What the Flux - podcast cover

What the Flux

Bite-sized business news. 5 minute breakdown of the top 3 Australian or global business stories of the day. Tailor made for busy humans. Hosted by Brett Joffe and Justin Joffe, co-founders of Flux.

Episodes

Qantas slashes FF points to help you book more accom | $31m: Aussie 'rent-to-own' startup raises big from CBA | Calm app buys health care company

After a rough couple of years, Qantas has slashed the amount of frequent flyer points consumers will need to book accommodation.   An Aussie ‘rent-to-own’ startup named OwnHome has raised $31m from big name investors, including CBA, to help Aussies break into the housing market.   Meditation app Calm has acquired Ripple Health Group, a health care tech company that connects individuals with health care options.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k we...

Feb 06, 20225 min

Facebook's own crypto collapses | Aussie Aristocrat ditched in the UK | $23B: Exxon is back (and better than ever?)

Diem, the ambitious crypto project funded by Facebook has collapsed after a more than two-year effort.   Aussie gambling software maker Aristocrat Leisure has to abandon its $4B takeover of Playtech after Playtech’s shareholders rejected the deal.   After the oil industry hit record lows in 2020, Exxon Mobil’s annual profits have exploded to US$23 billion - its highest levels since 2014.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k weekly: https://www.flux.f...

Feb 03, 20226 min

Dolce & Gabbana quits animal fur | US$3.6B: Sony buys Halo-maker | Aus-born packaging giant raises prices due to inflation

Dolce & Gabbana has joined a growing list of fashion houses to ban animal fur, saying it will use a sustainable “eco-fur” in future collections.   Sony has announced plans to acquire Bungie, the creator of popular video games Halo and Destiny, for US$3.6b.   Amcor, the Australia-born company that has become the world’s largest consumer packaging company, has implemented $650m of price rises due to inflation.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $...

Feb 02, 20226 min

$700M for local startups as Airtree hits record | NYT buys Wordle | China launches digital yuan at olympics

Local venture capital fund AirTree Ventures has closed the biggest fund yet in Australia, raising $700 million to back startups in software and Web3.   The New York Times has acquired the super popular word puzzle game Wordle for ‘low seven figures’.   China is rolling out its digital yuan to athletes and spectators ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics - the first test of whether China’s virtual currency appeals to foreigners.   ---   Save money and win cash...

Feb 01, 20226 min

Airtasker bounces back | Google's $1B to win another market | Trouble coming for share trading apps?

Aussie jobs marketplace Airtasker was hit hard by covid in 2021, but since then has seen a 37.5% increase in Q2 revenue - and growth in wages for its airtaskers.   Google is investing another $1 billion in India’s smartphone market - a move it hopes will drive down the cost of smartphones in a huge market.   Share trading app Robinhood is forecasting its first quarter revenue to be down 35% compared to last year - in a sign of what may be to come for local players.   --- &nb...

Jan 31, 20226 min

Atlassian shares fly on 37% improvement | Mattel wins back control of Disney toys | Apple hits record - thanks again, iPhone

Atlassian shares jumped 10% last week after announcing second quarter revenue of $688.5 million (37% better than last year).   Toy giant Mattel has won back control of the lucrative licenses for Disney Princess and “Frozen” characters - from arch rival Hasbro.   Apple has reported record quarterly revenue and it’s largely due to strong sales of the iPhone 13.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k weekly: https://www.flux.finance/win-the-week Get...

Jan 30, 20226 min

Our no.1 brand: Bunnings beats Woolies, Officeworks | Joe Rogan brawl: Spotify to remove Neil Young music | Chinese retail darling to ditch China for IPO

Bunnings has claimed the title of Australia’s strongest brand, with Woolworths and Officeworks rounding out the top three.   Spotify will remove Neil Young’s music after the singer demanded Spotify take it down - in response to vaccine misinformation being spread by Joe Rogan (a popular podcaster on Spotify).   Chinese fashion giant Shein is planning to IPO in the US, and its founder is considering a citizenship change from China to the US to bypass proposed rules for offsh...

