Tag: FIntech

Melbourne, Australia – Thrive, an AI-powered fintech aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has announced the initial stages of its crowdfunding, targeting A$3M, on the equity crowdfunding platform Birchal.

The crowdfunding comes after the platform’s interest in launching the Thrive app for its SME waitlist, which has numbered over 7,500 businesses.

According to Thrive’s data, financial admin has been the most disliked activity in running a business and that business owners waste over 42 days a year in managing their financial affairs. This is something that the platform aims to solve by automating banking, accounting tasks, and lending for SMEs. 

Furthermore, Thrive combines a smart business account with value-added services like receipt scanning, invoicing, tax forecasting, payroll, and more. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), these tools are designed to run on autopilot, winning back time for busy business owners and making it easy for them to stay in control of their financial destiny.

“We have been running a number of focus groups with small business owners as we put the finishing touches on our product. After we kept getting asked about investment, we decided that we couldn’t think of anything better than to allow our potential customers to become investors in the business as well,” said Michael Nuciforo, co-founder & CEO of Thrive.

Meanwhile, Thrive Co-founder and COO Ben Winford added, “We were really impressed with the Birchal team and platform. We can’t wait to launch our campaign and to get our members behind us. Crowdfunding presents an exciting opportunity to build our brand, grow our member base and build further advocacy for our business.” 

Sydney, Australia – Tat Capital, an Australian-based financial services company has launched its newest financial solution Tat:BizPay which aims to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in utilizing credit limits in corporate cards to help SMEs make payments, including commercial rent, or other supplier payments.  

The capital solution, powered by fintech Nium, allows business owners to convert their credit card limit into an interest-free cash flow stream for their business, for up to 55 days. The platform will allow business owners to use their credit card to pay local vendors that do not accept credit cards. Businesses now gain full control of costs, by eliminating fees and charges associated with other credit solution options.

Furthermore, the new Tat:BizPay allows greater flexibility, ease and speed to the payment of salaries, rent, and suppliers, while saving businesses up to 1.1% on borrowing costs and loan processing fee charges and reducing foreign exchange (FX) conversion charges for international transfers.

According to Ram Gorlamandala, founding director of Tat Capital, Tat:BizPay is the “perfect example of Tat Capital’s philosophy of providing smarter, more equitable paths to wealth.”

“Innovation in Financial Technology means that we are now able to deliver products and services that are as credible, robust and secure as banks, but free of legacy issues; while being more obtainable, affordable and better suited to the small to mid-sized business sector,” Gorlamandala said.

He added, “Daily, due to our networks and relationships here and across the Indian Subcontinent, we are exposed to significant business issues and some very interesting business solutions. And occasionally, we uncover a smart and simple solution that is perfect for local businesses. The Tat:BizPay working capital offering, powered by Nium, is one of these solutions.”

Meanwhile, Michael Minassian, regional head of Nium’s Consumer and SME Business (Instarem) commented, “More than ever, SMEs around the world need access to working capital and credit lines. We are delighted that our collaboration with Tat Capital gives more local businesses a simpler and smarter way to bolster their cash flow.”

Tat:BizPay will be first rolled out to Tat Capital clients and later on to any SMEs in the wider market once existing clients are operational.

Singapore – Philippine-based financial services Cebuana Lhuillier and Singapore-based fintech Nium have announced a new partnership in launching the remittance app Quikz in Singapore to increase the remittance reach of Filipinos residing in Singapore. 

The Quikz app will be powered by Nium’s Remittance-as-a-service (RaaS) solution and Cebuana Lhuillier’s huge network of pay-out locations in the Philippines, allowing   Filipinos based in Singapore to enjoy improved convenience, security, and real-time global transactions in sending money to the Philippines. 

Yogesh Sangle, executive vice president and global head of consumer and SME business at Nium, said, “With millions of Filipinos living and working overseas for their loved ones back home, the convenience and transparency in remittance processes play such an essential role – especially with continued social distancing measures and lockdowns in place.”

He added, “We are extremely excited that Cebuana Lhuillier, a home-grown Filipino brand, shares a common goal with Nium, and we are proud to co-establish and power this new platform through our enhanced remittance capabilities.”

Meanwhile, Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier’s president and CEO, commented, “Cebuana Lhuillier’s core of Financial Inclusion always pushes us to provide better micro-financial services to Filipinos, wherever they may be. This new partnership with Nium strengthens our remittance services to ensure that Filipinos around the world have access to fast, reliable, and safe transactions.”

Cebuana Lhuillier currently has more than 2,500 branches in the Philippines. Besides Nium, a partnership with technology provider Ripple has also been forged in order to facilitate low-cost payments. 

