Australian tech firms named among top five in Asia



Two Australian firms have been named in the top five fastest growing technology companies in Asia, according to an annual survey by Deloitte.
Online small business lender, Prospa, and IT solutions integrator, Cirrus Networks, placed third and fourth in Deloitte's Asia 2015 Tech Fast 500, which is the first time that two Australian companies have reached the top five in the 14 year history of the survey.
A total of 80 Australian technology companies were recognised among the fastest growing companies in Deloitte's survey, which included nine Asia Pacific locations: Australia, China (including Hong Kong), India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.
Stuart Johnston, Technology, Media and Telecommunications leader for Deloitte Australia, said that Prospa's rise was a good example of an offering that has identified and met a market need for "safe, easy and fast finance" in the small and medium-size business area.
"Our research shows that where there is customer friction and significant profit pools, disruption will happen," Johnston said.
South Korea's Devsisters, a global entertainment and mobile game company, secured first place in the survey, marking the second year in a row that a South Korean company has been the overall winner.
Recently, Prospa was crowned as Australia's 2015 Deloitte Tech Fast 50 winner, having grown almost 7000 per cent over the last three years.
Joshua Tanchel, Deloitte Australia Tech Fast 50 lead partner, said the rise of Prospa and Cirrus Networks was in response to global market demand for "simpler, faster, quality" and cost-effective services across all industry sectors.
Recommended for you
Several wealth management companies have been shortlisted in the second annual Australian AI Awards program, which champions individuals and organisations pioneering Australian AI innovation.
Women are expected to inherit US$124 trillion through the intergenerational wealth transfer, but Capital Group has found they are twice as likely to rely on social media for advice over a financial adviser.
Challenger Investment Management has raised $350 million during the offer period for its new ASX-listed investment structure.
A week after Lonsec downgraded multiple funds from Metrics Credit Partners, rival research house Zenith Investment Partners has opted to retain its ratings for the same funds.