FrankieOne & WeMoney shine at 2024 Finnie Awards in Sydney

FinTech Australia has announced the winners of the 2024 Finnie Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in the country's rapidly evolving financial technology sector. The prestigious annual event, held at Doltone Wharf in Sydney, recognised innovation and excellence across 19 categories from a record 322 submissions. Several notable companies and individuals emerged as the top honourees for this year.

FrankieOne clinched the highly sought-after title of Fintech Organisation of The Year. The company has been lauded for its significant contributions to the fintech ecosystem in Australia. Complementing this accolade, Waave, an emerging digital wallet fintech, won Emerging FinTech Organisation of The Year, marking its entry into the financial technology spotlight.

WeMoney was another big winner of the evening, securing awards in multiple categories including Excellence in Open Data, Excellence in Wealth Management, and the coveted People's Choice Award for Fintech Organisation of The Year. The company's achievements reflect its strong influence and commitment to promoting open data and wealth management solutions tailored to consumer needs.

Individual accolades were also given prominence. John Winters of Superhero was named Fintech Leader of The Year, recognising his leadership and contributions to the fintech industry. The Female FinTech Leader of The Year award saw a rare outcome with two joint winners: Anna Hawter from Lumi and Lisa Wade from DigitalX, both of whom have made significant strides in their respective fields. Erica Xie from Tanggram was acknowledged as the Emerging FinTech Leader of The Year.

The Finnie Awards also celebrated excellence in various niches within the financial technology sector. Novatti was honoured for Best Workplace Diversity, an important recognition in promoting inclusive work environments. Data Zoo received the award for Excellence in Establishing Global Market Presence, illustrating its impact on the international stage. In a unique collaboration category, Adatree, MogoPlus, and Central Murray Credit Union collectively received the award for Excellence in Industry Collaborations & Partnerships.

Other significant winners included Tyro Payments, awarded for Excellence in Business Lending, and Nimo Industries, recognised for Excellence in Consumer Lending. Monoova earned the accolade for Excellence in Payments, a category covering remittance and foreign exchange services. Block Earner stood out in the blockchain sector, winning Excellence in Blockchain/Distributed Ledger, while Crypto.com was recognised for its leadership in digital currencies and wallets, taking home the award for Excellence in Crypto and Digital Currencies/Wallets/Exchanges.

Additionally, Upcover was celebrated for Excellence in Insurtech, Stay or Go for Excellence in Regtech, and JustFund received the Positive Impact Award. The category for Excellence in Fintech Support Services was awarded to King & Wood Mallesons, highlighting their role in back-end support crucial to fintech operations.

Rehan D'Almeida, CEO of FinTech Australia, remarked on the high calibre of entries this year, noting the rigorous two-round judging process that finalists had to navigate. He commended the winners and acknowledged the tough competition faced by all participants, stating, "The calibre of Finnies entries continues to climb. We pride ourselves on the effort we put in through the scrutinisation and judging process to ensure our winners are the best of the best. But that said, it gets more difficult each year."

The evening underscored the vibrancy and resilience of Australia's fintech sector, demonstrating that despite economic slowdowns, innovation continues to thrive. The event at Doltone Wharf marked the first time the ceremony had been held in Sydney in six years, setting a fitting stage for celebrating the industry's achievements over the past year.