Manila, Philippines – AdSpark, telecom Globe-owned digital marketing agency, extends its ad inventory for none other than, another Globe-owned platform, top digital wallet in the Philippines, GCash. 

For merchants, non-government organizations, and other partner brands on the financial app, AdSpark offers diversified ad opportunities ranging from targeted media channels in-app, to direct broadcast campaigns and blasts. 

“We are committed to assisting digital transformation of clients and partners especially at this time when enterprises are exploring more meaningful ways to interact with their consumers. GCash has empowered merchants through seamless transactions, and now we want to help brands create holistic experiences for their consumers,” said Onat Roldan, AdSpark CEO. 

AdSpark shared that one of its clients Codashop App, a gaming merchant, was able to increase its monthly game item purchases to 181% through its partnership with GCash. Coda communicated several monthly promo and game launches including Mobile Legends, MU Origins, and their latest product One Punch Man: The Strongest game, encouraging redemption of game credits and in-game items through the GCash usage.

Martha Sazon, president and CEO of GCash said, “Through strong brand partnerships as a payment channel, and a tool for sustainability and impactful advocacy on the app, GCash has established a way of life, driving the market closer towards financial inclusion. We believe that by making our platform accessible to brands, we will be able to bring businesses and customers together and help in the recovery of our economy.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Technology group Gojek has announced its investment to technology-based Bank Jago as part of a strategic partnership for Indonesia’s accelerated financial inclusion.

Within the partnership, Gojek and Bank Jago aim to bring digital banking closer to users through Gojek’s payment platform GoPay. Users can now open a Bank Jago account and manage it through the Gojek app. The partnership will also act as a model through which Gojek will go on to partner with other banking institutions to support them in reaching more customers.

For Gojek CEO Andre Soelistyo, the newly-forged partnership is a strategic move to get banks working for the superapp, hence leveraging Gojek’s purpose to be an accessible financial platform for Indonesians.

“Our partnership with Jago marks the latest milestone in our drive to reduce daily friction for users and improve their lives through technology. It is a key part of our strategy and will underpin the growth and sustainability of our business in the long term. Jago’s tech-based banking solutions will supercharge Gojek’s ecosystem offerings and facilitate access to banking services for the mass market, thereby supporting our common vision to accelerate financial inclusion in Indonesia,” Soelistyo stated.

The investment, made through Gojek’s financial and investment arm, would mean that 22% of Bank Jago will be held by Gojek.

On the other hand, Bank Jago’s president director Kharim Siregar, expressed high hopes for the new partnership, as it complements the Bank’s broad expertise to Indonesian financial needs.

“We believe that this strategic collaboration – between a tech-based bank like Bank Jago and a Super App like Gojek – is the first of its kind in Indonesia and Southeast Asia and represents a new way to spur growth in digital economies. As a bank designed with an open API, we will go on to work with multiple digital ecosystems to reach a wider audience and drive our aspiration to enhance the finances of millions of people through digital financial solutions,” said Siregar.

Singapore – UK-based fintech company Revolut in Singapore has recently announced the launch of two features in their platform: the Revolut Web App and Revolut account top-up via bank transfer.

Revolut’s latest web app, accessible in laptop and desktop computers.

The first one, Revolut Web App, now allows users to log in to their Revolut account via their desktops or laptops. Users signing in through the web app are protected by Two-Factor authentication (2FA), and can also overview transactions, freeze or unfreeze cards, block their PIN, and top up their account via bank transfer, debit or credit card, or via Apple Pay.

Commenting on the new launch, Revolut CEO and founder Nik Storonsky said, ““Account access through a browser is highly requested by our customers, so we’re delighted to have built a safe and convenient web app that everyone can use when they need it. Our customers can now access their money anywhere and at any time, even if they don’t have their phone or card, or if they simply prefer checking their account from a computer. It’s great to have the extra convenience and flexibility of an online option.”

A user interface depiction of Revolut’s mobile app dashboard, featuring topping up the account via bank transfers, such as DBS Bank in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Revolut has also partnered with DBS Bank in Singapore in enabling its customers to top up their wallets via bank transfers. With the new partnership, Revolut is able to assign a unique 15-digit virtual account number to each customer in Singapore, in which the customer transfers money to their virtual account from their bank, and the amount is reflected in their Revolut app.

James Shanahan, CEO of Revolut Singapore, said, “The goal here is to enable customers to manage their money in a way they find most convenient for their lifestyles. With virtual accounts, Revolut Singapore is able to collect payments from a large number of customers and still easily keep track of their transfers. This process will give our customers peace of mind, thereby improving overall user experience.”

