
Melbourne Fintech to disrupt the way young Australians travel
Melbourne Fintech Pelikin is on the cusp of disrupting the Australian travel money market with its mobile-only multi-currency account and prepaid Visa card. The young team is on a mission to make “travel brighter” for young Australians by providing them with valuable travel and money services that have been built with their best interests first. At its core, the Pelikin app and card will allow users to hold up to five different currencies at once and spend in over 200 countries across the world in an easy, affordable way. Last month, Pelikin released its prepaid card and with a unique vertical and neon yellow design, it’s a far cry from […]
What’s the deal with equity crowdfunding, and should I do it?
What’s changed? The updated legislation passed on September 12, including an amendment from Labor which means it will come into effect in 28 days. Equity crowdfunding will now be available to private companies, but there are still some restrictions. Companies must have less than $25 million in turnover and gross assets, and funds raised will be restricted to $5 million each year. Startups using the method will also be subject to transaction rules and stringent reporting and disclosure obligations, with annual reports and directors’ reports required. Once companies raise $3 million or more, they will also be subject to auditing requirements. Matt Vitale, co-founder of equity crowdfunding platform Birchal, tells […]
Melbourne millennial fintech Pelikin lands partnership with global payments provider Tuxedo
Melbourne travel and banking app Pelikin has partnered with global finance technology provider Tuxedo Money Solutions, to deliver the startup’s multi-currency prepaid debit card offering. Specialising in prepaid and alternative finance solutions, Tuxedo will power the payment technology and prepaid card offered by Pelikin. Founded in 2006 in the United Kingdom, Tuxedo has now grown through exciting partnerships, hosting transactions in over 200 territories worldwide and processing just under $2 billion in card loads. Technical Director of Tuxedo Nicholas Holt shared that he is excited to partner with such a cutting edge startup. “We’re very excited to partner with Pelikin and be a part of their journey, as well as […]
Anger grows over crowdfund farce
Anger is growing over “farcical” delays to passing the equity crowdfunding bill that would extend the regime to private Australian companies, with the scheme now unlikely to come into effect until the end of the year. There are also concerns that cuts to corporate regulator ASIC will further slow the implementation of the scheme, which has been in the works since early 2013. Amendments to the Corporations Act allowing private companies to undertake a crowdsourced equity funding round were introduced to Parliament last September. Despite broad support by the Opposition, the bill was not passed in the House of Representatives until February this year. It has now spent three months […]
FinTech startup Pelikin looks to recruit Gen Y investors
After a highly successful expression of interest campaign on equity crowdfunding platform Birchal, Melbourne FinTech startup Pelikin is continuing to rally millennials to invest in Pelikin. Encouraging Gen Y Professionals to invest in the banking alternative with as little as $100, Pelikin is hoping to get as many users as possible over the next month to be involved in building the travel banking app. Pelikin Founder Sam Brown said the younger market was the reason behind the development and creation of the app, so it was a natural progression for them to be a part of the Pelikin growth journey. “Rather than buying a house, Gen-Y are more interested in […]
New Pelikin app fits the bill for globetrotting millennials
Digital banking start-up Pelikin aims to reshape the way people save, send and spend their money in Australia and while travelling abroad. The company’s slogan is “spend like a local”. It will be targeting “digital natives” with its app and debit card. It hopes to launch by mid-2018 and is currently seeking expressions of interest for investment on Birchal, an Australian equity crowdfunding platform. “Acting as a transactional base for funds, Pelikin wants to create a seamless digital experience between everyday banking and travel banking; an important element for a younger market who are known for their tech-savvy and globetrotting lifestyle,” the company explains. It is currently beta testing features […]
