SQC among 6 startups sharing $12.3 million in quantum grants

Six Australian quantum startups, including Silicon Quantum Computing and QuantX Labs, have received federal grants totalling $12.3 million under the Critical Technologies Challenge Program for projects in energy, health, biosecurity and logistics.

‘A sword to send companies into bankruptcy’: Businesses face ‘audit hell’ as R&D goalposts shift

Advisers warn that ATO audits and years-later repayment demands are destabilising firms claiming the R&D tax incentive, citing BindiMaps' administration and sale, as the government prepares to overhaul the scheme from 2028.

Airwallex-backed start-up raises nearly $50m in seed round

Metal, co-founded by Loong Wang and Catherine Porter, completed a roughly $50 million seed round with Airwallex and its venture arm Capital 49 as joint leads, per new filings.

Also Fintech News Australia

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #180, 4th October 2026

Weekly roundup reporting Australian startup funding rounds and government grants, a venture fund close, agreed acquisitions, an IPO pricing, a collapse, plus executive hires and AI policy developments.

From prison to billionaire data centre operator, the incredible story of Oliver Curtis

Analysis tracing Oliver Curtis from an insider trading prison term to his central role in Firmus's planned $7.2 billion Australian sharemarket listing, with Blackstone and Nvidia among its existing backers.

FeBI Technologies lands $1.52M grant for quantum iron blood test

FeBI Technologies won an Australian government grant of about A$1.52 million for its quantum-based iron blood test, building on earlier Stage 1 funding, and will partner with universities and Aboriginal health services.

How we think about Physical AI

Main Sequence sets out its investment thesis for physical AI, describing portfolio companies across robotics, vision, connectivity, compute and simulation, and recalling over $100 million invested since inception.

Role call: new people at allt, SQC, RedBelly Network, Neara & Indebted

Weekly people-moves column: new executives at allt, SQC, Redbelly Network, InDebted and Neara, including Clive Dickens joining allt's board and Chris McNamara becoming InDebted's CEO.

Ampol to buy EV charging scaleup Evie Networks for $225 million

Fuel retailer Ampol has proposed acquiring EV charging network Evie Networks for $225 million, pending regulator approval, while the article recalls the charging company's seed, Series A, government grant and debt funding history.

$12.3M Backs Australian Quantum Companies

Six Australian quantum companies receive government grants under round two stage two of the Critical Technologies Challenge Program, supporting projects from quantum clocks to biosensors and diagnostic tools.

Also Mirage News·Dealroom·This Week in Australian Startups·Startup Daily

InDebted appoint Chris McNamara as Chief Executive Officer and Brendan Lee as Chief Financial Officer

Collections technology firm InDebted has named Chris McNamara as chief executive and Brendan Lee as chief financial officer, filling a search opened when founder Josh Foreman shifted to a founder and executive director role.

WeMoney launches WeMoney Connect, an AI-powered lending assessment built on the Consumer Data Right

WeMoney has launched WeMoney Connect, an AI lending assessment tool using consented Consumer Data Right bank data, in limited early access for Australian lenders, with Mastercard as strategic investor.

Bose buys FMOD maker Firelight to push into gaming audio

Bose has acquired Firelight Technologies, the Melbourne creator of FMOD interactive audio software, to expand its business-to-business audio unit into gaming and other real-time applications; terms undisclosed.

Melbourne Uni concrete recycling spinout R2Crete raises $521,000 pre-Seed

A university spinout commercialising concrete recycling has secured pre-seed backing from Genesis Pre-Seed Fund and Uniseed to build a pilot plant, with field trials planned for early 2027.

Startups share $15.6m to address cognitive decline

Seven Australian startups were selected in Round 2 of the CUREator+ Dementia & Cognitive Decline program to share $15.6 million for developing dementia therapies, diagnostics and technologies; none are named in the visible text.

Melbourne Uni concrete recycling spinout cements $750,000 pre-Seed

University of Melbourne spinout R2Crete, recycling waste concrete into aggregates and cement replacement, raised $750,000 pre-seed from the uni's Genesis fund and Uniseed to build a pilot plant.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·This Week in Australian Startups

Ampol powers up its EV strategy with $225m acquisition of Evie Networks' national charging platform

Fuel retailer Ampol is buying EV charging network Evie Networks, via holding company Fast Cities Australia, for $225 million funded from debt, with completion expected in first-half 2027 pending ACCC approval.

Also This Week in Australian Startups

Neurizon hands the reins to Chris Bremer as ALS trial heads for critical readout

Neurizon Therapeutics appoints Chris Bremer as CEO while interim executive chairman Sergio Duchini becomes non-executive chairman, with the company's ALS drug awaiting Phase 2/3 trial results in 2027.

Skopos Bio raises $8.4M seed to advance radioactive cancer therapy

Melbourne oncology startup Skopos Bio has raised a seed round from Tenmile, Tin Alley Ventures and Yosemite to advance radioactive cancer therapy toward human trials.

Yojee raises $7.3M after launching MOSAIC, posts $8.2M FY26 loss

Australian logistics software company Yojee raised about US$6.76 million via placement and share purchase plan, exceeding its target, while reporting a fiscal 2026 net loss as it rolls out its MOSAIC platform.