Head of Growth at Revolut Singapore Pam Chuang also commented, “Topping up via your local bank account is fast and convenient. With the virtual account feature, Revolut is, once more, able to help our customers better manage their money. When we introduce new wealth and money-management products, this will give our customers visibility of how they are using their money.”

Manila, Philippines – Philippine installment payment platform BillEase has announced new partnerships with four ecommerce platforms namely Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and Prestashop to bring payment installment schemes for merchants and retailers in the country

Merchants that use any of these platforms can now integrate with BillEase and activate ‘Pay Later’, ‘Pay in Installments’ and ‘Pay with Down Payment’, which will provide customers with flexibility in payments and smoother shopping experience.

The multi-platform partnership is in response to retailers doubling their efforts in ‘moving’ their businesses online in the mid of the pandemic. Furthermore, as many Filipinos are still unbanked and uncarded due to signup processes, BillEase provides both merchants and customers ease of service. 

BillEase, which is developed by SEA-focused fintech company First Digital Finance Corporation (FDFC), enables customers to spread the cost of their purchases over time at a low interest rate, giving them flexibility and increased purchasing power. It also allows customers to afford big ticket purchases beyond their credit limit with a down payment solution. 

On the other hand, the payment platform benefits merchants by paying them in full, absorbs all credit and fraud risks through its proprietary credit decisioning technology. BillEase also lifts conversion rates in the online space to accommodate payment with less friction and faster approval time.

“With this integration, we’re bringing our financial product closer to consumers by making it easier for merchants to add our point-of-sale financing option. Installment purchase is already a very popular option for most Filipinos when they shop in malls. But these offline offerings often don’t translate well to the online world and the payment experience is not seamless,” said Georg Steiger, CEO and co-founder of FDFC. 

He added, “Our goal is to help merchants improve their conversion rate by making the online buying experience a pleasure for customers. Spreading payment over monthly installment with extremely affordable rates makes their shopping experience lighter. For merchants, they can enjoy an increase in basket sizes and more conversion as we also support 0%-APR plans with no cost to customers. Over 90 percent of Filipino consumers are disenfranchised when it comes to credit cards. In contrast, BillEase is a simple, safe and transparent cardless alternative to revolving credit lines for online shoppers who primarily use debit cards and are usually underserved.”

Singapore – EZ-Link, one of the first to offer prepaid card payment in Singapore, has taken a major rebranding, at the same time, unveils new app enhancements to go in tandem with its new brand identity.

The branding comes as EZ-Link marks its 18th year in the market, having started in 2002. The product now carries the new brand direction “For Life’s Little Wins” to underscore the brand’s mission of “eliminating hassle and enabling possibilities for customers in their ‘little’ daily financial routines.”

For the new direction, the company has adopted a new logo and refreshed both its corporate website and EZ-Link app.

Still sporting the same cool colors of blue and green, the new logo now takes a brighter palette with a cleaner font – breaking off of the old one’s edgy typeface.

EZ-Link’s old (above) and new logo (below)

The more striking and almost neon hue is now adapted to both its website and app. The brand’s app also used to display sharp-edged navigation boxes, whereas, in the new one, edges have been carved and assigned more pastel hues.

The company’s old (left) and new (right) website

The company said the new visual identity “reflects [its] renewed focus on digital transformation, while still maintaining key elements that have become strongly associated with the brand.”

EZ-Link’s old app

For the past 18 years, EZ-Link has been a trusted local brand and an integral part of many Singaporean’s daily lives. However, a lot has changed since we launched the first EZ-Link card almost two decades ago. Consumers’ lifestyles have evolved and the world is set on its path to a digital future

Nicholas Lee, CEO at EZ-Link

To kick off the brand refresh, EZ-Link has launched its enhanced mobile EZ-Link Wallet, which is now integrated with EZ-Link’s Rewards program. 

Introduced at the start of this year, the EZ-Link Wallet can be used at local merchants that accept e-payments via the Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR), Singapore’s unified QR label.

With the integration, users are offered a new avenue to earn and accumulate points that can be redeemed for benefits from over 200 EZ-Link Rewards merchants. Similar to EZ-Link card transactions, every S$0.10 spent on the EZ-Link Wallet will earn one point.

In addition, Android and iOS users can now top-up their EZ-Link cards anytime and on the go via the EZ-Link Wallet, and receive direct cashback and reward credits in their accounts when they spend with the e-wallet.

With the latest upgrade, EZ-Link said it aims to deliver a more seamless and rewarding experience for users’ transport and retail transactions. 

Lee said, “As we push forward in our digitalization journey, we must always put people at the heart of our innovation. This is in line with our new brand direction, which is rooted in the belief that our everyday life is lived in small moments that can be turned into little wins.”

