July 2017
Girl Geek Academy launches largest all-women incubator following #SheHacks success
by launch-admin Jul 26, 2017 0 News
MEDIA RELEASE
Girl Geek Academy launches largest all-women incubator
following #SheHacks success
Silicon Valley “unicorn” Holly Liu and Startup Onramp founder Colin Kinner co-curate incubator curriculum
Australia, 26 July 2017: Australia’s Girl Geek Academy has successfully launched the world’s largest all-women startup incubator, following the resounding success of its #SheHacks hackathon. The incubator is designed to coach #SheHacks graduates to further develop their minimum viable product (MVP) and create more sustainable female-founded businesses in Australia.
Girl Geek Academy enlisted Startup Onramp founder and seasoned entrepreneur coach Colin Kinner to co-develop the incubator concept, along with their recently appointed Entrepreneur in Residence, Silicon Valley “unicorn” – and one of Fortune’s 10 most powerful women in gaming, Holly Liu, whose mobile gaming company Kabam recently sold for over $US1billion.
The #SheHacks incubator will run for seven weeks and will guide the startups through structured sessions delivered by Holly, Colin and additional mentors drawn from the Australian startup community.
The incubator will focus on giving participants the skills they need to launch and grow their company, and to avoid the many pitfalls often encountered by first-time entrepreneurs. It will cover topics including validation of ideas, growth hacking, how to build a team, marketing and branding, and pitching investors.
Most importantly, the program aims to provide women entrepreneurs with the confidence to commit to pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions and build successful technology companies.
A showcase event will take place this September to reveal the startups that have emerged from the initiative.
Sarah Moran, Co-founder and CEO of Girl Geek Academy said: “We’ve been working on the format for our #SheHacks incubator for some time and we’re really excited to announce its kick off. So many hackathons end after the event without a pathway for startup ideas to be fully explored. Our intention with the #SheHacks movement is to create tangible outcomes and generate more women-led businesses in Australia, which is why we partnered with Colin Kinner on this project due to his solid track record in training and coaching startup founders.
“It’s also a real coup for us to secure Holly Liu as our Entrepreneur in Residence – not only for her incredible insights into the startup and business world – but also as an example of a woman who has founded a US billion-dollar company from a pipe dream. Having Holly help drive the incubator will instil confidence in the women that they too can achieve this success.”
This year’s #SheHacks was a record for Australia, with around 200 women coming together to build 30 new startups – the largest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Australian corporates, including Deloitte, also submitted teams to boost their employee team building and intrapreneurship.
Speaking on the initiative, Holly Liu said: “I’m really looking forward to mentoring some of the startups that came out of the #SheHacks event. My initial reaction is that the tech community in Australia is much more accepting of women than Silicon Valley, plus there is huge local government support for the industry. Couple this with initiatives like #SheHacks incubator, and you’ve got a really strong platform to make Australia a great place to be a woman in a startup.”
Startup Onramp founder Colin Kinner added: “The incubator has two important goals: to encourage more women to become startup founders; and to give them a roadmap that will maximise the chances of their startup being successful.
“We’ve recognised that Australian entrepreneurs often lack the ambition of their overseas counterparts, so the program will focus on building confidence and encouraging participants to work on global opportunities from day one.”
Startups generated at #SheHacks and entering the incubator include virtual reality (VR) mobile games, apps to simplify property rental, B2B and B2C online marketplaces – plus social-good startups.
The #SheHacks accelerator has extended its program to accept applications from startups who didn’t attend the main hackathon event. For more information please visit: https://shehacks.com.au
ENDS
Media Contact:
Sarah Bond, Launch Group: sarahbond@launchgroup.com.au | 02 9492 1041 | 0449 543 181
About Girl Geek Academy:
Girl Geek Academy was founded by five skilled female digital professionals who want to increase the number of women with successful STEM careers. The team work to see an increase of women in tech, women in games, women who make, female designers and female founders. Initiatives include coding and hackathons, 3D printing and wearables, game development, design, entrepreneurship and startups.
