Fintech Archives

Financial crimes regulator AUSTRAC demands an external auditor for Airwallex over AML/CTF concerns

Simon Thomsen - January 22, 2026 3 MIN READ

The Australian government’s financial system anti-crimes regulator, AUSTRAC, has called in an external auditor at Airwallex over concerns that the fintech unicorn has failed to properly comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) laws. AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas, said the external audits will assess serious compliance concerns by the regulator, which is charged with… Read more »

Cyber security

Payments, privacy, data and AI: How businesses are thinking about security in 2026

Simon Jones - January 20, 2026 4 MIN READ

Scams are more nuanced now. Deepfakes are more convincing. And at a time when one-click checkouts and real-time payments are the norm, security has soared far beyond being a mere ‘tech team problem’. In Mastercard’s January 2025 global survey of more than 5000 small business owners, 79 per cent said effective cybersecurity is critical to… Read more »

ASX

ASX-listed payments platform Tyro is buying NAB-backed rising star fintech Thriday

Simon Thomsen - December 16, 2025 2 MIN READ

ASX-listed Tyro Payments (ASX: TYR) is acquiring small business “CFO in your pocket” startup Thriday. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, with the acquisition expected to complete in January 2026. Thriday is an AI-powered financial management platform for SMEs that automates invoicing, expense management, accounting and banking workflows. CEO Michael Nuciforo, a former… Read more »

Fintech

Cheque-in: 6 startups banking a whopping $568.1 million two weeks before Christmas

Eloise Keating & Tegan Jones - December 12, 2025 5 MIN READ

With 12 more sleeps to Christmas, Melbourne-born Airwallex wins the 2025 Australian capital raising stakes with a massive $498 million Series G that values the fintech at $12 billion. Meanwhile, cybersecurity startup Kasada and sole trader accounting platform Hnry also booked $30 million and $26 million raises, respectively. Keep reading to learn more about six… Read more »

Business

From broke at 16 to billionaire: Airwallex CEO Jack Zhang says 2025 is the year his global fintech finally stopped ‘almost dying’

Simon Thomsen - December 10, 2025 5 MIN READ

The arc of a tech company’s success is often sprinkled with near death experiences. And according to Airwallex cofounder Jack Zhang, the business, which raised $498 million in a Series G this week, had so many lives in its first 10 years, it should probably be nicknamed “Catwallex”. London-based Zhang took to social media overnight… Read more »

Business

Which Bank just got smacked with a record $792,000 penalty for open banking breaches

Simon Thomsen - December 10, 2025 2 MIN READ

The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has paid $792,000 in penalties following action by he ACCC over breaches of the Consumer Data Right (CDR). It’s the second time in six months that a major bank has been busted for dragging its feet over CDR, also known as open banking, which launched in Australia 5.5 years ago. NAB… Read more »

Accelerator

Team Techstars Sydney: Fintech Our Leg Up wants a win/win solution to home ownership

Startup Daily - December 9, 2025 4 MIN READ

In celebration of TechStars Sydney’s ‘Demo the Future’ event, Startup Daily is profiling the 12 startups and their founders in the 2025 cohort. Next up: Our Leg Up – helping Australian homeowners turn their equity into income – while also giving buyers a boost onto the property ladder. Our Leg Up Founder: Michael Ragavan One… Read more »

Fintech

Airwallex jags a massive $498 million Series G as its valuation cranks up another 30%

Simon Thomsen - December 8, 2025 2 MIN READ

Melbourne-born fintech Airwallex has seen its valuation increase by 30% in just six months following a second raise for 2025 – US$330 million (A$498m) in a Series G. The round led by a new US VC investor Addition, supported by T. Rowe Price, Activant, Lingotto, TIAA Ventures, and Robinhood Ventures. Local VCs Square Peg –… Read more »

Business

Remittance fintech Bless Payments raises $3.75 million Seed round

Startup Daily - December 8, 2025 2 MIN READ

Perth fintech Bless Payments raised $3.75 million in Seed funding in mid-2025. The round, completed in July, was backed by billionaire Khalil (Charlie) Shahin and London’s Forte Securities, and was finally revealed as the global payments platform, which is hoping to take on incumbents such as Airwallex, Wise, Revolut and Monzo, looks to raise a… Read more »

Business

A US Stripe investor launched an extraordinary ‘Reds under the beds’ spray against Airwallex – and the fintech’s cofounders joined in on X to deny Chinese access to data

Simon Thomsen - December 3, 2025 4 MIN READ

Unless you’ve stayed on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X – previously known as Twitter – you probably missed an extraordinary rant from US investor Keith Rabois claiming that “Airwallex has become a Chinese backdoor into sensitive American data like from AI labs and defense contractors”. The former PayPal exec – yes he’s part of… Read more »

Business

Pay.com.au hits $633 million valuation after $25 million raise

Startup Daily - November 24, 2025 2 MIN READ

Melbourne fintech pay.com.au has raised $25 million as it looks to head offshore and open in the US. The round was led by Morgans Corporate with support from Wilson Asset Management, Thorney Group, and Ophir. Another $28 million in existing shares also changed hands in a secondary sell-down. The deal valued the payments and rewards… Read more »

Climate Tech

CEFC backs Brighte with $40 million for cheaper home battery installation

Simon Thomsen - November 4, 2025 2 MIN READ

The federal government-backed Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is investing up to $40 million in household renewable energy fintech Brighte. The investment will share 2% off the cost of loans for home energy efficiency improvements, including solar and battery systems, energy-efficient heating and cooling, insulation, and EV chargers, with Brighte launching a new discounted green… Read more »

Business

ANZ bank kills off another startup investment – consumer data insights platform DataCo

Simon Thomsen - October 21, 2025 2 MIN READ

ANZ has shut down another startup backed by 1835i, the bank’s former VC fund, which it also terminated earlier this month, DataCo Technologies, developed inside the 1835i Creation Lab, helped businesses collaborate safely on customer data sharing. Its closure follows the shutdown of fintech Cashrewards last month, despite a $100 million investment and the sale of… Read more »

Business

FinTech Australia says the government needs to include digital tech, including AI and cybersecurity, in its R&D Tax Incentive review

Simon Thomsen - October 20, 2025 2 MIN READ

FinTech Australia has warned that financial and other digital technologies risk being unintentionally excluded from future innovation funding unless explicitly recognised in the federal government’s current Strategic Examination of Research and Development (R&D). The fintech peak body argue its case in a submission to the R&D review’s expert panel, led by Tesla chair Robyn Denholm,… Read more »

Business

Business banking unicorn Zeller heads offshore with UK launch

Simon Thomsen - October 3, 2025 2 MIN READ

Fintech Zeller is taking its business banking platform to the UK in its first international expansion. The fast-growing Melbourne unicorn has appointed former ByteDance executive Lars Weber as UK country manager and is looking to put 40 pairs of boots on the ground there over the next three years, with team members already recruited from… Read more »