In accordance with its branding move and to better differentiate its offerings, EZ-Link’s new and existing products will now be housed under three sub-brands: EZ-Link Rewards, EZ-Link Wallet, and former EZ-Pay, EZ-Link Motoring, which is the brand’s upcoming solution for electronic toll and parking payments.

Singapore – As Singapore’s multi-currency mobile wallet YouTrip reaches its four-month mark in the short video platform TikTok, it shared how it maxes out the platform’s massive userbase to stay present in consumers’ minds. 

YouTrip established its TikTok account in June of this year, and as of current, it has a total of 32.5k followers and has garnered 691.3k likes across its videos.

YouTrip’s service comes with a prepaid Mastercard and enables users to pay in over 150 currencies with no fees. Branded as a “travel” wallet, its TikTok videos circle lifestyle content, such as tips on how to enjoy international destinations such as Spain, a list of the “coolest” Apple shops, and how one can get a taste of travel through whipping up different versions of super grain bowls. 

The brand revealed that it uses a two-pronged approach to leverage its presence in TikTok: making informative content and staying relevant to trends.

For valuable content, it adopted a strategy of adapting original blog articles that had performed well to the TikTok format. During the firm’s content planning process, it identified e-commerce shopping guides and hotel reviews as such. One of its most successful TikTok videos featured a guide to get the “Cheapest Nintendo Switch,” garnering over 119k views to date.

@youtripsg

If you know someone looking to buy a Nintendo Switch, share this with them! 💜👆🏼👀 #nintendoswitch #gaming #videogames #youtripsg #foryoupage #fyp

♬ original sound – YouTrip SG – YouTrip SG

In terms of staying within the wave of trends, YouTrip identified that it is vital to be the first-mover in driving reactive content on trending topics, audios, or hashtags.

Hopping onto the challenges bandwagon, YouTrip took an informative spin on the challenge featuring the trending song Kings and Queens by American singer Ava Max. In such challenge, users showcased culture and traditional costumes. YouTrip took the opportunity to emphasize its branding on travel and culture, and published a version featuring real queens from around the world. The rendition garnered over two million views and 12.8k followers in two weeks.

@youtripsg

We stan a true queen 👸. Like for part 2! #learnontiktok #youtripsg #kingsandqueens #queen

♬ original sound – YouTrip SG – YouTrip SG

The brand shared that by driving travel content, it also aims to strengthen its brand positioning to remain top-of-mind for when travel rebounds.

Head of Marketing Jeremy Lim said that curating meaningful content that resonates with users has been the core of YouTrip’s marketing strategies.

“Our venture into TikTok allows us to tap into our creativity to find new ways to connect with our users. We encourage brands to consider including TikTok in their marketing mix as well if they aim to establish themselves as relatable and reliable,” he said.

Chew Wee Ng, head of SEA business marketing at TikTok also commented, “TikTok is about embracing the creative, positive, and real moments that make our community so special, with solutions for businesses to connect and grow with our wonderfully expressive community.”

Ng also emphasized that with the right content strategy and a touch of authenticity, any brand can find success on the global stage with TikTok.

“YouTrip’s rapid growth on the platform is a prime example. As one of the first movers, they’ve incorporated TikTok early into their marketing mix and are now reaping its successes through a customized content strategy, collaboration with the TikTok community, and growing with a global audience,” said Ng.

Singapore – UK-based fintech company Revolut is expanding its Singapore regional team by adding two more key persons to the company’s local growth team.

Sam Chui is Revolut Singapore’s new senior marketing manager, wherein she will be responsible for leading new marketing initiatives and exploring new creative ways to engage with potential customers. Prior to her current position, she has worked previously with marketing brands for UOB, Singtel, and Eu Yan Sang.

“Revolut has been sinking its roots deep into the local market and the opportunity to help drive its growth in the years to come greatly excites me,” Chui says.

Meanwhile, Deborah Tan-Pink, former CEO of edtech startup SmartUp, joins the company’s local rank as senior communications manager, where she will be responsible for brand awareness, media, and public/private organization connections.

“I’m excited to see what wonderful stories we can build around Revolut and its services,” she says. “We mustn’t forget that, ultimately, a customer needs to see how a service fits into their lifestyle and personal aspirations,” Pink stated.

Both of the two new hires will report to Pam Chuang, Revolut Singapore’s head of growth.

With the regional branch of Revolut reaching its first anniversary, Revolut Junior, an app for teaching kids on financial management and Revolut Business, an app for opening business bank accounts, are some of the upcoming services the company will offer this year.