Girl Geek Academy also works with teachers, schools, corporates and startups to increase the number of women with professional technical and entrepreneurial skills.
About #SheHacks:
Girl Geek Academy’s #SheHacks initiative is the largest all-women hackathon dedicated to bringing women together and creating more technology businesses in Australia. Much more than just a weekend event, #SheHacks is dedicated to sustaining the outcomes of the hackathon with various touchpoints throughout the year. Pre-event bootcamps took place across Melbourne City and the regional suburbs of Warragul, Warnambool and Bendigo, to prepare women for the main hackathon weekend. A dedicated seven-week incubator designed to support participants in further developing their MVP will ensure more tangible outcomes.
Geyer collaborates with International Towers to create unique innovation ecosystem at Barangaroo
by launch-admin Jul 19, 2017 0 News“The model enables the convergence of different professionals, disciplines and sectors into a vibrant community of connected enterprises.”
ENDS
Media contact: Fleur Brown, Launch Group
E: fleur@launchgroup.com.au Tel: +61 2 9492 1000 or + 61 419 270 863
For all other inquiries about International Towers:
E: hello@internationaltowers.com or phone: +61 2 8052 5222
https://www.internationaltowers.com/
Green Building Council Australia Selects Australia ’s Most Progressive Green Buildings As New Home
by launch-admin Jul 19, 2017 0 NewsGBCA moves to Australia’s first large scale carbon-neutral community precinct, International Towers at Barangaroo
20 July 2017, Sydney, Australia: International Towers at Barangaroo will soon be home to the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), as the industry association joins the growing innovation community being established within Tower Two and Tower Three International Towers.
GBCA CEO Romilly Madew said alongside the tower’s Green Star rating, the GBCA selected International Towers at Barangaroo because of its commitment to creating an environment which promotes high performance innovation and can support the organisation’s growth into the next decade. The GBCA’s move comes after exploring tenancy options with its members.
“There is an exciting new business ecology being cultivated within International Towers and we are thrilled to participate in this as a foundation tenant. We look forward to moving into a business community anchored on diversity, high performance, wellbeing and innovation – characteristics that we believe are pillars of a sustainable future,” Ms Madew said.
Tower Two and Tower Three International Towers is taking a curated approach to tenancy, selecting diverse organisations with a commitment to innovation, sustainability, collaboration and community. International Towers General Manager, Tony Byrne, said the GBCA relationship is a purposeful alliance.
“The GBCA is passionately committed to positive impact and progressive thinking and we are excited about what it can contribute to our growing community of innovation-focused tenants,” said Mr Byrne. “There is mounting evidence that high performance cultures are also very human cultures which incorporate a powerful sense of community. Within Tower Two and Tower Three International Towers we are designing uniquely flexible, open floor plans, workspaces and shared spaces that encourage collaboration both within and across organisations,” he said.
“International Towers’ flexible, open floor plans and shared spaces will enhance the collaboration within our teams and with other like-minded organisations, in turn driving new levels of service and opportunities for our members and the industry,” Ms Madew adds.
Joining the GBCA, within its tenancy, will be the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) – the national industry and advocacy group for Australia’s major shopping centre owners, managers and developers.
Elements of the International Towers Placemaking Model
The International Towers placemaking model responds to workplace cultures that have shifted away from rigid constructs and hierarchical models, towards more informal, social experiences which inspire more innovative and creative thinking and create a powerful sense of belonging.
Designed by globally-renowned architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and developed by Lendlease, International Towers feature an abundance of natural light and sweeping vistas and wide open spaces. The circular building design, coupled with the egalitarian nature of the interior layouts, means all staff can have access to generous amounts of natural lighting, plus enviable harbour and city views – and there is quite literally no ‘corner office’.
Leading Australian interiors architect firm Geyer has been working with International Towers over the past year, developing this powerful new enterprise community model which brings workers of Tower Two and Tower Three International Towers together in a dynamic innovation ecosystem that inspires growth, collaboration and employee satisfaction.
