Up launches conversational payments
Up, the digital banking platform that went live in October 2018, has today launched conversational payments in app for customers. An Australia first, the experience will bring functionality on par with the United States, Europe and China, where Venmo, SquareCash and WeChat Pay have significantly altered and improved customers’ payment experience. Up’s Chief Imaginer, Anson Parker, says many Australians will not have experienced this approach to payments before. “Driven by Osko, payments are made in real time to friends and merchants – there’s nothing ‘pending’ here. And we’ve built this platform from the ground up to enable the conversational format that gives customers clarity on where money is going to […]
Assembly Payments rolls out Westpac partnership while announcing international expansion
Leading Australian fintech Assembly Payments has today announced the next stage in its partnership with Westpac and its international expansion. Assembly’s Westpac partnership has seen its unique in-store solution approved by POS companies serving more than 50% of Australian retailers. The solution, which supports Westpac’s Presto payment device, was highlighted by Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer in his result statement in November. The success of Assembly’s first partnership with a major financial institution has drawn global attention from similar finance behemoths, which the Assembly team is moving rapidly to capitalise on. “Australia was only the beginning,” co-founder and CEO Simon Lee said. “We have been working with a range of international […]
BMY Group launches new digital platform AllFin
BMY Group is launching a new digital platform aimed at connecting Australian investment opportunities, products, professionals with Chinese investors, both domestically and overseas. Launching December 4, AllFin.com will matchmake companies, projects and investment managers seeking funding with relevant investors. It will also serve as a platform for thought-leadership, professional service providers and research in investment. BMY Group CEO Eric Gao said the platform is the natural evolution of BMYG’s business model, which has thrived on connecting Australian opportunities with Chinese investors. “In the last eight years, we have been working with high net worths and professional investors, to match them with opportunities, products and professional services in Australia,” Mr Gao says. […]
Home loan fintech raises $25m
A fintech start-up is celebrating a $25million raise as it continues on its pathway to becoming Australia’s “most innovative home loan provider”. Athena Home Loans, which is still in its pilot phase, has closed its most recent Series B raise led by Square Peg Capital. Industry super fund Hostplus and venture firm AirTree also joined the round, taking the group’s total capital raised to date to $45m. The Series B raise comes six months after the company announced a Series A fund raise led by Macquarie Bank and Square Peg Capital and three months after announcing a strategic partnership with Resimac Group. Powered by Australia’s first cloud native digital mortgage […]
Moody’s expects consumer technology giants to be major disruptors in financial services
Moody’s Investors Service expects large technology firms like Google, Facebook and Apple to continue expanding their ability to distribute and offer financial products and services, emerging as significant competitors to traditional consumer-facing financial institutions. The greatest risk to incumbent financial firms is retail-facing technology giants taking control of customer relationships and distribution of financial products, according to a report Moody’s released on Tuesday. Technology-focused companies can enter finance with products core to their businesses, such as payments, that can create and store value — just as Square did with its Cash App. As account balances grow, technology firms can easily start offering low-cost index funds, investment advice, insurance and financial […]
