ANZ has announced a strategic investment in Aider, a fintech company based in Auckland. This move aims to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by providing them with instant, data-driven insights into cash flow, staffing, and accounting needs.
The investment is made through ANZi Ventures and will support the growth of Aider's early-stage products. These include the Aider App, which offers instant cash flow insights while integrating weather and news data, and the Advisory Intelligence Portal that provides financial data for bookkeepers and accountants.
Ron Spector, Managing Director of ANZi Ventures, stated: "Aider’s instant insights and accounting software integrations will save business owners valuable time so they can focus on other important elements to help them grow."
He added that this investment aligns with ANZ's strategy of building relationships with emerging companies that can benefit their customers. "We look forward to continuing to develop our relationship with Aider and hope to offer their innovative solutions to our customers in the near future," Mr. Spector said.
Brendan Roberts, CEO and Founder of Aider, described the investment as mutually beneficial. "In addition to helping Aider grow, ANZ’s support means we will be able to offer enhanced products and services to our business customers and accountants," he said.
Roberts also mentioned that together with ANZ, they aim to innovate solutions addressing SME cash flow issues while enhancing business-advisor relationships.
ANZi Ventures is part of ANZi’s innovation team focusing on investments in homeownership, trade flows, SMEs, and open data.