Tower Two and Tower Three International Towers community tenancies are being designed to allow organisations the flexibility to expand and contract rapidly and efficiently. International Towers allows tenants to use a ‘kit of parts’ approach to create their spaces. Key elements within the floor plates and design allow teams to continually expand and contract beyond their core space – depending on the organisation’s needs and focus.
Work environments are designed to encourage and inspire cross-functional team interaction – including open spaces, visible gathering spaces, transparent meeting rooms and connectivity between staff areas and event tenancies.
There are many design elements between tenancies which encourage collaboration, connection and mobility. This includes a clever arrangement of lift cores coupled with the introduction of communal spaces where people can gather and co-create, as well as quiet spaces to focus and imagine. International Towers also features a unique ‘Companionway’ – a shared connection between floors and tenancies which offers opportunities for shared work spaces, social catch-ups and special events.
The International Towers team has introduced a strong service culture within the building which includes a year-round calendar of curated, whole of community events which offer cross-pollination and continuous learning opportunities to tenants and their people.
“We are aiming to create a knowledge sharing environment and community which has some of the buzz and social elements of an open university campus,” said Mr Byrne. “Our level of investment and focus at International Towers is creating an unprecedented workspace environment of the future. We believe the positive impact of these elements on people’s sense of belonging, wellbeing and happiness at work can be significant.”
ENDS
Media: Fleur Brown, E: fleur@launchgroup.com.au Tel: +61 2 9492 1000 or + 61 419 270 863
For all other inquiries about International Towers:
E: hello@internationaltowers.com or phone: +61 2 8052 5222 https://www.internationaltowers.com/
FACT SHEET – ABOUT INTERNATIONAL TOWERS
Ownership & Management:
Lendlease International Towers Sydney Trust (LLITST) is a A$3.2 billion trust, established in 2012. It holds a 100% interest in the first two commercial towers developed and constructed by Lendlease at Barangaroo South, being Two International Towers and Three International Towers. The Trust also owns 100% interest in International House, Australia’s first engineered timber building at Barangaroo.
Advanced Technology
International Towers also provides one of the most technologically advanced work environments in Australia – offering a fast, efficient and progressive tech environment for workers and International Towers staff.
International Towers partnered with Meshed, KPMG and the Internet of Things Alliance Australia to become a part of “The Things Network Sydney” which is a global and open crowd-sourced Internet of Things data network.
Sydney CBD’s first gateway has been installed on the rooftop of Tower Three, which allows around one million points of information to be received by the building management platform, allowing air conditioning, lighting, security and CCTV to be monitored at any time, from any device, and from anywhere in the world.
Mobile reception is also fully functional within all areas of the building including the lift towers.
Sustainability Facts
International Towers is one of the most sustainable developments in Australia, and part of one of the greenest urban regeneration projects anywhere in the world.
The Barangaroo South precinct achieved a 6 Star Green Star – Communities rating in 2016, representing world leadership in the design and delivery of sustainable precincts.
Each of the towers at International Towers features 6 Star Green Star ratings for design, and are registered to achieve ratings for construction. The GBCA’s fitout will also achieve a Green Star – Interiors rating.
More broadly, the precinct will eventually boast the highest concentration of Green Star ratings in the country, with each building, as well as the 80-plus retail tenancies and office tenancies, needing to achieve Green Star ratings.
Through a combination of solar shading, water management, glass technology and context-responsive thermal performance, Two and Three International Towers sets a new standard in innovative sustainability. Each tower responds to its unique geography and environment. Built using recycled materials with a concrete plant established on-site, each tower saved more than 30,000 truck movements and 5,000 tonnes of carbon emissions during construction.
Some of the most significant sustainability features of International Towers include 6,000 rooftop solar panels and a central cooling plant that cools the building with Sydney Harbour water. This alone saves up to one million litres of water from the main supply every year.
The unique external fins that characterise the distinctive facade of the towers’ also play an important functional role, by maximising the amount of shade within the interior workspaces, therefore reducing the need for unnecessary cooling, without impacting the levels of natural light permeating through the space. Since the tower design also features ceiling heights of 2.9m, rather than 2.4m, over 20 per cent more natural light can be filtered into internal workspaces, decreasing the reliance on harsh artificial lighting.