Jan 27, 20226 min

Maccas wants you to run a restaurant | Amazon to take on Myer, David Jones | QuadPay founders sue for their Zip shares advice

McDonald’s has announced that it has 100 new Australian restaurants in the pipeline, but now it needs to find the right franchise candidates.   Amazon plans to open a department store where technology will recommend what shoppers should try on next.   The founders of buy now pay later company QuadPay are suing Merrill Lynch over their advice to sell nearly 13m shares in Zip Co - immediately after being acquired by Zip Co.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $25...

Jan 26, 20226 min

Aussie mining giant buys F1 racing partner | Supply chain steal: IGA wins marketshare from big cats | Insta gives creators more money options

Aussie mining giant Fortescue has paid $311m for Williams Advanced Engineering, a battery and engineering company with links to the Williams Formula One motorsport team.   IGA has taken market share from its big name rivals because IGA’s more local supply chains have let them to keep shelves better stocked during the omicron wave.   Instagram is giving creators more ways to make money with this week’s launch of Instagram Subscriptions.   ---   Save money and win c...

Jan 24, 20226 min

$960M: Aussie startup raises at big valuation thanks to 'bubble' | Peloton cutting jobs as it struggles | EU fighting the good fight against Big Tech

Dovetail, the Aussie customer research start-up, has raised $89 million at a $960 million valuation, as its founders acknowledge a “bubble-like” time for raising capital.   Fitness company Peloton plans to cut jobs and production levels, as sales slow down significantly.   The EU has passed legislation that could transform how Big Tech operates, requiring them to police content more aggressively and introduce restrictions on ads.   ---   Save money and win cash pr...

Jan 23, 20226 min

Uber buys Aussie startup Car Next Door | Coke unveils new vibe to stand out | Disney's new team to try beat Netflix

Uber has acquired Australian car-sharing service Car Next Door to expand the range of services it offers to customers.   Coke is unveiling a new look for flavoured Coke products, as the company strives to stand out at the supermarket.   Disney has created a new international content team to build up its pipeline of content in countries around the world, ultimately to boost global subscriber numbers.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k weekly: https://www.flux.f...

Jan 20, 20226 min

Aussie companies introducing Omicron surcharges | $96B: Candy Crush maker bought by Microsoft | Goldman Sachs down 8% for paying talent too much

Aussie freight and logistics companies are being forced to introduce Omicron surcharges in order to cover the costs of staff shortages.   Gaming giant Activision Blizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft and Candy Crush, has agreed to be acquired by Microsoft for $96 billion.   Shares in Goldman Sachs dropped 8% after it announced its expenses have been rising - due to ‘rewarding top talent in a competitive labour environment’.   ---   Save money and win cash prize...

Jan 19, 20226 min

Beforepay breaks [bad] IPO record | Redbubble's profit pain | Unilever will pay big for health products

Shares in Aussie on-demand wage service Beforepay fell 42% on their IPO day - the worst first-day performance in 2 years on the ASX.   Redbubble expects revenue to drop, as the pandemic leads to increased customer acquisition costs and decreased shipping margins.   Unilever, the owner of Ben & Jerry’s, is willing to pay big money for the company that makes Advil and Aquafresh toothpaste - as it tries to ramp up its focus on health products.   ---   Save money and wi...

Jan 18, 20226 min

AFLW's world-first $25m crypto deal | UberEats tries new branding via Aus Open | Beyond Meat the most unloved stock

The AFLW has locked in the first major crypto sports sponsorship in Australia - a $25m deal with crypto.com.   UberEats is using its sponsorship of the Aus Open to re-position itself as a way to get anything delivered, rather than just food takeaway.   Beyond Meat has become the most ‘shorted’ stock on the Russell 1000 Index - with investors betting against the company in a big way.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k weekly: https://www.flux.financ...

Jan 17, 20226 min

Stan v Foxtel: Stan raises the stakes again | $8B: Crown Resorts to recommend a 'yes' | Virgin Galactic down with $580M of debt

Stan is raising the stakes against rival Foxtel with the launch of Stan Event, a pay-per-view service aimed to increasing Stan’s subscriber numbers.   Aussie gaming giant Crown Resorts will recommend its shareholders accept a new takeover bid of at least $8.87 billion by private equity firm Blackstone.   Shares in Virgin Galactic dropped more than 16% last week when it announced it would raise around $580 million in debt.   ---   Save money and win cash prizes up to $25...

