Simon Thomsen

Simon is editor of Startup Daily.

He was previously Associate Editor of Business Insider Australia and before that a full-time restaurant critic, editor of The Good Food Guide, and a newspaper proprietor, having spent more than 25 years in journalism and publishing.

He chaired industry lobby group Australian Business Ltd's (now the NSW Business Chamber) environment committee during the Kyoto agreement era.

News & Analysis

Fintech Assembly Payments is launching e-commerce joint venture with UK banking giant Standard Chartered

- February 12, 2020 2 MIN READ

British banking multinational Standard Chartered is launching a joint venture company with fintech Assembly Payments to develop next generation payment solutions for the US$29 trillion e-commerce sector. The deal is a major coup for Assembly Payments, which launched in Melbourne in 2014, began providing online payment solutions with escrow services for marketplaces and platforms, before… Read more »

News & Analysis

5 things you should know about tech today

- February 11, 2020 6 MIN READ

  It’s Tuesday team. Here’s what’s going on in the world.   1.  US politician who invested in an ASX-listed medtech jailed for insider trading Australia’s corporate cop, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has been accused, yet again, of being asleep at the wheel, after the ABC’s Four Corners revealed the story of… Read more »

News & Analysis

The Western Australian government bought a Tesla battery for a Perth suburb for residents to store their solar power collectively

- February 11, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

The Western Australian government has decided to tackle power prices and renewable energy at a local level, installing a 464 kilowatt hour (kWh) Tesla battery bank in the Perth suburb of Ellenbrook to store the power from local homes. Around 65 houses with solar panels feeding into the Powerwall battery will be involved in the… Read more »

News & Analysis

5 things you should know about tech today

- February 10, 2020 3 MIN READ

Welcome to Monday team. Here’s what we’ve seen.   1.  iFined for slowdown The French version of the ACCC, the DGCCRF, has fined Apple €25 million (AU$41m) for the 2017 iOS update that slowed down older iPhone models. Apple’s sin was not slowing down the phones, which the company claimed was to prolong the life of… Read more »

Canva
News & Analysis

Shares in software startup LiveTiles are soaring after Canva deal

- February 10, 2020 2 MIN READ

  Shares in ASX-listed workplace software startup LiveTiles have jumped more than 7% on news that it will introduce Canva’s design software to its subscription platform. LiveTiles connects and integrates other workplace software through Office 365 or Azure without people needing coding experience to create everything from dashboards, to employee portals, and corporate intranets. Founded… Read more »

News & Analysis

Companies warned to update cybersecurity after Toll ransomware attack

- February 7, 2020 2 MIN READ

  Australian logistics giant Toll Group reverted to manual systems after a ransomware attack on part of its IT network last week, as the company liaises with government cybersecurity experts and works to restore its systems. The government’s Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) issued a warning yesterday for companies to update their… Read more »

News & Analysis

Booktopia raises $20 million from private investors ahead of becoming Australia’s top book retailer

- February 6, 2020 2 MIN READ

Booktopia has rebounded from an aborted $10 million crowdfunding campaign last year to land double that amount as it pushes towards becoming the company leading book retailer. Champ Ventures CEO and co-founder Su-Ming Wong and JBS Investments CEO and founder John Sampson led a consortium of investors in a $20 million capital raise as the… Read more »

News & Analysis

5 things you should know about tech today

- February 5, 2020 4 MIN READ

Happy Wednesday team Here’s what we’ve seen going down.   1. Won’t somebody think of the Tesla shorters? Shares in Elon Musk’s electric car company skyrocketed 36% in the last two days, from US$650 to $887 at the Nasdaq’s close on Tuesday, having broken through the $900 barrier during the day’s trade. There’s no one more… Read more »

News & Analysis

The Perth Mint is going to use blockchain technology to make sure its gold is clean and green

- February 5, 2020 2 MIN READ

  The Perth Mint, the government-owned bullion trader, which owns Australia’s only gold refinery, and produces 10% of the world’s gold, has enlisted ASX-listed blockchain technology company Security Matters Ltd (ASX: SMX) to ensure the ethical origins of the gold it sources and sells. The Mint has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Security… Read more »

airwallex
News & Analysis

Airwallex partners with Visa for B2B global payments card

- February 5, 2020 2 MIN READ

Melbourne fintech Airwallex is launching a new global payments product for business in a partnership with credit card giant Visa. The fintech says the Airwallex Borderless Card for businesses will save companies time, cost and hassle on international transactions.  “The collaboration focuses on innovative multi-currency cross-border payment solutions for businesses, bringing together Airwallex’s market-leading international… Read more »