Founded by the crowd: the new way to invest in Australian businesses
Equity crowdfunding is a relatively new way for Australians to invest. It’s a smart way to collect donations for a charity cause or raise capital for new products and with recent changes to Australian investment laws, crowdfunding platforms can now be used to raise equity capital for a business startup. This change opens a new funding stream for fledgling creative companies to gain investors and get their idea into the marketplace faster. So what opportunities and pitfalls are there for businesses who are considering equity crowdfunding? Three forms of crowdfunding There are three forms of crowdfunding and first up is, Donation or Charity based Crowdfunding, which has been available to […]
Private Equity and Venture Capital technology investments key for investors
Chief Executive Officer of Crestone Wealth Management Michael Chisholm says investor access to the quickly growing technology sector is an important investment and social consideration in the current market cycle. Mr Chisholm said access to private equity or venture capital funds, which are uncorrelated to traditional asset classes, can help cushion portolios against any equity market downturn. Crestone recently invited a group of Australia’s leading venture capital (VC) investors to provide their views on technology. The panel included Paul Bassat, Co-Founder and Partner from Square Peg Capital, Daniel Petre, Co-Founder and Partner from AirTree Ventures, Niki Scevak, Managing Director and Founder from Blackbird Ventures, Emma Weston, Co-Founder and CEO from […]
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 […]
Stone & Chalk founded startup SkyBuys to launch duty free project with Heinemann Australia
SkyBuys is pleased to announce Heinemann Australia (HEINEMANN Tax & Duty Free) has signed an agreement to trial the SkyBuys App and technology platform for duty free shopping. Announced today at the Airbus BizLab DemoDay in Hamburg, the SkyBuys-Heinemann Australia project is scheduled to commence in early Q3 2018 at Sydney Airport, Australia’s major international airport. Founded at the Stone & Chalk fintech hub in Sydney, mobile commerce startup SkyBuys developed the SkyBuys App for international passengers to shop for duty free at any stage of their journey, including in-flight. The App allows passengers to search and purchase duty free inventory in-app from the time they receive their ticket through […]
Ookami and National Currency eXchange to share IP, produce new digital asset technology
Ookami (ASX: OOK) has edged further into the cryptocurrency space after securing a collaboration agreement with National Currency eXchange Group, with the duo to share intellectual property to develop new synergies and technologies. According to Ookami, the collaborative agreement complements its business model to develop technological solutions that encompass blockchain technologies, smart contracts, anti-money laundering, identity management and verification, data markets, digital asset wallets and exchange platforms, security and encryption, among others. The National Currency eXchange is a platform for investors to trade cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. As part of the collaboration, Ookami and National Currency eXchange will create a “preferred” client model which enables people to use […]
The New Payments Platform Launches
Payments infrastructure that enables customers with accounts at different banks, building societies and credit unions to make real-time data-rich payments to each other any time of day, any day of the year, will commence rolling out to the Australian public from today. The New Payments Platform went live in November last year and has supported funds transfers between employees at a number of different banks, building societies and credit unions. The Platform’s public launch occurred in the very early hours of this morning — at 12.01am to be precise — when CEO of NPP Australia Adrian Lovney marked the occasion by making a donation to the Alannah and Madeline […]
Local digital currency exchange Independent Reserve adds two new execs, turns to institutions
Independent Reserve, the Australian Digital Currency exchange, has added two executives to its senior management team as the company turns its attention to its growing stable of institutional and SMSF clients. Roman Stefanidi joined Independent Reserve as Chief Technology Officer in August, and Lasanka Perera as Head of Strategy in October. CEO Adrian Przelozny said the firm was now well positioned to grow as it focuses on institutional clientele. “Digital Currency has reached a level of awareness now where we’re seeing investors who have been waiting on the sidelines starting to enter the market,” he said. “Factors like the the new regulation by AUSTRAC, emerging ETFs and crypto […]
Stuart Stoyan is FinTech Australia’s new chair
Stuart Stoyan is appointed FinTech Australia’s new chair as Simon Cant steps down Stuart Stoyan, who is the founder and CEO of Melbourne-based fintech company MoneyPlace, has become FinTech Australia’s new chair after the association’s founding chair Simon Cant decided to step down. Mr Cant led the founding of FinTech Australia in November 2015. He authored the initial fintech call to action which made the case to government for fintech to become a national innovation priority in the face of global financial services disruption. At the Treasurer’s invitation, Mr Cant also led the development of FinTech Australia’s initial reform priorities agenda in January 2016 which informed the Australian Government’s Backing Australian […]
