Happy New Year and I trust you relaxed during the festive period because it’s full steam ahead for FinTechNZ in 2018!
Last week, when I was speaking with the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) it was very clear to me, how aligned we are in our thinking and what we want to achieve. I had the pleasure of speaking with Minister Clare Curran about New Zealand’s reputation for our digital footprint and New Zealand’s hosting of D5 2018, including Digital Nations 2030 conference, Digital Government Showcase and D5 Ministerial Summit.
In the world of FinTech, Open Banking, Blockchain, Digital ID and Crypto continue to be hotly debated and I believe this will continue. The United Kingdom has gone live with its first managed rollout of current accounts which started in January and is likely to be complete by March. In the coming months, I will keep you updated on its progress. It’s worth noting, with the new regulation PSD2 and changes to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there will be challenges.
Meanwhile, FinTechNZ’s membership continues to grow and a number of our founding corporate members have confirmed their ongoing support, which is fantastic news. Our ecosystem continues to develop and I recently discussed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FinTech Scotland, as they look to establish global connections.
In other interesting news, our newly formed Insurance Working Group, led by Jason Roberts has gained global interest. FinTechNZ’s chair Mitchell Pham and Leigh Flounders have also made the news with the launch of Lina.review, the world’s first ever Blockchain platform for online ratings and reviews.
The message is clear, this year we have a fantastic opportunity both locally and globally to build our reputation. Together, let’s make New Zealand the number one choice for everything FinTech!
Regards
James Brown
General Manager
Building Digital Nations by 2030
NEWS & EVENTS
Join us for the first of our 2018 FinTechNZ Connect Events in Wellington 8 February, Christchurch 13 February and Auckland 21 February. The summer series focuses on innovation in finance and leading, payments, crypto finance and InsurTech.
Join FinTechNZ at the Digital Nations 2030 conference next month. The summit, helping to shape our digital economy, will feature a Future Finance Forum. For a 10% discount, use this promo code; MGWWGO.
Meet Lina, the blockchain platform set to disrupt the online ratings and review industry. Currently, the industry is considered flawed because of the lack of trust and transparency says Mitchell Pham. Read more here.
Applications have now closed for the Kiwibank FinTech Accelerator 2.0. The programme has attracted applicants globally and commences in February. Read our Q&A with Sonja Williams of Sharesies from the 2017 cohort.
In other FinTech news, here’s 67 insane facts about bitcoin. Interested in how Open Banking provides consumers with greater control in sharing financial data? Learn more here.
Last month, Blockchain’s NEM Foundation toured New Zealand. Learn about their global development fund for businesses, academics and developers.
If you are considering an event for Techweek’18, complete your submission by March so your event can be included in the official launch. Also, please invite overseas contacts to the Techweek’18 Innovation Tour.
A special welcome this month to our new members Ferratum, PreviewMe, BlockBit, FMG, KonnectNET. If your organisation wishes to join FinTechNZ please contact us. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and join the FinTechNZ forum.
Want to know more? Sign up for the FinTechNZ update, it’s free and will take less than a minute!
