In this episode of Fintechfun, host Chris Titley chats with Danny Pezeshki about the origins of Instantia, the challenges in the foreign exchange market, and the innovative technology they have developed to help clients manage FX volatility risk. Danny shares insights into the impact of options in the market, the launch of their platform, and their plans for expanding globally.

Danny Pezeshki discusses the importance of technology in revolutionising the way clients manage their FX portfolios and the visual tools Instantia has developed to provide clients with a better understanding of their positions. With a focus on transparency and risk management, Instantia aims to empower businesses to navigate the complexities of the foreign exchange market.

• Instantia helps businesses manage FX volatility risk through innovative technology solutions.
• Options play a significant role in securing profits for clients in import-export industries with tight margins.
• The platform developed by Instansia offers clients visibility into their FX portfolios and allows them to assess potential risks and protections.
• Expanding globally, Instansia has obtained licenses in Singapore and aims to establish a presence in the UK.
• Technology-driven tools are crucial in enhancing client understanding and decision-making in the foreign exchange market.

• "Clients get given position statements sent to them daily, which are very complicated to read...The ability to create that for the clients has made a huge difference so far for us." - Danny Pezeshki
• "I'm playing myself and I'm just trying to continually better myself every time...I'm not playing against anybody else." - Danny Pezeshki

• Instantia Website

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In this episode of Fintechfun, Chris Titley chats with Anson Parker, the Chief Product Officer at Up, about his journey in the fintech industry and the evolution of Up as a leading digital banking platform. From the early days of conceptualizing a new kind of banking experience to the current focus on innovative features like “pull to save” and the upcoming subscription offering “Up High,” Anson shares insights on how Up is redefining the future of banking.

• Anson’s background in software development and the founding of Up.
• The importance of user feedback and balancing creativity in product development.
• The introduction of unique features like “pull to save” and “Maybuy” to enhance the banking experience.
• The upcoming subscription offering “Up High” and its potential to revolutionize banking fees and customer benefits.

• Anson’s journey from software development to reimagining the banking industry with Up.
• The focus on user-centric product development and the balance between innovation and customer feedback.
• The impact of features like “pull to save” and “Maybuy” in creating engaging and personalized banking experiences.
• The introduction of the subscription offering “Up High” as a new way to provide additional value and benefits to customers.
• The importance of transparency, collaboration, and customer engagement in shaping the future of banking.

1. “The experience is the product. It’s not about the financial products, it’s about what those do for people and how they relate to them.” - Anson Parker
2. “Can we make something compelling enough that customers choose to pay for it? It’s effectively flipping the idea of bank fees on its head.” - Anson Parker

• Upbank Website

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In this episode of Fintechfun, host Chris Titley delves into Jeremy Hasting's journey from the food industry to the founding of Hutly, a fintech company revolutionising real estate transactions. From tackling the challenges of property management to implementing smart contracts for more efficient processes, Jeremy shares insights on navigating the dynamic landscape of the real estate market. The discussion also touches on Hutly's strategic partnerships and plans for future growth, including the integration of new technologies and services.

Key themes explored include the impact of COVID-19 on the real estate market, the role of Hutly in streamlining real estate transactions, and the intersection of prop-tech and fintech in driving innovation and efficiency in the industry.

• Hutly's inception stemmed from Jeremy's personal experiences with property management challenges and a vision to provide safe and stable homes for all individuals.
• The company's shift towards smart contracts and web-based technology has enabled a more efficient and compliant approach to real estate transactions.
• Strategic partnerships, such as the collaboration with the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), have fueled Hutly's growth and success in the market.
• Hutly's expansion into new services like Hutly Pay showcases the company's commitment to addressing inefficiencies in real estate transactions and enhancing user experience.
• Jeremy's involvement in coaching AFL for Under Nines highlights his dedication to community engagement and fostering positive interactions beyond the business realm.

