FinTech Voice, April 10, 2025

Written By Katrina Angelika

Hi Fintech Australia Community,

The FinTech Australia and Triple Bubble delegation, supported by Austrade and Acclime will be headed to Money 2020 in just under two week. The delegation is comprised of ASL, Carrington Labs, Change Financial, Convera, Data Zoo, EFTlab, Fiskil, Footprint Lab, Hello Clever, Quant PS, Stanchion Payments, Valta Technology and Volans. We’re excited to support local fintechs as they explore new markets, connect with global leaders, and scale into the region.

Some event updates to share:

  • Award entries to the Finnies have now closed, and the judging process has begun. Finalists will be announced on 28 April. Good luck to all applicants!

  • Ticket sales to the Finnies Awards Gala Night are live! Join us to celebrate the winners and a decade of achievements in the Australian fintech industry on the 26th of June 2025 in Sydney.

  • We're hosting the Financial Services Reverse Pitch in collaboration with local and international banks and superannuation funds on the 13th of May 2025. Ticket sales and problem statements will be released on 23 April. 

  • We've opened speaking and session EOIs for CDR Summit. Tickets sales will go live next Wednesday. Join us on July 17, keep an eye out for the announcement.

We've launched a Global Talent Marketplace to help fintech employers hire trained and verified professionals. To learn more about this opportunity, please fill out this form.

Kind regards,

Rehan D’Almeida,

Chief Executive Officer,

FinTech Australia

Policy Update

Treasury Consultation - Merger Notification Thresholds Exposure Draft

Treasury has released the exposure draft of the Competition and Consumer (Notification of Acquisitions) Determination 2025, setting out proposed thresholds for the new mandatory merger notification regime, which becomes voluntary from 1 July 2025 and mandatory from 1 January 2026.

Key proposals include turnover-based thresholds for large corporate groups, rules for serial acquisitions, and additional requirements for major supermarkets. Treasury is seeking feedback on the practicality of the thresholds, valuation methods, and proposed exemptions. The consultation will close on 2 May 2025.

FinTech Australia is currently gauging member interest and encourages interested members to contact our policy teamif you would like to contribute.

ACCC Merger Reform Consultations

As part of broader merger reform, the ACCC has released two key consultation documents—one of which was highlighted in our recent policy newsletter:

These reforms form part of the ACCC’s new approach to merger assessment under the mandatory notification regime commencing in 2026. The consultations' deadlines are:

FinTech Australia is gauging member interest and may hold a Q&A session with our Policy Partner or provide a submission if there is sufficient engagement. Please contact our policy team if you would like to contribute.

EOI: Digital ID and CDR Pilot

The Government is inviting Expressions of Interest to pilot new ways of protecting renters’ personal information using Digital ID and CDR. The initiative aims to simplify rental applications while minimising data sharing. Applicants must be accredited Digital ID or CDR participants and work in partnership with real estate providers. EOIs are due by 5:00pm AEST, 16 May 2025.

HTI Consultation on AI and Regulator Powers

The Human Technology Institute is conducting a closed targeted consultations on the adequacy of Treasury portfolio regulators’ powers (ACCC, ASIC, and APRA) in the context of AI adoption in Australia. The aim is to assess regulatory capability to manage AI-related risks and challenges.

Members interested in sharing their perspectives are encouraged to contact our policy team before 17 April 2025.

NSW Innovation Blueprint 2035 Released

The NSW Government has launched its 10-year innovation plan, outlining strategies to enhance funding, infrastructure, talent development, and global engagement. The Blueprint also identifies fintech as a key strength and contributor to exports and investment, while also noting a concentration of VC funding in fintech compared to other sectors.

FinTech Australia commends the Blueprint and will continue to advocate for actionable support for fintech as part of NSW’s broader innovation agenda.

