This Month
Four listed fintechs say they’ll be smashed by credit report rules
Plenti, MoneyMe, Harmoney and Wisr allege major banks are conspiring against them by restricting access to crucial credit file data they use to price loans.
- James Eyers
Ellerston, Tattarang-backed private fintech bags new CEO
Andrew Baines will join Azupay on Monday as Ellerston Capital and Tattarang plot how to help the payments start-up grow with an eye on an exit.
- Tom Richardson
$100m Sydney fintech raises $34m to take on global rivals
Ellerston Capital has taken a stake in digital identity and verification player Data Zoo, in a deal that values the Sydney-founded business north of $100m.
- Tess Bennett
- Exclusive
- Privacy
CBA beats government to start-up opportunity from data breach scandals
Commonwealth Bank has a new app launching on Tuesday to warn citizens when their identity documents are in the wrong hands.
- Paul Smith
Buy now, pay later surges as Dorsey realises Cash App vision
Block’s BNPL volumes are rising as Afterpay is rolled into Cash App, which has 24 million active users in the US. The stock jumped more than 10pc on Friday.
- James Eyers
April
SME lender Capify swaps out Goldman Sachs as funder
Goldman Sachs Private Capital had previously funded Capify with a $135 million facility established in 2019.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Mark Casey-backed debt recovery fintech plots path to the Nasdaq
Having launched in all 50 US states and in Canada, Remitter has signed on a range of enterprise clients including Bank of America, Citizens Bank and Hyundai.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Payment provider Findi lands licence for branded ATMs in India
Findi is backed by Wilson Asset Management and the Flannery family. The company expects to rebrand about 4000 ATMs which it already operates for the State Bank of India.
- Primrose Riordan
- Exclusive
- Funding
Sydney start-up Honey Insurance lands blockbuster $108m US investment
After 305 meetings Honey has closed a huge series A funding round, but it had to head offshore to find the right investors.
- Paul Smith
March
When it comes to how we pay, Apple is coming for the big banks
Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn says policymakers need to be alert to the dangers of ceding important industries to global tech platforms without scrutiny.
- James Eyers
- Opinion
- Matt Comyn
Why CBA’s Comyn wants a fight with big tech
Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn is defending the contribution of large Australian companies and criticising the lack of scrutiny of the big tech giants.
- Jennifer Hewett
Buy now, pay later is pulling off the improbable – a comeback
Block and Zip valuations are rising as peak interest rates pass. Klarna is considering listing in the United States. Is the sector’s winter finally over?
- James Eyers
February
Nick Molnar backs Block’s bid to reshape US banking
The billionaire Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar tells AFR Weekend he’s been working with Jack Dorsey on Cash App, and they’re ready to tackle US banks.
- James Eyers
A bank in your pocket: Macquarie and CBA vie for app supremacy
Until now, the only reason to switch banks was to get a better deal. The rivals are changing that with digital investment on a scale the industry has never seen.
- James Eyers
How you could save up to 1pc off your mortgage rate
Three fintech start-ups – Craggle, Stay or Go and Elula – are challenging mortgage brokers and comparison sites by helping banks negotiate deals with customers.
- James Eyers
What this small fintech deal says about the big shifts in data sharing
Few have heard of Fat Zebra and Adatree. But the acquisition points to emerging data rights, as screen scraping teeters and Apple enters open banking in the UK.
- James Eyers
January
‘Pretty much donezo’: Afterpay’s global ambition feared in job cuts
The company’s US parent, Block, told staff on Wednesday it is beginning to enact plans to cut more than 1000 jobs globally.
- Nick Bonyhady
Apple concedes to European banks amid concern on new RBA payment power
Apple said it would allow European banks to let customers make tap and go payments from their iPhone apps outside Apple Pay, emboldening local lenders.
- James Eyers
Zip shares jump on path to profitability
Zip shares opened 15 per cent higher on Monday morning, in a sector still weighted down by negative sentiment.
- James Eyers
- Exclusive
- Payments
Airwallex prepares for IPO ‘in the next two years’
Its founder says start-ups have the right to push boundaries, as he responds to leaked documents that raise questions about the group’s compliance record.
- Lucas Baird and Jonathan Shapiro