Each of the 30,000 globes used to light the precinct are LED, making it one of the largest installations of LED lighting in Australian history.
All of the eateries in the curated casual dining precinct, ‘The Canteen’, use recyclable and combustible packaging, plus a robust recycling program for waste. These initiatives reduce almost 90 per cent of the total waste generated by the entire precinct going to landfill – well above the country average for comparable commercial precincts and buildings.
The majority of the towers’ interior fit-outs are sustainably sourced – from lounge furniture to desks; even the building umbrellas used by the concierge are sustainably sourced.
A commitment to sustainability is a core promise of existing and future tenants of the building and part of lease agreements.
The Current International Towers Community:
International Towers has organically attracted organisations that are progressive and forward thinking. The relocation of these significant enterprise groups to International Towers has been a key component of disrupting existing work practices, and establishing the framework for business innovation.
Current International Towers tenants include: KPMG and its recently-opened Innovation Lab; 2016 Australian Law Firm of the Year Gilbert + Tobin; leading global reinsurer Swiss Re; Australia’s most innovative international property and infrastructure group, LendLease, which developed International Towers One, Two and Three; and Westpac Group, demonstrating its new WorkSMART workplace strategy. Both KPMG and Westpac Group were voted Graduate Employers of 2017. Foundation tenants under the new curated tenancy model include the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and Recognise, the campaign for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Leesman Index – the largest independent collection of workplace effectiveness data in the world, recently recognised the LendLease global headquarters at Barangaroo in the top six per cent of workplaces globally for workplace design, functionality and effectiveness.
International Towers General Manager, Tony Byrne said existing tenants have cultivated a game-changing ethos as a result of this move to International Towers, and have introduced highly innovative processes and workplaces to support their vision to be best-of-class within their particular industries.
“We are delighted to welcome the GBCA to our dynamic community at International Towers and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship that supports its continued growth and inspires our community of tenant partners and visitors,” he said.
GBCA CEO Romilly Madew said: “As an organisation on a dynamic growth path, International Towers offers our team of 40 staff an exciting opportunity to bring to life the workplace of the future. We applaud this approach to sustainability across the entire precinct and are excited to use our tenancy as a great showcase for what is possible within commercial buildings.”
About GBCA:
The GBCA is a not-for-profit, member-based organisation committed to developing buildings, cities and communities that are healthy, liveable, productive, resilient and sustainable. Established in 2002, the GBCA is charged with introducing and driving the adoption of sustainable practices in the Australian property industry. In 2003 GBCA successfully launched Australia’s only national, voluntary, holistic six star rating system for sustainable buildings and communities – Green Star.
ENDS
Media contact:
Fleur Brown, Launch Group
E: fleur@launchgroup.com.au Tel: +61 2 9492 1000 or + 61 419 270 863
Karen Jamal, Green Building Council of Australia
E: karen.jamal@gbca.org.au Tel: 0412 179 135
For all other inquiries about International Towers:
E: hello@internationaltowers.com or phone: +61 2 8052 5222
https://www.internationaltowers.com/
World Environment Day: App stamps out unnecessary plastic cards, bags
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 NewsSydney, Australia, 5 June 2017 – Leading mobile wallet app, Stocard, is rolling out its #StocardBYOB (Stocard Bring Your Own Bag) social awareness campaign targeted at Aussie shoppers to coincide with World Environment Day, and in support of the trending #BanTheBag conversation and petition initiated by Greenpeace Australia.
At 12:00pm on Monday, 5 June – World Environment Day – Stocard will be sending a push notification to its 1.7 million Australian users to remind them to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) in a bid to reduce the 10 million+ disposable plastic bags used by Aussies each day.
Stocard’s traditional red logo will also be getting a makeover to mark the occasion with all its social media accounts converted to green for the entire month of June. Social content via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram aims to encourage greener thinking and drive into public consciousness the harmful impacts of plastics, which include plastic carry bags as well as plastic loyalty cards.
