Funding & Finance

Innovation is the lifeblood of Australia. But what is it with the banks? They claim to 'talk expert solutions', 'live in your world' and even 'dare to be different'. But when it comes to innovation, our big banks have been laggards in technology adoption. They now face market share erosion by non-bank, global players, such as PayPal and systems managed by retailer Amazon and Google.

While it seems like an eternity since it was first announced, the new R&D Tax Credit has finally been passed. So what does that mean for the average company plugging away at research and development? The R&D Tax Credit is the key support tool used by the government to assist businesses undertaking R&D in Australia. The new program will apply retrospectively from 1 July 2011 and replaces the R&D Tax Concession.

Mobile payments -- making transactions through a cell phone or other handheld device -- have been around for years. In Australia, the industry leader is Square, a company with two powerful allies, Apple and Visa. Well, run and tell the kids, because the half-ton magillah, Google, has stepped into the ring.

Our guess is there’s a whole lot of ‘Booyah!’ heard in the vicinity of Tapit Media’s Sydney offices right about now. The start-up, which specialises in new Near Field Communication (NFC), recently closed its seed funding round a diddy 22 days after pitching to Sydney Angels. So what is it about Tapit that makes investors part with their moola at breakneck speed?

It's been five years since Anthill's inaugural Cool Company Awards. Initially launched as a 'piss-take' to poke fun at a plethora of magazine award programs at the time, the 'cools' were quickly (and unexpectedly) embraced by Anthill readers... with the force and finesse of Arthur Fonzarilli's fist on a dukebox. (Ehhhhh!) But, unfortunately, five years on, our logo is beginning to look... well... not-so-cool. Could it be time for a crowdsourced makeover?

Any start-up that’s had to raise funds via Angels and VCs will tell you it’s a white-knuckle ride. Independent game development studio Bubble Gum Interactive (BGI) is no exception. The Australian start-up’s tales of capital raising include near-hypothermia, an encounter with Interpol, and a handwriting analysis test (that they passed and scored $100k.)

This 238-page eBook is aimed at those entrepreneurs who have high growth potential ventures and seek to raise finance to assist them to develop...

Nobody likes being on the receiving end of multiple bills each month – unless maybe you work for an accounts receivable department. Anyhoo. Our point is, for regular folk, a stack of bills can make you feel pretty icky. That’s why new Australian biz billclick has devised an online system for organising what needs paying and when.

Financial markets are in turmoil again. But it would be dumber still for entrepreneurs not to keep their eyes open to emerging new opportunities. Remember, some of today’s best companies – think Google, for one – were built during a recession. So, for those who will not be swayed by the doom-sayers, here are seven steps to turn adversity into, perhaps, an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In this fourth article on capital raising corporate advisor Dr Mark Rainbird explains how the way you communicate can make or break an offer—regardless of how good it is.

An accurate business plan – the roadmap of where you want your business to be – is vital to the success of any venture. But it's a daunting task that can often take weeks to complete! This is often time you don't have. You could always outsource the job? But professional costs can also be prohibitive.... seriously prohibitive.

Building a business can be a lonely undertaking. But entrepreneurs have it tougher than most. Our friends and family often don’t understand the complexities of running a business… or the personal stress that comes with the job. Meet and learn from other business builders. Share a drink. Have a laugh. Gain insights from successful business builders who have ‘been there, done that’ and created successful ventures. Benefit from the experiences of other attendees.

A new study finds that 10% of Australian adults have misrepresented their personal finances when applying for credit. Yet with credit checks only submitting negative activity, perhaps consumers aren't the only ones to blame.

Across the globe, banks are challenged to lower the interchange fees they charge on debit cards, which give consumers convenient and inexpensive access to their money. In Canada and New Zealand, the debit card interchange fee is zero. Why has EFTPOS Payments Australia Limited (EPAL), which represents the banks and big retailers and processes two billion transactions per year, announced an increase of the interchange fee? Why raise the cost of EFTPOS transactions by 10 cents for all acquirers and merchants except Woolworths and Coles?

The insurance company designed with women in mind “Million Dollar Woman” is urging Australian business mums who stay at home to take care of their children to not neglect their superannuation contributions. The company has also launched three strategies to maximise their contributions.

Entrepreneurs' Night Out is on in Brisbane for a round of meeting and mingling. Share a drink. Have a laugh. And most importantly, help...

Yep, Pitch Club's last attempt at Pitch Club Hobart in June was stalled thanks to the ash clouds, but it's ready to go again! Whether...

Applications for Tech23 2011 close tomorrow, Friday 24 June 2011. Tech23 is a NSW-born initiative for young, innovative and fast-growing Australian companies. Prizes include $150,000 in cash, thanks to the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services.

Australia could always use more angel investors, says Dean McEvoy, co-founder of the wildly successful group-buying site Spreets. "Doing a startup in Australia is kind of like growing a plant in a dark cupboard. It's really bloody hard," McEvoy said in a talk presented at VIVID Creative Sydney.

Jordan Green, Founder of Melbourne Angels/ Deputy Chairman of the Australian Association of Angel Investors, and Bob Peterson, start-up investor, mentor and Founder of F3 will make a presentation about the types of OPM (other-peoples-money) typically referred to as 'capital raising' for early stage ventures.