1. "Everybody deserves a safe, stable, and certain home, no matter what their circumstances are." - Jeremy Hastings
2. "Hutly is more of a fintech company than a prop-tech, and the activation of payments on the back of our contract volume is the next step." - Jeremy Hastings
3. "We've just hired a general manager of growth and a business development manager. Now, it's time to invest in that growth." - Jeremy Hastings
4. "The strategic partnership with REIV has increased subscriber base by 47% and revenue by 26%, focusing on member-first technology." - Jeremy Hastings
5. "I feel obligated to support Melbourne Demons due to family connections and the strong community culture of AFL." - Jeremy Hastings

• Hutly Website
• Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV)
• PropertyData.com.au
• Morningside Panthers AFL Club

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In this engaging episode of Fintechfun, Chris Titley welcomes Lynda Coker, the innovative co-founder of Co-Operty, to discuss the evolution of her career and the inception of her groundbreaking venture. Linda offers a glimpse into her journey, detailing her transition from the structured world of corporate finance to the dynamic realm of startups.

Following her return to Australia and a trip around the world's vibrant startup hubs, Lynda sheds light on the significance of co-ownership in today's housing market. Co-Operty, her venture co-founded with Liz Rochaix, embodies a solution that grants people collaborative pathways to property ownership. Lynda describes the legal and fractional aspects of co-ownership, tenancy in common, and the importance of having flexible property investment strategies.

• Lynda Coker's extensive background in financial services and venture investment has culminated in the launch of Co-Operty, a fintech platform aiming to make co-ownership of property straightforward and accessible.
• Co-ownership is posited as a viable solution to the housing affordability crisis, with tenancy in common providing a more flexible and protective form of property ownership.
• Co-Operty's MVP primarily targets cohorts such as flatmates, friends, family, and parents seeking to assist their children into the property market, often referred to as the 'Bank of Mum and Dad'.
• Partners such as mortgage brokers play a crucial role in Co-Operty's engagement strategy, helping inform product development tailored to the needs identified at the forefront of the housing market.
• Lynda aspires to expand Co-Operty's offering, envisioning the evolution of their MVP to address broader use cases, white-label services, and potentially the introduction of a fractional loan product.

• "Co-ownership is a real...well, it's not the only solution, but we see it as a solution to address housing affordability." – Lynda Coker
• "I just feel like it's never been very well understood. It's not being digitized, and it's time to sort of empower it and bring it to life..." – LLynda Coker on co-ownership.
• "...it's a better way to help your children and actually help yourself or selves is not gifting the money and co-owning the property." – Lynda Coker on parents investing in property with their children.
• "We want to use this phase to really sort of test and learn." – Lynda Coker on Co-Operty's launch and beta phase.
• "One place I missed off...and I would love to go back to is the Galápagos." – Lynda Coker

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In this episode of Fintech Fun, host Chris Titley invites Daniel Kniaz to take us through the genesis and evolution of his company Weel, formerly DiviPay. The discussion begins with an exploration of the early days and the iterative process which led to their current business model. The episode offers listeners a glimpse into the world of Australian fintech innovation, capturing both the struggles and triumphs of a startup journey.

Daniel shares valuable insights into the initial concept of DiviPay and the subsequent pivot due to Weel after scalability and monetisation challenges. The narrative shifts focus to Weel's current mission: resolving SMB spending-related inefficiencies and facilitating seamless expense management.

Chris and Daniel's conversation provides a look into the ethos of a fintech founder, the strategic thinking behind pivots in business models, and the shaping of a tech product amidst a changing financial landscape.

• Daniel Kniaz's journey with Weel highlights the importance of listening to customer needs and adapting business models to meet market demands.
• Weel, born from DiviPay, serves to alleviate SMB spending and employee reimbursement pains by streamlining payment workflows and expense reporting.
• Successful scaling and market fit are achieved by offering a product that assists businesses in tighter financial control during challenging economic climates.
• The rebranding journey from DiviPay to Weel underscores the relevance of strategic name and positioning in the evolving fintech industry.
• Kniaz outlines the future direction for Weel, emphasising both the expansion into new payment types and the enhancement of pre and post-payment workflows.

• "When we reflect on, on the why behind that and we look at our customers, what's interesting is because of the broader macro environment, customers know that they need to keep a really tight eye and control on how they're spending company funds."
• "We've kind of been a product that solves a problem within what's going on in the broader macro."
• "Our focus is really two parts. First part is giving SMBs access to all different payment types. And the second piece that we really focus on from a product perspective is adding value in the workflow around that payment."