To date, Stocard has helped make 150 million plastic loyalty cards obsolete by enabling customers to upload their loyalty program data straight onto the app, which can then be scanned in-store directly from the customer’s smartphone to accumulate points, in addition to receiving personalised offers from favourite retailers and viewing current points balances and transactions in real-time.
Originally founded in Germany, Stocard has a huge European foothold and has seen the positive impact of the European Union’s (EU) 2015 directive that insists its member states must reduce their average plastic bag consumption from 200 bags per person in 2015, to 90 bags per person in 2019, and 40 bags per person by 2025.
Radinck van Vollenhoven, Country Manager of Stocard Australia and New Zealand, said, “Stocard is passionate about helping to reduce the environmental damage caused by the printing and production of plastic cards, as well as educating consumers on the toxic effects of plastic to the environment and our wildlife when discarded materials are dumped into landfill or left to litter.
“The use of plastic in the retail industry is hugely driven by convenience and it’s critical that we come together to tackle this issue. We need to foster change in consumer behaviour and motivate people to bring their own bags. Europe has been a global frontrunner in the reduction of plastics and has already made fantastic progress with small changes – we are confident we can achieve this locally.
“In the UK, for example, by simply charging £0.05 for each plastic bag, its top seven retailers reduced the number of single-use carry bags from 7.6 million in 2014 to 0.6 million in only six months. This simple solution helped to incentivise consumers to bring their own bags and benefit retailers. It’s an all important step towards a brighter future for our environment,” added van Vollenhoven.
Stocard is currently in talks with several organisations about rolling out future campaigns in this space to drive more awareness to Australian consumers and create more sustainable outcomes.
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Stocard was founded in Mannheim, Germany in May 2011 where its headquarters is based, with offices recently opened internationally in Australia and Italy. Stocard lets users store all their loyalty cards in one place – on their smartphones. With more than 15 million global users, Stocard is the leading wallet app for loyalty and combines smart technology with maximum usability. A simple scan feature lets users scan every card and add it digitally to the app. Moreover, targeted offers from retailers can be received by users. In the near future a payment solution will be added in order to implement a complete mobile wallet. For more information, visit www.stocardapp.com.
Media Contacts
Christine Kardashian
Launch Group
02 9492 1000 | 0416 005 703
christine@launchgroup.com.au
MEDIA RELEASE: Afterpay wins the FinTech Organisatio n of the Year at the ‘FINNIES’
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 NewsSydney, Australia, 25 May 2017 – Retail payments innovator Afterpay, has been recognised at the prestigious FinTech Australia National Awards 2017 – The FINNIE Awards, Australia’s first-of-its-kind program, curated with and for the Australian FinTech community.
The ‘FINNIES’ which were set up to recognise champion leaders of fintech in Australia, awarded Afterpay as the ‘FinTech Organisation of the Year’, crediting the platform for its revolutionary approach to payment technology that allows customers to buy now, receive now and pay later.
Nick Molnar, Managing Director at Afterpay, said, “It’s truly an honour to accept this award from FinTech Australia and be recognised amongst our peers and the fintech community. The retail industry is changing and innovation is key to keeping up with customers, who now have more power than ever in the way they choose to pay. We are proud to be able to offer a payment option that resonates with Australian consumers, and helps to stimulate sales and grow retail businesses.”
Afterpay recently celebrated its 12-month anniversary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange and now has over 650,000 customers and over 4,300 retail merchants. The platform continues to maintain a strong pipeline of Australia’s leading brands and has reported it currently processes approximately 15 per cent of total online fashion retail and three per cent of total online retail in Australia. Achievements over the past year include:
– Launching its highly anticipated iPhone and iPad app which shot to number one on the App Store within 48 hours of announcing the launch to its customer base
– Branching out into department stores announcing significant partnerships with household Australian brands including Myer and Big W
– Partnering with e-commerce platforms, global heavyweight BigCommerce and established local Neto, as well as leading payments provider Tyro Payments
Afterpay has hit it off with a range of consumers, in particular millennials, which comprise 73 per cent – almost three quarters of its customer base. Retailers are truly connecting with millennials on a personal level and the advocacy through their customers has been incomparable.
