The Fintech Report Podcast: Episode 29; Cameron Dart, CEO & Founder, Australian FinTech
Giving fintechs a voice is our key mission, says Dart
Vision is to cover all major fintech markets
Separate newsletters launched for PropTech and Blockchain
FinTech India to launch in 2023
Cameron explains his background and what led him to start Australian FinTech; finance career kicked off with a merchant bank in London; then moved to Morgan Stanley in Sydney; then property development in Australia/Gold Coast.
Started kids website (ebay for kids products); almost killed by arrival of GumTree and Facebook Marketplace – lots of lessons learnt on technology, disruption, timing etc – taught Cameron the risks involved in technology sector.
Started next project with business partner who started Australia’s first online life insurance business.
Huge interest in fintech, so started Australian FinTech – newsfeed, directory of companies; started with 60, now grown to over 1000 members. Cameron says there are 1400 fintechs in Australia.
Now seven years old; keeps growing as industry grows.
Daily newsletter covers all fintech; covers news on small startups to ASX/NASDAQ listed fintechs.
“Give a voice to fintech companies,” is the key mission says Cameron
Publish approx. 1200 articles per year – 40,000 social media followers (30k on LinkedIn). Tuesday and Thursday newsletter goes to 5000 subscribers.
Members get priority regarding news with links back to member websites. Audience has changed over time; also, Cameron also experienced how audience value news.
Most disappointing aspect of fintech: failure of Xinja and Volt.
Most promising aspect of fintechs; fintechs partnering to take on the big banks
Cameron discusses global expansion plans: tried ‘international fintech’ but it didn’t work – so Cameron built country specific websites for FinTech USA, UK and Ireland.
“People only care about what’s in their backyard”
Cameron just launched FinTech UAE: will add many more in the years ahead – especially India for 2023. Cameron surprised by how deep/big the Aussie fintech market is vs UK, USA etc (even given population numbers)
“Australian FinTech is the stage on which Aussie fintechs can ‘go global’” says Cameron
Going global also means Cameron can partner with various fintech events in markets like FinTech Week in UK.
Cameron says he’d like to see the neo-banks grow and prosper; big banks have had a monopoly for so long, it needs to change.
Cameron launched a Blockchain and Crypto site, as well as a PropTech news website