DOSH New Zealand has been announced the sole recipient of the
Canstar NZ Innovation Excellence Award 2022. The Canstar Award Programme seeks to highlight and recognise the most innovative products and services launched in the market within the past year.
The news is historic for fintech in New Zealand: not only is this the first time a local fintech has won the award, but it is the first time a bank has not. It is also the first time a single winner has taken out the category.
Dosh enables both customers and small businesses to pay and get paid anytime, anywhere. Its unique business model comes in two versions: the consumer version enables instant payments between friends using just their mobile phone number, the business version enables merchants to receive contactless payments anytime, anywhere via a generated QR code.
Currently, the company works with all the major banks including BNZ, ASB, Westpac, ANZ and Kiwibank.
Dosh co-founder Shane Marsh says, “This is big news for Dosh, but also for fintech in New Zealand. We see it as a watershed moment where fintech is now innovating at the same level as some of New Zealand’s largest financial services companies.”
Canstar is Australasia's premier financial research and ratings organisation whose purpose is to simplify the world of finance and help consumers confidently find the right product for them. Dosh’s payment solution innovation stood out to the Canstar panel of experts because before Dosh, digital wallets and instant payments had not been available to New Zealanders. As such, the judges recognised Dosh as a unique, market-leading innovation.
Canstar New Zealand General Manager Jose George said: “Dosh is NZ’s first mobile wallet, and as such shows how vibrant and innovative our fintech sector has become. It is a simple and elegant app that provides a financial solution for consumers in many different circumstances. We’re very proud to announce this award today and celebrate Dosh’s achievements. Huge congratulations to the team!”
Dosh raised $5M in a Seed Fundraising Round in March of this year, and more recently announced a partnership with global payments provider Visa. The Dosh Card will be live in the market in coming months and will mean customers can spend money from their Dosh account anywhere that accepts Visa, including online, then instantly split the bill via the app.