Heavily focused on expanding to broader retail categories and consumer demographics is the way forward for Afterpay. The substantial increase to over half a million customers embracing the ‘buy now, receive now, pay later’ payment option reinforces this vision.
– ENDS –
About Afterpay
Founded in 2014, Afterpay is a leading Australian retail payments innovator that facilitates commerce between retail merchants and their end-customers. Afterpay offers a ‘buy now, receive now, pay later’ service that is absolutely in the customer interest, not requiring end-customers to enter into a traditional loan or pay any upfront fees or interest. Afterpay currently has over 650,000 customers and over 4,300 retail merchants and in 2016, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, visit www.afterpay.com.au.
Media Contact
Christine Kardashian
Launch Group
02 9492 1000 | 0416 005 703
christine@launchgroup.com.au
Quill Group introduces cutting edge SMSF solution that breaks with tradition
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 NewsBrisbane, Australia, 18 April 2017 – Home-grown financial services firm Quill Group today announced its new cloud-based adviser portal, the first of its kind in Australia. Purposely built for financial advisers, the portal is a low cost, highly engaging alternative that helps improve efficiency and increase revenue for professionals by entirely managing their SMSF clients’ needs in one place.
Aimed primarily at smaller advice groups and independents, the adviser portal enables professionals to conduct business seamlessly through streamlined processes and is an extension of Quill Group’s Superfund Wholesale division. With complete automation, financial planners and licensed accountants can establish a new SMSF or transfer an existing SMSF onto the Superfund Wholesale technology platform, as well as manage the ongoing administration. The integrated solution also has the option of a low cost investment solution for clients as a substitute to institutionally backed investment products available in the market.
Kris Kitto, Director of Superfund Wholesale, said, “Financial advisers are always looking for ways to engage with clients – including millennials who might be looking to take control of their superannuation for the first time. Using technology, we’ve combined a low cost investment option and SMSF administration solution to give advisers an offering which can grow with their clients while automating many back office processes.”
“This portal is an opportunity for advisers to enhance their engagement with their clients, while at the same time helping them to do their core work as relationship specialists. Bringing technological innovation to the SMSF space is important and we are excited to be at the forefront offering real differentiation with our adviser portal,” added Kitto.
The portal offers an innovative all-in-one solution for SMSF and portfolio administration, with an outlook to extend to legal and estate planning, as well as partnering with Elston – to provide an end-to-end ‘packaged’ solution for financial specialists.
About Quill Group
Established in Southport – Gold Coast, Australia in 2000, Quill Group offers a range of financial services including accounting, financial planning, insurance and superannuation support and advice to clients. The strength of Quill’s diverse and personalised service has grown with its expansion and the company now operates out of two offices located in Southport and Eight Mile Plains Brisbane, servicing clients from all over Australia. For more information, visit www.quillgroup.com.au.
Media Contact
Christine Kardashian
Launch Group
02 9492 1000 | 0416 005 703
christine@launchgroup.com.au
Australian HR software provider ELMO firstmarket with ATO integration
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 Uncategorised
World’s leading mobile loyalty wallet Stocard attracts Silicon Valley investor
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 NewsSydney, Australia, 1 February 2017 – Stocard, the world’s leading mobile loyalty wallet, today announced its latest financing round for an undisclosed amount from Silicon Valley-based Rocketship.vc, in addition to funding from original investors Shortcut Ventures and Germany-based Alstin. Stocard will use the capital from the raise to launch a mobile payments functionality, expand in new markets including Australia and recruit engineers and business development professionals.
Stocard eliminates the need to keep plastic loyalty cards and lifts the weight off wallets, by allowing shoppers to store their loyalty cards all in one app, as well as collect points and rewards. In addition, users receive personalised offers from favourite retailers and see current points balances and transactions in real-time.
