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ANZi Innovation Division Spun-Off to Form 1835i

ANZi Innovation Division Spun-Off to Form 1835i

(23 July 201 – Australia) ANZ’s innovation and investment arm, ANZi, has been split off into a separate entity labelled “1835i”.

After three foundation years within the enterprise, ANZ’s investment and innovation arm is “leaving the mothership” to further accelerate scale and growth. The name is a reference to the year the Bank of Australasia (now ANZ) was established under Royal Charter.

The shift in ANZ’s venture capital model recognises that more innovation in financial services is taking place outside the incumbent majors. Banks must respond to disruptive threats faster by working in partnerships as opposed to developing everything in-house.

The bank reported that the new operating model would allow 1835i to operate in a similar vein to a start-up, unburdened with the heavy regulatory requirements ANZ is subject to as an authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI). The move is intended to help the new enterprise recruit talent and partner with start-ups that do not want to work within the restrictions of a bank group company. ANZ will still underwrite 1835i’s investments and governance with ANZi's managing director Ron Spector heading up the new unit.

Start-ups ANZi has invested in will shift into the new unit, which will manage the bank’s relationships with fintechs including Lendi and Airwallex. Since it established ANZi in early 2018, ANZ has invested minority stakes in Lendi, Airwallex, BUD, Divipay, Slyp, Valiant, Aider and Cashrewards. 1835i is importantly becoming its own company and is not a subsidiary of ANZ. Mr Spector has appointed three partners with experience at ANZ and within the start-up industry to guide the transition.

“Everything we do is aligned around how does this benefit ANZ - our staff, customers and partners. That's critical. Speed, agility and low costs are key ingredients to successful start-ups and help drive innovation. We’ve made some great progress to date and the time is right for the next stage of our development. The new venture will operate better now that it sits outside of ANZ’s ‘gravitational pull’” stated ANZi Managing Director Ron Spector on bluenotes Under the hood podcast.

“We see a big speed component, business efficiency and a cost advantage. We also have a better chance in a highly competitive environment to recruit and retain the best talent. I don't think anybody is struggling with the strategy of what financial services institutions need to do to respond to the digital revolution and disruption from technology platforms. It's all about execution and that comes down to the people”

“The 1835i team will remain an important part of ANZ’s ecosystem and our focus on making ANZ a simpler, better bank. Through 1835i, the team will be able to accelerate development and testing of digital solutions that ANZ can adopt quickly to deliver great customer experiences at lower costs” commented ANZ Group Executive Digital Banking Maile Carnegie.

“Customers will demand more value and utility from banks in the future. The new team will be able to move faster and accelerate benefits for shareholders. The other really big game is winning the war on partnerships. We're on the cusp of something really exciting” Carnegie added.

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