Wisr

Wisr
FoundedAustralia (2018)
FounderDavid Doust
Headquarters,
Area served
Australia
Key people
Andrew Goodwin, Joanne Edwards, Peter Beaumont, James Goodwin, Kate Renner, David King and Ben Berger
ProductsFinancial services, Unsecured personal loans, Secured vehicle loans
Number of employees
120
Websitehttps://www.wisr.com.au/

Wisr (ASX: WZR) is an Australian non-bank lender[1] offering consumer lending services. It was known for being the first company of its type to be publicly listed in Australia. In March 2018, DirectMoney launched a major company rebrand to Wisr.[2]

History

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In March 2018 DirectMoney Finance Pty Ltd rebranded to Wisr Finance Pty Ltd and began an entirely new business model. In 2017 the company had ceased peer-to-peer lending, originating a wholesale off-balance sheet loan funding facility with 255 Finance.

In August 2018, Wisr launched Australia's first credit score comparison site, WisrCredit.[3][4]

In March 2019, the company launched the Wisr App, Australia's first app that lets the user round-up digital spare change to pay down debt such as credit cards.[5]

In March 2019, Wisr undertook a $15 million capital raise through Placement shares.[6][7]

In November 2019, the NAB-backed Wisr Warehouse loan funding facility went live with an initial $50 million commitment.[8] The Wisr Warehouse was increased from $95 million to $150 million in July 2020, $250 million in October 2020 and then $350 million in March 2021.

In January 2020, Wisr undertook a $36.5 million capital raise through Placement shares and a share purchase plan (SPP).[citation needed]

In March 2021, Wisr took a 5% ownership in EU-based fintech Arbor.[9]

In May 2021, Wisr undertook an inaugural A$225M ABS transaction (asset-backed securities), supported by a pool of fully amortising unsecured consumer personal loans. The top tranche of the ABS transaction received a AAA Moody's rating.[10][11]

In June 2021, supported by Goldman Sachs, Wisr undertook a $55 million capital raise through Placement shares and a share purchase plan (SPP). It was oversubscribed.

In August 2023, Wisr announced that it had terminated the employment of CEO Anthony Nantes. He was replaced by Andrew Goodwin. At the same time his brother, John Nantes temporarily recused himself from his position as chairman of the board to avoid perception of conflict of interest. [12]

Listing

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On 13 July 2015, Wisr listed on the Australian Securities Exchange through a reverse takeover of Basper Ltd, raising $AU11.2m at 20c per share.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Wisr than the big banks?". The Eureka Report. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. ^ "DIRECTMONEY LIMITED BECOMES FIRST MARKETPLACE LENDER ON ASX" (PDF). Australian Stock Exchange. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Wisr launches Australia's first credit score comparison service".
  4. ^ "Wisr launches Australia's first credit score comparison service – WisrCredit". Australian FinTech. 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  5. ^ "Wisr Calls Out Bad Banking Behaviours In New Campaign". B&T. 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  6. ^ "Wisr Announce Commentary on Preliminary Final Report | Finance News Network". www.finnewsnetwork.com.au. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  7. ^ "Wisr delivers record loan origination growth on the back of an oversubscribed capital raise and multi-product business momentum | Finance News Network". www.finnewsnetwork.com.au. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  8. ^ "Wisr Limited achieves $150M lending milestone - The Market Herald". themarketherald.com.au. 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  9. ^ "Australian Wisr Invests in European FinTech Platform Arbor". London News Time. 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  10. ^ "Wisr (ASX:WZR) highlights sturdy year-on-year growth as it launches $55M cap raise - The Market Herald". themarketherald.com.au. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  11. ^ "Bear Meets Eagle On Fire and Resn complete brand redesign and platform for Wisr - AdNews". www.adnews.com.au. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  12. ^ "wisr sacked chief denied bail". AFR. 22 Aug 2023. Retrieved 22 Aug 2023.
  13. ^ "DirectMoney float price falls after initial spike". The Age. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.