Globally, Stocard currently has 12 million users with a user base growing by half a million users, month on month. Of this, 1.5 million users are in Australia with this number increasing organically per month at a steady rate. Over 4,000 brands are using Stocard internationally to reach shoppers with loyalty offers, including major Australian retailers such as the Woolworths Group, Wesfarmers and Spotlight Retail Group.
Björn Goß, co-founder and CEO of Stocard, said, “Rocketship is the perfect match to help take Stocard to its next level of growth. Stocard creates value for retailers by unlocking access to consumer data previously unavailable, thus allowing them to serve their clients more efficiently through digital loyalty programs. Rocketship’s approach, which relies on data to identify a business’ potential for growth, is exactly in line with Stocard’s philosophy and mission. Their deep industry expertise and global footprint make them an ideal partner to scale our product.”
This year, Stocard will launch a mobile payment capability, offering users a holistic shopping experience – from browsing offers to paying at the POS – within the Stocard app.
Radinck van Vollenhoven, Country Manager of Stocard Australia and New Zealand, said, “To be successful, a mobile wallet needs to accompany the user throughout the whole customer journey; mobile payment is just one component. Our goal is to expand our position in the market and actively shape the future of how people discover and purchase products and services through their mobile device.”
Sailesh Ramakrishnan, partner at Rocketship.vc sees huge potential in the new portfolio company. “At Rocketship.vc, we use data-science to identify, evaluate and invest in startups. Stocard is a great find not only from their strong growth in users but also because they are unlocking a previously hidden data stream of user retail behaviour. We are excited to see how Stocard will revolutionise retail.”
Since the Series A financing in early 2016, Stocard launched two new offices in Italy and Australia to boost collaboration with local retailers.
– ENDS –
About Stocard
Stocard was founded in Mannheim, Germany in May 2011 where its headquarters is based, with offices recently opened internationally in Australia and Italy. Stocard lets users store all their loyalty cards in one place – on their smartphones. With more than 12 million global users, Stocard is the leading wallet app for loyalty and combines smart technology with maximum usability. A simple scan feature lets users scan every card and add it digitally to the app. Moreover, targeted offers from retailers can be received by users. In the near future a payment solution will be added in order to implement a complete mobile wallet. For more information, visit www.stocardapp.com.
About Rocketship.vc
Smart Investment through Data Science. Based in Palo Alto, California, Rocketship.vc is an early stage venture capital fund investing in companies using models built through data science. Rocketship’s proprietary Escape Velocity™ algorithm identifies companies with a Sustainable Growth Engine at their core. For more information, visit www.rocketship.vc.
Media Contact
Christine Kardashian
Launch Group
02 9492 1000 | 0416 005 703
christine@launchgroup.com.au
MEDIA RELEASE: Online department store The Nile impl ements Afterpay in time for ‘Back to Uni’
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 NewsSydney, Australia, 6 March 2017 – Leading retail payments innovator Afterpay, announced its platform is now available at popular online department store, The Nile (www.thenile.com.au) to coincide with ‘Back to Uni’ 2017. A new-generation payments system, Afterpay allows shoppers to buy now, receive now and pay later, helping to lighten the load for students scrimping to purchase required textbooks for the new university year.
The Nile offers textbooks for all university and most TAFE courses across Australia and is fast becoming one of the country’s leading online destinations, especially for textbooks. Furthermore, The Nile provides added financial relief with prices below recommended retail and free shipping within Australia, as well as free same or next day dispatch within Sydney. With university getting more and more expensive every year, this is a welcoming reprieve for students with costly expenses.
Afterpay offers the benefits of a layby service with an immediate take-home option, that does not require customers to enter a traditional loan or pay upfront fees or interest. Students can purchase online at www.thenile.com.au, select Afterpay as the payment option at the checkout and receive their textbooks within days. Items are paid for in full over four equal fortnightly payments rather than a hefty outlay in one hit.
Gabrielle Wakeman, Head of Marketing at Afterpay, said, “We are excited to introduce our new merchant partner The Nile to the Afterpay platform in Australia, tying in with the peak ‘Back to Uni’ period. We foresee this to be a successful launch for The Nile with Afterpay in the market offering customers and particularly students a welcome payment option offering choice, flexibility and benefits.”
