Author: Business Era

It’s a familiar story. A big, financially successful corporation sees that firms which have mastered digital technology can move more quickly, operate more efficiently, mobilize more resources, attract more talent, win over customers more readily, and enjoy more elevated market capitalizations. But when they invest in digital technology, the initial results are disappointing. “Many companies struggle to reap the benefits of investments in digital transformation, while others see enormous gains?” say Marco Iansiti and Satya Nadella in their article “Democratizing Transformation” in HBR (May-June 2022). “What do successful firms do differently?” Digital transformation, the authors say, “requires that executives, managers, and front-line…

Johann Bödecker is the CEO and founder of Pentatonic, a sustainable design and technology consultancy firm. He’s seen the gamut of sustainability fiascos in his career. His favorite example, he says, was hearing about a ski jacket making its way to Tanzania, thanks to donation efforts. “A 3XL sized ski jacket in Tanzania. Really?” he says. “That encapsulates what is wrong today.” It’s examples like these that have motivated him to push the apparel industry to be more calculated and nuanced in their approach to “sustainability.” While donating used clothes can be a worthwhile effort, they’re not always landing up…

A Interview with Dan Schawbel: I spoke to Melissa Hartwig, author of both The Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook: 150 Simply Delicious Everyday Recipes for Your Whole30 and The Whole30 Day by Day: Your Daily Guide to Whole30 Success, about why the Whole30 movement has taken off, the daily food habits people should adopt to be healthier, how the food we eat impacts our productivity, what she’s learned from her journey and her best career advice. Hartwig is the co-creator of the Whole30, a 30-day nutritional reset program that emphasizes whole foods. She is a Certified Sports Nutritionist who specializes in helping people change…

Payments fintech mx51, which offers a payments-as-a-service platform for banks and embedded payment solutions for merchants, has raised AU$32.5mn. Payments infrastructure fintech mx51 has raised AU$32.5mn in a Series B funding round led by an unnamed “global fintech investor”. The two-year-old fintech offers payments technologies on two different fronts: for banks and acquirers it has a payments-as-a-service platform that leverages their existing legacy tech infrastructure; while for merchants, it provides a suite of embedded payment solutions that allow retailers to create a seamless payment experience both online and in store. Mx51 will use the money to secure “aggressive” expansion, starting in its…

Dave Lewis, CEO and Founder of Ranqx, discusses the role of community banks amid the digital economy and the expansion of fintech Dave Lewis is the CEO and Founder of Ranqx, a cloud-based digital lending platform that automates the SME lending process for banks based in New Zealand. We caught up with him to find out more about the function of community banks within an increasingly global, digital economy. How are community banks fairing in the current climate? Community banks benefit from greater customer loyalty than many of their larger peers. This form of institution currently makes up the majority of the 5,000,…

Mark Hartley is the Founder and CEO of BankiFi – a UK-based fintech that provides solutions for banks and their SME customers Mark Hartley is the Founder and CEO of BankiFi – the UK-based technology company that specialises in Open Banking solutions for SMEs. Prior to founding BankiFi, he operated globally in a range of general management, sales, innovation, and strategy roles in the technology industry servicing the financial services industry. We caught up with him to find out more about launching a startup in the current climate. Tell us about your role and your journey to the position. What are the critical elements that…

France’s small business banking platform Qonto is to acquire Germany’s Penta, as it presses ahead with plans to serve 1mn SME customers by 2025. France’s small business banking platform Qonto is to acquire German counterpart Penta as it pursues its ambition of onboarding 1mn European SMEs and freelancers by 2025. Founded in 2017, Berlin-based Penta offers a suite of banking, budgeting and bookkeeping tools for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within Germany. The acquisition will bring 50,000 customers across from Penta, added to the 250,000 clients that Qonto currently has across France, Germany, Italy and Spain. In a statement, Qonto says that “joining forces…

The Chief Executive of Lloyds Banking Group has hinted at more M&A activity as the bank looks for ways to help customers through the cost-of-living crisis. The Chief Executive of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn, has hinted that the banking giant could pursue further M&A activity within fintech. Nunn says that Lloyds will “continue to look” for potential acquisitions and partnerships in future, particularly those that offer strong bolt-on features for its customers. The bank bought digital retirement platform Embark for almost £400mn in July 2021, and Nunn says that its integration into the wider group is “going well”. It will now seek to…

In 2016, the Indian furniture market was valued at USD 25.7 Billion, big enough to bring shine in the eyes of any entrepreneur. Someone looking to explore this dynamic arena needs to know a lot about the consuming pattern and demand of the consumers. Although a big developing country, India is yet to make the most out of it. But in the recent past, many new entrants have shown the promising graph of success in this segment. A young pool of extremely talented entrepreneurs has gone the extra mile to show the world that what needs to be done to…

“At the helm of affairs one could find a lady handling 50% of WOOT Factor’s business operations, while our workforce boasts of 60% female participation. We have always believed in equal opportunities, hence women are empowered and hold key positions across various roles”, says AmitRelan, Co-producer of Woot Factor. The aforementioned quote is enough to help one comprehend the modus operandi of the company. It reflects the work culture of this Mumbai based company, which is synonymous to an ideal 21st-century workplace. WOOT Factor is a burgeoning force in the domain of Experiential Marketing. It is a full-service Events &…