Author: Charitarth Sindhu

AI in FinTech 2025 is everywhere. But according to data from Finch Capital’s State of European FinTech report, the AI in FinTech 2025 story is more complicated than the hype suggests. The phrase appears in every pitch deck, every investor thesis, and every product roadmap across European financial technology. Adoption is real. The funding story, however, is still being written. AI in FinTech 2025 Faces a Striking Funding Paradox In the first half of 2025, AI-related FinTechs accounted for 21% of all European deal volume. One in five FinTech deals now involves an AI-led company. That is a remarkable figure,…

By Jesse Fowler, Founder of J&J Renovations and J&J Plumbing Services Construction warranty risk is the liability most builders never plan for. Across Australia alone, this unpriced exposure likely sits between $15 billion and $25 billion at any given moment. Meanwhile, net margins in the industry hover between 2% and 6%. So when a defect claim lands three or four years after handover, the financial damage is brutal. Here is the uncomfortable truth. Defect rectification costs average 4% to 5% of total contract value, according to research analysing decades of Victorian Housing Guarantee Fund data. On a $500,000 residential build with a 5% profit…

Author: Darren Tredgold, General Manager, Independent Steel Company Construction trade credit keeps the Australian building industry moving. Yet construction trade credit sits in a blind spot that banks, fintechs, and policymakers all refuse to acknowledge. I run a regional steel distribution business with branches across South-East NSW. Every week, we send steel out the door on 30-day terms. Payment shows up in 60 or 90 days. Sometimes it does not show up at all. That gap between delivery and payment? We fund it from our own pocket. So does every other independent building materials distributor in the country. And nobody measures what…

By Jesse Fowler, Founder of J&J Renovations and J&J Plumbing Services Late B2B payments are costing small businesses more than money. They are draining confidence, stalling growth, and forcing founders into survival mode across every industry imaginable. So we asked nine industry leaders one simple question: how are late B2B payments affecting your small business right now? Their answers paint a picture that goes well beyond accounting headaches. From construction sites to swim schools, digital agencies to steel yards, the consequences of overdue invoices are hitting harder and spreading further than most people realise. Late B2B Payments Are Now the Norm, Not the Exception…

The UK FinTech hub 2025 story is remarkably clear. As the UK FinTech hub 2025 data from Finch Capital’s State of European FinTech report shows, the United Kingdom continues to capture a share of European funding that dwarfs every other country on the continent, despite years of predictions that Brexit, rising costs, or rival cities would chip away at London’s lead. So what keeps London at the top, and can anyone else catch up? Let’s look at what the numbers reveal. UK FinTech Hub 2025 Claims Majority of European Capital In the first half of 2025, the UK captured 56%…

By Jesse Fowler, Founder of J&J Renovations and J&J Plumbing Services The cash flow gap is the number one killer of Australian trades businesses. The cash flow gap has nothing to do with bad workmanship or a lack of jobs. It is the 30 to 60 day wait between finishing a $10,000 job and getting paid that sends tradies under. I run both J&J Plumbing and J&J Renovations, so I see the cash flow gap from both sides of the payment chain. As a plumber, I front materials, pay my crew weekly, then wait for the builder to pay me. As a renovation operator,…

Author: Brady Souden, Director, Econ Energy Battery storage financing has not kept up with the technology it supports. Even as virtual power plants (VPPs) now span over 37.5 GW of flexible capacity in the US alone, the battery storage financing options available to homeowners still treat these systems like generic appliances rather than revenue-producing assets. That disconnect has real consequences. For instance, a 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall can earn $300 to $1,000 per year through VPP participation. Yet no mainstream battery storage financing product factors this revenue into a borrower’s capacity to repay. Instead, lenders rely on FICO scores and standard personal…

European FinTech 2025 marks a turning point for the sector. The European FinTech 2025 landscape, as captured by Finch Capital’s 10th annual State of European FinTech report, shows an industry that is maturing fast. After years of recalibration, the sector is emerging more focused, disciplined, and resilient. Mid-market M&A remains robust. AI adoption is reshaping teams and products. Meanwhile, Europe is increasingly viewed as a safer long-term investment destination compared to the US. So what do the numbers tell us? Let’s break down the biggest signals from H1 2025. European FinTech 2025 Enters a New Investment Phase Total capital invested…

Author: Alena Sarri, Managing Director, Aquatots Swim School Subscription payment fatigue is reshaping how Australian families decide which children’s activities to keep and which to cut. Parents now juggle three to five recurring direct debits for swim lessons, dance, music, and gymnastics. They evaluate every charge with the same ruthless logic they use on streaming services. The numbers tell a confronting story. According to ING Australia’s 2025 survey, families spend a combined $4.7 billion annually on extracurricular activities. That works out to roughly $1,779 per child per year. Meanwhile, 88% of parents expect those costs to rise, and 35% report genuine stress…

Author: DJ Callum Gracie, High Energy DJ Your SEO agency is already a fintech distribution channel. That sounds dramatic, but it is not. Every time you recommend a booking platform, integrate a CRM, or set up an invoicing tool for a client, you are making a financial infrastructure decision on their behalf. And the fintech distribution channel you have built sits underneath every single one of those recommendations. I run Otto Media, a Canberra SEO agency serving around 42 SME clients. Trades businesses. Swim schools. Construction companies. Landscapers. None of them think of me as their fintech advisor. Yet my platform…