Other news:

  • Digital ID Accreditation Scheme Now Open - Following commencement of the Digital ID Act 2024, the Digital ID Accreditation Scheme is now open to both government and private providers. Accredited entities can display the Digital ID Trustmark, helping users identify trusted services that meet strict privacy and security standards.

  • ASIC Releases RG 280 on Sustainability Reporting - ASIC has published Regulatory Guide 280 (RG 280) to support the rollout of mandatory sustainability reporting, which begins from 1 January 2025 for large entities. The guide provides principles-based direction on compliance and highlights ASIC’s proportionate and pragmatic approach to supervision.

We are working on these submissions:

We recently made submissions on:

  1. Consultation Paper 382: Low cost credit contracts & Draft RG 000 Low cost credit contract

  2. Consultation Paper 381 (CP 381): Updates to INFO 225: Digital Assets: Financial Products and Services

  3. Public consultation on new AML/CTF Rules

  4. 2025–26 Pre-Budget Submission

  5. Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging - Issues Paper

  6. Consumer Data Right Rules – Non-Bank Lending and Banking Data Scope Consultation

  7. Scams Prevention Framework - Exposure Draft legislation

  8. Introducing Mandatory Guardrails for AI in High-risk Settings

See our recent submissions on our website.

FinTech Australia regularly makes submissions to consultations across a wide range of policy and regulatory issues. Communications about how to get involved in these processes are distributed to our Policy Working Group membership.

Upcoming Events

Save the dates for our events in 2025! 

Mark your calendars and reach out to the team if you have any enquiries or would like to support any of these events.

  • Financial Services Reverse Pitch — 13 May 2025. Ticket sales and problem statements will be released April 23.

  • The Finnies - Get tickets to the awards gala night today!

🗓 Thursday, 26 June 2025 

📍 Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont, NSW

  • CDR Summit — Ticket sales will go live next Wednesday.

🗓 Wednesday, 17 July 2025 

📍The Hilton, Sydney, NSW

Events and opportunities from the community

For all events and opportunities from the community, click here.

Community Updates

Don’t miss all the news and insights from our members and corporate partners from our newsroom.

  • Kobble is designed to remove the time, money, and expertise barriers that slow down financial innovation, providing businesses with the essential financial infrastructure to launch and scale while significantly reducing costs and development timelines. Learn more about Kobble from this week's Member Spotlight.

  • HeirWealth announces integration to better serve investors and financial professionals. Read More.

  • Shenkman Capital Management, Inc. has partnered with TRAction for seamless transaction reporting in Australia using TRAction’s trade reporting solution. Read More.

  • LoanOptions.ai achieves ISO27001 certification, reinforcing commitment to bank-grade cyber security. Read More.

  • Australians can now finance solar installation seamlessly through OpenSolar and LoanOptions.ai’s new partnership. Read More.

  • Choco Up and Wonder Capital Group Set to Unlock USD50 Million in Capital, Bridging the Funding Gap for APAC SMEs. Read More.

  • How carsales and Monoova Are Revolutionising Car Payments in Australia. Read More.

  • The Bolt Group Welcomes Former New Zealand Prime Minister, Rt Hon Sir John Key as Chair of its Advisory Board. Read More.

  • ANNA Money flies past 550% compound annual growth, as Aussie SMEs embrace digitised financial services. Read More.

  • iGoDirect Appoints Hamish Moline as New Chief Executive Officer. Read More.

  • Pennant Technologies Recognised as a Great Place To Work for the Third Year in a Row. Read More.

For more news from the community, see here.

Industry News & Insights

News and insights from the fintech industry you don't want to miss!

New Members

Let's welcome FinTech Australia's new members! 🎉

FinTech Australia's Podcast

Have you heard our latest podcast on surcharging? It's getting some amazing traction and we hope to have more in-depth conversations like these.

This is part of our podcast revamp!

It will feature panel type discussions where you can nominate speakers and choose thought-provoking topics that matter to the fintech community. Express your interest here.

Tune into FA Podcast here! 🎧

Katrina Angelika
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