Jan 16, 20226 min

Your health insurance up in 2022 | Ex-Disney CEO's grenade at Disney | TikTok rival merges for $5B valuation

Private health insurance premiums will increase next year by an average of 2.7% -  the lowest increase in 20 years - thanks to the pandemic and its impact on health insurance profits.   The former CEO of Disney says that Disney+ needs ‘more content for more people’ if it wants to hit its lofty 2022 goals.   TikTok rival Triller will go public via a ‘reverse merger’ with video-tech company SeaChange - with the combined company valued at around US$5 billion. ...

Dec 23, 20216 min

Chemist Warehouse accused of inflated Black Friday prices | Marley Spoon eats Chefgood for $21m | Meta (fka FB) shareholders ask the big hairy questions

Chemist Warehouse has been accused of cooking up inflated pricetags for Black Friday sales.   Global meal kit company Marley Spoon has eaten up ready-to-heat meal company Chefgood for a delicious $21 million.   Shareholders of Meta (fka Facebook) are questioning whether the company is able to oversee public safety on its platforms - and now want an independent evaluation.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveaway. Promo code:  1grand Save money and win...

Dec 22, 20216 min

NAB's 1 hour mortgage | Plant-based food may have to remove 'beef' word | Chinese giant excludes US investors for monster IPO

NAB plans to approve mortgage applications in one hour, as banks fight it out for the fastest mortgage process.   Plant-based food makers in Australia could be forced to remove words like ‘beef’ and ‘sausage’ from their packaging.   Chinese AI giant SenseTime has excluded US investors from buying shares in its US$767m IPO.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveaway. Promo code:  1grand Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k w...

Dec 21, 20216 min

Mecca creates an Australia-first experience | $500M: Sony buys Springsteen | Disney, YouTube fight over (finally)

Beauty retailer Mecca has created Australia’s first ‘pay-to-dispense’ street vending machines in order to drive gift sales in high traffic locations.   Bruce Springsteen has sold the rights to all of his music to Sony for over US$500 million - in the largest music rights deal ever.   Disney and YouTube have finally reached a new distribution deal after YouTube TV dropped Disney-owned channels like ESPN and ABC from its platform.   ---   Sign up to the Flux a...

Dec 20, 20216 min

Aussie record: $458m in VC for Rokt | Spotify acquires Aussie startup | US Fed going hard on inflation battle

Rokt, the e-commerce tech unicorn has smashed the record for the largest single venture capital raising in Aussie history - $458m.   Spotify has bought Aussie podcast-tech platform Whooshkaa with big plans to gain a foothold in the broadcast-to-podcast space.   The US Federal Reserve has said it will increase interest rates next year as inflation continues to get out of hand.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveaway. Promo code:  1grand Save money and...

Dec 19, 20216 min

Westpac hit by Westpac shareholders over exec pay | Kraft's major cream cheese shortage | Zara, H&M dominate with wardrobe updates post lockdown

Westpac’s shareholders have hit Westpac with a ‘protest vote’ over the new pay plans for its executives.   Kraft, the brand behind Kraft Singles, is getting crafty with its marketing - due to a major cream cheese shortage.   Sales at Zara and H&M are back to pre-pandemic levels (or in some cases are better) thanks to post-lockdown wardrobe updates.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app for our $1,000 Giveaway. Promo code:  1grand Save money and win cash p...

Dec 16, 20216 min

$16B: Aus's CSL buys Swiss co | Harley Davidson sells e-bike biz to attract Gen Z | Rotten Tomatoes & TikTok unite for movies

Aussie biotech giant CSL has bought Switzerland’s Vifor Pharma for $16.4b - giving CSL exposure to the fast growing market for kidney disease and iron deficiency treatments.   Harley Davidson is planning to take its electric motorbike business public in order to attract millennials and Gen Z.   Rotten Tomatoes is partnering with TikTok to allow users to link to movies and TV trailers, ratings, reviews and more.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveawa...

