UK fund to back ThinCats Australia
ThinCats Australia has announced that UK-based alternative finance fund ESF Capital will acquire a 30 per cent stake in the peer-to-peer (P2P) business lending platform. ESF Capital will also provide $10 million in funding for loans on the platform in the first year, joining another 300 lenders on ThinCats’ panel. ThinCats Australia CEO Sunil Aranha said the injection of capital and funding by ESF will provide a significant boost to the platform as well as the many SMEs seeking loans. “The injection of capital by ESF will allow us to ramp up our operations and technology platform, lift our market presence and hire more staff to tap into the largely […]
Fintech’s advantages: financial technology revolution is a boon for investors
There are definitely a lot of exciting new opportunities for investors to get involved in FinTech. Whether its investing capital in the products that are offered by new FinTech companies or direct investment in these companies now is the time. We are starting to see more and more articles about the opportunities in main stream media and we must surely be about to reach the tipping point. In my own experience the mention of FinTech is drawing fewer and fewer blank stares today than it was even a few months ago. A ‘Financial Revolution’ is a great way to describe our current position. We would love to hear your thoughts […]
Why fintech is high on the radar for this London Stock Exchange-listed company
Financial technology, or fintech, is finally getting the recognition it deserves as funding pours in and investors begin to warm up to its risky nature. Solving the technological shortcomings of banking institutions and easing payment processes while increasing consumer protection, companies under the segment have been quite instrumental in improving the quality of financial services for both customers and entrepreneurs. Following the success of Lending Club, WePay and Kabbage, dozens of fintech start-ups have entered the fray, and it didn’t take venture capitalists long to flirt with the idea of betting on them. According to the Economic Times, the industry is now worth US$4.7 trillion (AU$6.6 trillion), and have raked […]
Bitcoin lures as investors fret over uncertain markets
Investors appear to be increasingly turning towards bitcoins, rather than gold, as the best way to protect themselves against unpredictable financial markets. Worries that the US Federal Reserve could make good on its threat to raise interest rates before the end of the year pushed gold to a three-week low overnight, with the price of the precious metal dropping 2.4 per cent to $US1,147.30 a troy ounce. Although the Fed kept interest rates close to zero at this week’s meeting, it flagged the possibility of a rate rise in December, and this triggered a rise both in US dollar and US bond yields – both of which are negatives for […]
FinTech Investments Quadruple: Top Trends To Watch
Investments into FinTech startups recently quadrupled, growing from just over $3 billion in 2013 to over $12 billion in 2014. And consider alongside that another trend showing that crowdfunding will surpass VC in 2016 as a funding source–given that crowdfunding itself is a segment of the FinTech market. Source: FinTech Investments Quadruple: Top Trends To Watch
Investing opportunities in FinTech
Investment Investment in FinTech takes two directions. Firstly you can invest your funds into companies such as peer to peer lenders for them to distribute as loans. This takes the form of either direct investment for the wholesale investor or investment into managed investment schemes that administer the funds for a fixed return. Obviously as the level of management increases the returns will decrease but so too will the risk. The second approach that is starting to gain a foothold is to invest directly into the companies themselves through new ‘crowd funding’ platforms that provide you with equity for your investment. These equity raising platforms are great for anyone looking […]