Barely a month after failed takeover talks with ANZ, MYOB shifted its focus and invested in one of the biggest fintech deals of the year, buying Flare, in my humble opinion a great deal.For platforms in the SME space, MYOB are coming.Does this demonstrate Fintech is thriving as an industry?Or do you have to build until bought? Risk de-banking or go overseas for primary revenue streams?What this really says is, Fintech is here to stay.No matter the end game.So if you have a good idea to disrupt CeFi, there's never a bad time.https://www.myob.com/au/about/news/2022/myob-acquires-flare--australian-smes-to-reap-benefits0

I’m an avid fan of David Brear and the whole 11:FS team (even Jimmy). Recently David wrote about Features vs Feelings and JTBD (link below).It’s so obvious when you think about it. No-one wakes up excited to get a loan, open a bank account or transfer money. There are however triggers, whether emotional or transactional to make someone’s life better and sometimes not their own. For the Fintechs out there, have a read and think about what your product is doing for your customers and how it can make their life better. That’s how you win.  

This week we’re going off road and into the ocean! Ocean Impact Organisation announced their inaugural cohort for their 2022 Accelerator Program which I’m proud to be supporting as a mentor. What’s this got to do with Fintech? Well, there’s some loose crossover, everyone’s a Fintech when it comes to money in and money out! But really this is just a shout out for something great and impactful that’s happening, so we don’t have to hear about how bad our stocks and crypto are doing today. Check out the cohort here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/accelerator-program-2022-cohortAnd read the Press Release: https://bit.ly/3MowHT2

Fed up with the great resignation? How hard it is out there to find people? Is it a lack of talent? Big tech hoarding? Overinflated salaries? Big tech are secretly laying off up to 30% of staff, managing reduced valuations and increasing costs. This trickles down to startups as a resetting of valuations and raises. Fintech's will need to do more with less. But as the great resignation turns into the great redundancy, maybe the gravy train is over. Can Fintech pickup talent searching for a new home? Perhaps, but there might be a slight re-adjustment on salary expectations.https://www.smartcompany.com.au/opinion/adam-schwab-tech-layoffs-jobs/

In between bites of their sausage sizzles, many Australians may not have realised the impact of their vote on the 4th largest export industry in Australia, Technology.Australia contributes c1.6% of Global GDP. In comparison we contribute c2.1% of the Fintech market size globally as the 6th largest hub.Payments, Crypto, CBDC and other financial regulatory and infrastructure changes sit poised with our new Government.The next steps we take will demonstrate to the world if we are a tech follower or leader.The opportunity exists, isn't it time Australia put on their big boy technology pants?https://www.afr.com/technology/australia-gets-its-second-shot-at-being-a-tech-nation-20220523-p5ants

Can Fintech change the world, for good?If you ask many of the founders applying new models to financial services, then yes.From supporting reforestation, powering solar energy projects, tracking and highlighting carbon emissions to enabling access to ethical and sustainable investments, the rise of Green Fintech is no longer a trend.A new ecological awareness of product use is here, customers care and why shouldn't that include financial products?Investors are also taking note with a significant increase in sustainable investments in Fintech.And at the forefront in Australia is Startup Bootcamp's recently launched Sustainable Fintech Fund.https://www.startupbootcamp.com.au/blog/global-sust