Alex Bank

Alex Bank
IndustryBanking
FoundedJuly 2018; 6 years ago (2018-07) in Brisbane, Australia
FounderSimon Beitz and Craig Fenwick
Headquarters
Brisbane, Queensland
,
Australia
Websitealex.bank

Alex Bank is an Australian digital bank.[1][2] It is based in Brisbane, Queensland.[3]

The company was founded in 2018 by Simon Beitz and Craig Fenwick.[4] It was granted a restricted authorised deposit-taking institution licence by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority in July 2021.[5] In December 2022 the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority announced that it had granted the Bank its full authorised deposit-taking licence.[6]

History

Alex Bank was established in 2018 by two ex-Suncorp executives, Simon Beitz and Craig Fenwick.[4][1] At its founding, Beitz was named Chief executive officer[5] and Fenwick Chief financial officer.[1] The bank initially targeted 18-to-30 year-olds in the autumn of 2020, with the idea that they are more comfortable with the idea of a fully-digital bank.[4]

The company launched its banking services late in 2020 after a trial period in 2019.[7] In July 2021, Alex Bank was granted a restricted authorised deposit-taking institution licence by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.[5][3] The licence permitted the company to take deposits of up to $250,000 AUD from public borrowers,[8] but placed limitations on the range of products and services it could offer.[5] Alex Bank was one of only two Australian financial institutions to be granted a restricted authorised deposit-taking institution licence at the time.[8]

The bank had raised approximately $55 million AUD in capital as of September 2021,[3] chiefly from private (mostly Australian) investors.[9]

In December 2022 the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority announced that it had granted Alex Bank its authorised deposit-taking licence.[6]

In July 2023 Alex Bank CEO Simon Beitz stated that long term Alex Bank would find its way onto the Australian Securities Exchange[10]

Products

The bank provides short term personal loans to individual borrowers.[5][11] The company differentiated itself from other banks by waiving establishment fees, ongoing fees, payout penalties or extra-repayment fees on its loans.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Ross, David (5 August 2021). "Neobank Alex Bank launches cloud system to support cloud banking growth". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. ^ MacDonald, Anthony; Redrup, Yolanda (16 August 2021). "Alex Bank raising $20m as fintech deals heat up". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Marx, Anthony (20 September 2021). "Investors have just tipped another $20m into Alex Bank, a fast-growing Brisbane "neobank"". Courier-Mail. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Redrup, Yolanda (16 November 2020). "Suncorp exec-founded neobank Alex banks $10m". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Frost, James (11 July 2021). "Alex Bank: 'We are certainly not a neobank'". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b Moullakis, Joyce (21 December 2022). "APRA grants Alex Bank full deposit-taking licence, amid turbulent period for digital banks". The Australian. p. 1. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. ^ Wood, Mike (15 July 2021). "Meet Alex, Australia's newest digital bank". Australian Broker. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  8. ^ a b Santhebennur, Malavika (8 July 2021). "Digital lender issued restricted ADI licence". Mortgage Business (Australia). Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. ^ Lekakis, George (8 July 2021). "Alex Bank takes stage". Banking Day. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  10. ^ Baird, Lucas (25 July 2023). "Alex Bank plots second, late 2023 capital raising". The Australian Financial Review. p. 17. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  11. ^ a b "The newcomer named Money's Non-Bank Personal Lender of the Year". Money Magazine (Australia). 7 July 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.


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