FinTech Australia opens entries for 2019 finnies awards
Australia's only industry-backed fintech awards, the Finnies, is calling for entries as it marks a shift from Sydney to Melbourne.
The awards give over 100 fintech startups the opportunity to be recognised by their peers for their work and innovation.
This year, the awards will hone in on collaboration in the fintech sector, with the introduction of several new awards including: Deal of the year, Partnership of the year and Biggest raise of the year.
A total of 19 awards will be on offer including with several key awards returning. These include: FinTech Organisation of the Year, Outstanding FinTech Leader of the Year, Female FinTech Leader of the Year, Emerging FinTech Leader of the Year and Emerging FinTech Organisation of the Year.
The awards will also recognise achievements in blockchain, business lending, consumer lending, insuretech, crowdfunding, wealth management and payments.
Our ethos towards collaboration is what makes the fintech community unique, so this year we want to celebrate it, FinTech Australia General Manager Rebecca Schot-Guppy said.
This ties into our decision to shift this years event to Melbourne too. We want to give members who couldnt make it to the previous awards in Sydney the opportunity to celebrate our communitys success.
No fintech can disrupt in isolation. Banks, government and other organisations play a key role in facilitating and contributing to the sector.
We want to recognise the companies that are leveraging this ecosystem to its fullest, in addition to other standout businesses and founders who are punching above their weight.
I would encourage all of our members to put in an entry. Many fintech founders are modest, and theres a lot of unsung innovation in our sector. Whats great about The Finnies is that it helps surface this to the public and the broader community.
Brighte founder and CEO Katherine McConnell was named as 2018s outstanding FinTech leader of the year. Commenting on the impact of the awards she said: The awards legitimised our position both in the eyes of the Fintech world and in the lending space. It has helped put Brighte on the radar for great candidates, which has allowed us to grow and continue to build momentum as a young business.
The Brighte team were thrilled to be recognised at the Finnies in 2018. It was a big win for us as a company, as all that hard work was being rewarded.
Last year, AfterPay was named Fintech Organisation of the Year for the second year in a row.
Commenting on the Finnies, AfterPay Group Head David Hancock said: Awards like these are really important both in terms of recognising Australias talent in the FinTech space, and encouraging and fostering future innovation.
Technology is now accepted as being part and parcel of our everyday lives. The continued evolution of how we use it, especially in the financial services space, cant be undervalued.
The awards will be held on Thursday June 6 at the Melbourne Innovation Hub.
About FinTech Australia
FinTech Australia is a national association for the Australian FinTech Startup community. Our vision is to make Australia the leading market for FinTech Innovation and Investment by working with both sides of Government, Industry and the Australian FinTech community to create a supportive environment and partner ecosystem in Australia and abroad.
Media contact:
Harrison Polites
0409 623 618
harrison@themediaaccelerator.com.au