• Weel website
• H2 Accelerator program
• Stone and Chalk coworking and innovation space

In this episode of the Fintechfun podcast series, Chris Titley hosts Jordan Lawrence, co-founder of Volt, to discuss the revolutionary platform that is poised to streamline real-time account-to-account payments across the globe. Jordan shares the origins of Volt, its mission, and the impact it has in various international markets.

Volt’s inception coincided with the advent of open banking in Europe, tackling the challenge of integrating diverse payment methods under one umbrella. Jordan Lawrence exemplifies this by detailing Volt's progress in Brazil with the payment method PiCs, which has significantly sped up transaction times for merchants. Moreover, Lawrence provides insight into the nuances of payment adoption in Australia, highlighting the hurdles and potential for merchant-driven push towards real-time payments.

Key themes in this conversation revolve around the influence of worldwide monetary systems, the emergence of innovative payment solutions, and Volt's ambitious plans for expansion. Lawrence expertly weaves through the intricacies of financial transactions, merchant benefits, consumer transparency, and Volt's visions for the future—including the potential issuance of local bank accounts across 50 countries.

• Volt has pioneered the integration of real-time, account-to-account payment methods internationally, beginning in Europe and expanding to Brazil and beyond.
• Merchants significantly benefit from immediate transaction completion and reduced fees compared to traditional card schemes.
• Consumer adoption in Australia remains slow, yet increasing due to merchant incentives and changing behaviours, particularly among younger demographics.
• Volt's expansion is set to reach around 50 countries, potentially offering the issuance of local bank accounts to facilitate international payments for merchants.
• Jordan provides personal insights on his global living experiences and shared travel tips, including the importance of booking seats in advance and managing jet lag.

• “Our first foray outside of Europe was Brazil. We have an office in Sao Paulo. We process pics down there. PiCs is the equivalent of your guys kind of Pay ID and it's gone really, really well.”
• “So merchants in Australia who've got international ambitions can plug into us, use the MPP products, but also we can act as merchant record in the other countries and actually process these account to account payments for them there as well.”
• “Repeat customers at the checkout using vault is around 36%. So that means 36% of people who use vault once will use it again, which is, I think, a really good sign.”
• “I think for the merchants side, they love it. From the consumer side, there's a way to go on the UX from the banking side of things.”
• “By then we'll be in around 50 countries... The ability for Volt to be able to issue accounts locally to merchants and psps, collect the funds locally and start remitting the money around the world as well.”

• Stereo Mix podcast series is re-initiated in 2024 with Chris Titley hosting Pat Dalton, COO and founder of iGoDirect Group.
• iGoDirect Group specializes in data-driven marketing and propensity modeling, identifying valuable insights within large datasets for marketing purposes.
• The company originated from a need for specialized data-driven marketing in the early '90s, leading to the development of new strategies and data models for marketing campaigns.
• In 2004, iGoDirect innovated by introducing branded prepaid Visa cards in direct mail packs to the Australian market, enhancing marketing response rates.
• iGoDirect was named for its direct approach to working with brands and agencies, aiming for more effective marketing outcomes.
• Over 20 years, i iGoDirect has evolved to serve ASX-listed companies, focusing on customer acquisition, nurturing, and re-engagement using prepaid gift cards and incentives.
• The company has seen increased engagement with loyalty programs, especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis.
• iGoDirect has been granted a Visa Principle Partnership license, allowing them to issue their own Visa products in Australia and New Zealand.
• They have also obtained an Australian Financial Services license, enabling them to innovate further in the gift card and loyalty program space.
• iGoDirect is introducing a web-to-wallet gift card service, removing the need for app downloads and streamlining the customer experience.
• The company is exploring new use cases for their services, including instant gift card distribution for promotions and enhancing brand loyalty.
• Pat Dalton advises entrepreneurs to back themselves, especially during challenging times, as perseverance leads to innovation and solutions.
• iGoDirect 's future focuses on card linking and leveraging scheme cards for loyalty programs, aiming to reduce friction in customer engagement.

In this episode - I chat with Chris Chardon about many topics - mainly CDR, Mortgage Broking as well as his next startup! Lot's of learnings as well as his views on the current property environment!