CBA Broadens Its Digital Strategy
The bank is hoping its fresh plan will bring them closer to the customer.
By Terry Christodoulou
Thu, May 27, 2021 1:01pm
< 1 min
< 1 min
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) will be the first big four bank to allow customers to view account information from rival banks within its app – adding functionality to its digital offering.
“We aim to be the most trusted partner at the centre of our customers’ financial lives by saving them money, giving them more control over their finances, and by making banking simpler and easier,” said CBA CEO Matt Comyn.
The move increases the bank’s usage of the ‘consumer data right’.
Further, the bank aims to increase its use of data and disruptive tech-focused business to improve its digital offering to the customer.
“We are integrating new services into our platform to customise and personalise the digital experience in ways that will increase engagement and bring greater value to our customers,” added Mr Comyn.
The statement is made evident through CBA’s 25% shareholding in Amber, a new energy retailer providing direct access to wholesale energy prices for a monthly subscription of $15.
Consumer data right will soon be extended from banking to energy and Amber will provide CBA with relevant consumer behaviour when buying energy.
“Purchasing a home is a time when customers look for ways to save money, and electricity is a large expense in a household budget. Our partnership with Amber will help to differentiate our home buying proposition …”
Also announced today is a 23% shareholding in Little Birdie, an online shopping start-up designed to help customers find deals online.
“Deals and offers, integrated with CBA’s goal savings products, will help customers save for a special purchase in a completely different way.”
MOST POPULAR
Following the successful launch of its Palais Collection, MAISON de SABRÉ has unveiled a new modular handbag system offering more than 720 styling combinations.
Automobili Lamborghini and Babolat have expanded their collaboration with five new colourways for the ultra-exclusive BL.001 racket, limited to just 50 pieces worldwide.
With US$40 million already committed, the Global Talent Fund is attracting investor attention with a strategy focused on building globally scalable consumer brands alongside high-profile talent.
By Jeni O'Dowd
Tue, Jun 2, 2026 2 min
2 min
A new investment fund targeting celebrity-founded consumer brands has secured US$40 million in commitments and is rapidly approaching its US$50 million fundraising target, signalling growing investor appetite for alternative opportunities beyond traditional asset classes.
The Global Talent Fund, which has a maximum raise of US$100 million, focuses on building and investing in consumer businesses alongside celebrities, athletes, and influential personalities who play an active role as co-founders rather than simply endorsing products.
The strategy is based on the belief that changes in consumer behaviour, particularly the rise of social media and digital engagement, have fundamentally altered how brands are built and scaled.
GTF founding partner Jeremy Hunt, who is helping lead the fund’s strategy, said consumers increasingly feel connected to personalities they follow online and are more willing to support products developed by those individuals.
“Consumers are searching for content to engage with, and when a celebrity they like or follow takes them on the journey of creating a product or brand, they genuinely feel part of that process,” he said.
The fund is targeting high-growth consumer sectors including wellness, hydration, beauty and recovery, areas Hunt believes continue to benefit from strong global demand and ongoing innovation.
Rather than backing celebrity endorsement deals, the fund is seeking businesses where talent is deeply involved in product development, brand creation and long-term growth.
According to Hunt, authenticity remains one of the biggest differentiators between successful celebrity-backed brands and those that fail.
“The consumer can see clearly if someone is simply being paid to promote a product,” he said. “The winners are typically the brands where the celebrity has genuinely helped build the business from the ground up.”
The model has attracted support from several prominent Australian investors and business families, reflecting broader interest in alternative investments with global growth potential.
Hunt said consumer brands offered a level of tangibility that many investors found appealing.
“Consumer brands are what we touch, feel, smell and taste every day,” he said. “Our investors understand the growth potential in the model, but they also want to be part of the journey.”
The fund’s rapid progress towards its fundraising target comes amid growing recognition that celebrity influence, when combined with strong commercial execution and scalable business models, can create significant enterprise value.
With several high-profile celebrity-founded businesses generating billion-dollar exits in recent years, supporters of the strategy believe the opportunity remains in its early stages.