Jethro Marks, CEO of The Nile, said, “We are thrilled to offer The Nile customers Afterpay as a payment option. At The Nile we are committed to providing customers a great shopping experience delivering quality products at good value. Our partnership with Afterpay will make shopping at The Nile even easier and more convenient ahead of this year’s commencement of class
We are committed to providing the best customer service experience and Afterpay is fundamental in achieving this. Our partnership with Afterpay will make shopping on The Nile even simpler and more convenient, easing the budget pain ahead of this year’s commencement of class. Specifically, students at this time of year can avoid the last minute mad dash and crowds by expediting their textbook purchases online.”
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About Afterpay
Founded in 2014, Afterpay is a leading Australian retail payments innovator that facilitates commerce between retail merchants and their end-customers. Afterpay offers a ‘buy now, receive now, pay later’ service that is absolutely in the customer interest, not requiring end-customers to enter into a traditional loan or pay any upfront fees or interest. Afterpay currently has over 475,000 customers and over 2,600 retail merchants and in 2016, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, visit www.afterpay.com.au.
About The Nile
The Nile is a rapidly growing Australian department store selling a wide range of books, DVDs, baby products, wine, games, toys and health and beauty products. The Nile finds, sources and delivers products from all over the world and offers free shipping on all items within Australia. Established 15 years ago, The Nile was started by Jethro Marks and Mark Taylor and has expanded to employ over 80 people across customer service, logistics, marketing and creative design. For more information, visit www.thenile.com.au.
Media Contact
Christine Kardashian
Launch Group
02 9492 1000 | 0416 005 703
christine@launchgroup.com.au
MEDIA RELEASE: Afterpay branches out into department stores with Myer deal
by launch-admin Jul 13, 2017 0 NewsSydney, Australia, 15 March 2017 – Innovative retail payments platform, Afterpay, today announced a significant new partnership with Myer, Australia’s largest department store. Customers will have the option to ‘buy now, receive now, pay later’ through Afterpay at Myer online from May this year. The partnership, initially to be over a two-year period, broadens the Afterpay offering into new retail product verticals and further expands its online retail market reach.
Afterpay’s customer base has also catapulted to over half a million users since revealing its half year results mid-February. Afterpay Managing Director Nick Molnar said the way people in Australia shop is changing – they want options and to be in control of the shopping and purchasing process. Tech innovations such as Afterpay allows customers to choose the way they want to pay.
“We feel privileged to work with Myer, one of Australia’s most iconic retail brands, and are excited to introduce Myer’s online customers to the benefits of Afterpay. The partnership with Myer will give customers even greater choice over their Afterpay purchases. Afterpay’s retail value proposition is resonating strongly with Australian retailers and consumers, now with over 500,000 active customers and over 3,100 retailers.”
Heavily focused on expanding to broader retail categories and consumer demographics is the way forward for Afterpay. The substantial increase in customers embracing the ‘buy now, receive now, pay later’ payment option reinforces this vision. Adoption of Afterpay is largely millennials who are great spenders while also being price conscious and savvy. However, the more meaningful spenders – Generation X and Baby Boomers – are increasingly embracing the service. They know they have options and like to be in control of the shopping and buying process.
Afterpay maintains a very strong pipeline of Australia’s leading brands – integrations are proceeding with retailers. Afterpay has successfully partnered with retailers and recent additions that have gone live on the platform include: Telstra, Booktopia, 2XU, Running Bare, Tarocash and Alannah Hill.
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About Afterpay
Founded in 2014, Afterpay is a leading Australian retail payments innovator that facilitates commerce between retail merchants and their end-customers. Afterpay offers a ‘buy now, receive now, pay later’ service that is absolutely in the customer interest, not requiring end-customers to enter into a traditional loan or pay any upfront fees or interest. Afterpay currently has over 500,000 customers and over 3,100 retail merchants and in 2016, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, visit www.afterpay.com.au.
Media Contact
Christine Kardashian
Launch Group
02 9492 1000 | 0416 005 703
christine@launchgroup.com.au