Dec 15, 20216 min

Woolies worried about xmas supply chain issues | CBA, IFM: Australia-first green deal | Nike buys virtual sneaker company for metaverse expansion

Woolies has encouraged shoppers to hit the shops early this xmas, as COVID-related supply chain issues could mean some products might be in short supply.   In a first for Australia, investment firm IFM is sinking $200m into CBA through a term deposit that will only be used to fund sustainability-linked loans.   Nike bought virtual sneaker company RTFKT, as Nike aims to expand its footprint in the fast-growing “metaverse”.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in t...

Dec 14, 20216 min

Booktopia taken to court in Aus | Sex and the City hurts Peloton | Reddit rips from Spotify Wrapped

Booktopia is being taken to court after an ACCC investigation found it had misled consumers about their rights re  faulty or damaged goods.   A plot line from the Sex and the City reboot has sent shares in exercise company Peloton tumbling.   Reddit has followed in Spotify’s footsteps by rolling out its own version of Spotify Wrapped - a personalised end-of-year recap of your stats.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveaway. Promo code:  1gr...

Dec 13, 20216 min

Australia could run out of beer | Coles Local = the next big thing | The suss $275B Apple deal with China

Two of Australia’s largest breweries have warned that we could be facing a beer crunch due to the supply chain crisis.   Coles wants its smaller Coles Local stores to make up around 10% of its total supermarket stores across the nation.   Apple signed a gigantic US$275 billion deal with China back in 2016, and it could be why Apple has managed to remain so successful in China.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveaway. Promo code:  1grand Save mo...

Dec 12, 20216 min

Twitter straight up copies TikTok | Visa launches crypto consultancy | Aussie supermarket supplies (and trucks) in trouble in 2022

Twitter is testing a feature that turns its explore page into a TikTok-style video feed (and it’s even got a ‘For You’ tab like TikTok).   Payments company Visa is launching a new consulting service to help clients understand the wacky world of crypto.   'AdBlue', a crucial diesel fluid, could run out by around February - which would hurt Australia’s trucking industry and supermarket supplies.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 Giveawa...

Dec 09, 20216 min

Apple, Aussie banks could be forced to invest by treasurer | DoorDash bursts into 10 min delivery | Rising NFT platform stealing talent from big tech companies

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will legislate a new power that could force Apple to join the banks in investing in Australia’s $650 billion-a-day payments system.   Delivering purchases within 10-15 minutes is the latest trend in grocery delivery, and as a result, DoorDash has debuted its own ultra-fast delivery service.   NFT platform OpenSea is growing so strongly that it has started poaching top talent from older tech giants.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $...

Dec 08, 20216 min

$125M for the pooches at Pet Circle | Buzzfeed sinks 17%, thanks SPAC city | $38M: Aussie startup cashes in on retailers' digital goals

Pet Circle, the Aussie online pet supplies and services marketplace, has just become Australia’s latest unicorn after a juicy $125m capital raise.   BuzzFeed shares plunged 17% at their public debut - and it wasn’t an IPO that did the damage... but a ‘SPAC’.   Aussie online marketplace developer Marketplacer has just banked $38m in investment, as retailers continue to adopt marketplaces of their own.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 ...

Dec 07, 20216 min

IGA, Mitre 10 shines thanks to local shopping boom | BHP's dividend and big petrol, coal exits | Chinese Uber de-lists in US to re-list in Hong Kong

Metcash, the owner of IGA supermarkets, Mitre 10 and Foodland, saw sales and profits grow big time this year, thanks to a shift towards local neighbourhood shopping.   BHP has hinted that it might be open to boosting its dividend payout next year after selling off key petrol and coal assets.   Didi, a Chinese version of Uber, is going to de-list from the New York Stock Exchange despite only IPO-ing 6 months ago - and it now plans to re-list in Hong Kong.   ---   Sign up to th...

Dec 06, 20216 min

Commbank's crypto partner to offer Aussies income product | Westpac cuts jobs in $45B business | Hermes reaches the big leagues after 90% jump

Commbank’s New York-based crypto exchange partner, Gemini, is planning to launch an ‘income product’ for everyday Aussie investors.   Westpac is slashing jobs in its $45b superannuation arm BT, as it prepares to sell the business over the coming months.   Luxury goods maker Hermés will list be added to the Euro Stoxx 50, where Europe’s top stocks are listed, after shares jumped 90% this year.   ---   Sign up to the Flux app to be in the $1,000 G...

Dec 05, 20216 min