Simon Beitz
Fintech

Australia gets a new bank, Alex, for Christmas

- December 21, 2022 2 MIN READ

Digital challenger bank Alex has been granted its full banking license by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The approval authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI) comes 18 months after the fintech, founded in 2018 by CEO Simon Beitz, a former Suncorp exec, and Chief Financial Officer Craig Fenwick, was granted its Restricted ADI licence amid a… Read more »

Scrooge McDuck
Fintech

Alex, a new challenger fintech, just got a banking licence

- July 8, 2021 2 MIN READ

Australia has a new bank, with fintech Alex granted a restricted authorised deposit-taking institution (Restricted ADI) licence from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The digital bank has already been busy lending, writing more than $8 million in personal loans since it was founded in 2018. The neobank has already raised more than $35 million… Read more »

Xinja
Fintech

Xinja is officially no longer a bank

- March 1, 2021 < 1 MIN READ

Xinja is no longer a neobank. Despite last minute efforts by a group of the company’s shareholders pushing for the fintech to keep its banking licence, after it was the startup’s most valuable asset, the financial regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) revoked Xinja’s licence as an authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI) on Friday. The… Read more »

Cattle at auction
Fintech

86 400 sells to NAB, ending its neobank dream

- January 29, 2021 2 MIN READ

Big four bank NAB is taking control of neobank 86 400, just 18 months after the fintech launched. The proposed deal ends the “challenger bank” dream of British banking pioneer Anthony Thomson, co-founder of the UK’s Metro Bank and publicly-listed digital bank Atom, and CEO Robert Bell, a former ANZ Japan boss. It was only… Read more »

bike crash
Fintech

Neobank Xinja is shutting up shop

- December 16, 2020 4 MIN READ

Xinja’s neobank adventure is over after just three years, with the fintech startup announcing it will hand back its banking license. The company hopes to continue with its US share trading platform, Dabble “should circumstances allow”, but that project has already been delayed indefinitely. The bank says customers won’t be able to put money in… Read more »

Fintech

Xinja cuts the cap for paying interest on its Stash account once again to just $50,000

- November 17, 2020 2 MIN READ

Less than a year after “Australia’s best savings account”, the high interest rate on Xinja’s Stash savings account appears to be a millstone around the neobank’s neck, with the fintech slashing the interest-bearing cap by two-thirds to just $50,000 on any deposits. With the launch of Xinja US share trading platform Dabble now delayed indefinitely,… Read more »

ASX
Fintech

Fintech Douugh’s reverse listing hits the ASX today

- October 6, 2020 2 MIN READ

Financial platform Douugh makes its ASX debut in a reverse takeover of suspended telco Ziptel. The former Ziptel will be resinstated for trading as Douugh (ASX:DOU) when the market opens for trading at 10am today. Financial reports lodged with the ASX ahead of the relisting reveal that Douugh lost $1.29 million in FY2020, down from… Read more »

Topics

Neobank 86 400 is getting into the energy comparison business

- January 14, 2020 2 MIN READ

86 400 Chairman Anthony Thomson and CEO Robert Bell Digital bank 86 400’s fourth product since launching last last September is somewhat unexpected for a financial institution – an electricity analysis and switching service. Announcing Energy Switch today CEO Robert Bell said “Energy Switch service delivers on our purpose to help Australians take control of… Read more »

Topics

App-based startup 86 400 is looking for $250 million as it prepares to become Australia’s newest bank

- May 9, 2019 2 MIN READ

86 400 is a new digital-only bank led by British entrepreneur Anthony Thomson It’s backed by Sydney-based payments services company Cuscal The bank is waiting for APRA approval to launch with a savings account this year It’s seeking $250m over the next three years to strengthen its balance sheet Digital banking startup 86 400 (named… Read more »