Australia’s youngest billionaire Ed Craven places his next big venture bet

Billionaire Ed Craven backs Maincode's new venture arm, which takes half of each startup's equity in exchange for funding, salaries and AI access, aiming to build sovereign Australian AI companies across several industries.

Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals enters voluntary administration after Phase 3 setback

Melbourne biotech Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals appointed FTI Consulting administrators after its Phase 3 trial failed an interim efficacy threshold, and now seeks to restructure debts via a deed of company arrangement.

‘The next grid will be made of light’: Laser energy startup Aquila takes out Most Innovative Startup

$3.5 Million to Combat Tech-Based Abuse of Women and Girls

Currus Biologics Wins FDA Clearance for CUR-001 Phase 1 Trial

America's medicines regulator has approved Currus Biologics to begin human trials of CUR-001, its solid-tumour CAR T-cell therapy combination, with dosing expected from early 2027.

Adelaide's Eastend Ventures closes $21M debut fund

Adelaide-based Eastend Ventures closed its debut fund at US$19.4 million, backed by cornerstone investor Funds SA and over 50 investors; it has deployed over US$5.18 million into seven startups.

Also Startup Daily

APM Group buys Medcor to build North American occupational health platform

APM Group, an Australian company, is buying Medcor, an employer-facing healthcare business, at a price it did not disclose, and will merge it with WorkCare and Assure into a single North American workplace-health operation.

Gold Coast startup Orbit 2 Orbit advances plans to facilitate a cargo service network in space

A Gold Coast venture that raised seed funding this year is building an in-orbit freight and servicing network, and a pathway for testing hardware in space, while the council weighs a defence precinct.

Customer data startup Paperbark signs Unilever brands to tackle ecommerce sales gaps

Paperbark, a Sydney startup helping ecommerce retailers recover lost revenue, was founded by Bryce Antoine and Eli Simic, took $120,000 from Josh Parsons, and has signed Onnit and Olly, two Unilever-owned brands.

Asset analysis platform Trendspek banks $6 million to keep critical infrastructure upright

Trendspek, a Sydney maker of 3D infrastructure condition records, has banked $6 million in a round OIF Ventures led, funding North American and European growth and AI tools that flag defects in inspection imagery.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·This Week in Australian Startups

Currus Biologics announces FDA IND clearance for Phase 1 trial of CUR-001 in mesothelin-positive advanced refractory solid tumours

Australian biotech Currus Biologics has won US regulator clearance to begin human testing of its lead cancer therapy, CUR-001; the company's backers include Brandon Capital, Main Sequence and Uniseed.

Another Aussie start-up looks to ride medical AI wave, eyes US deal

Street Talk reports Big Picture Medical is seeking $10 million from strategic investors in the United States, valuing the healthcare AI startup at about $100 million.

Currus Biologics announces FDA IND clearance for Phase 1 trial of CUR-001

Australian biotech Currus Biologics has won US regulatory clearance to begin human testing of its lead cancer therapy, CUR-001, combining an antibody platform with CAR T cells for solid tumours.

Heidi Health expands into AI admin agents to challenge legacy rivals

AI medical scribe firm Heidi Health, backed by Blackbird Ventures, is adding autonomous assistants that handle administrative work for doctors, demoing them at a customer event as it challenges entrenched healthcare software vendors.

🎥 Eclipse Ingredients scales human lactoferrin platform: 'We're executing at a speed that is unheard of in this space'

Interview with Eclipse Ingredients' chief executive on commercialising human lactoferrin through precision fermentation, beginning with cosmetics, plus its distributor agreements and partnerships for manufacturing scale-up.

Perennial, Ords-backed RedEarth Energy collapses into administration

Queensland battery firm RedEarth Energy Storage has entered voluntary administration, leaving backers including Perennial Partners and Thorney Technologies facing losses after once being valued at $100 million.

Also This Week in Australian Startups

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #179, 26th September 2026

Weekly roundup recording a dozen raises and acquisitions, Firmus's scheduled float, a new $50m venture fund, a founder share sale, grant winners, an accelerator intake, and an AI agent's government breach.

Also Dynamic Business·DealStreetAsia·This Week in Australian Startups·Dealroom·ABC News Technology

The Laundry Lady launches new digital app as it gears up for UK launch

Laundry service launches a customer booking app built on its TimeBoss platform, recalling a 2025 investment raise that funded its tech team, with a British launch planned for early 2027.

Aurum jags 155g/t West African gold ahead of resource update

West African gold explorer Aurum Resources reported standout drilling results at Boundiali, days after locking in A$52.5 million from institutional investors.

Also The Age Business

Defence Trailblazer fast-tracking new technologies to help Defence and Industry transition to clean energy

Defence Trailblazer funds emissions-reduction projects with Electric Motor Power, Ocius Technology and Praxis, and profiles renewable-technology ventures from its Entrepreneurial Foundations for Defence program.

OnDeck strengthens credit leadership appointing Chris McCall as Chief Credit Officer

OnDeck Australia has hired Chris McCall as its inaugural Chief Credit Officer, bringing credit and lending experience from Citizens Bank and other major lenders; he reports to Chief Risk Officer Nicholas Brown.

Ellerston Capital buys stake in Luxury Escapes at $525M valuation

Dealroom reports Sydney investment house Ellerston Capital plans to buy at least a 12% stake in travel platform Luxury Escapes at a $525 million valuation, with board representation and an expected two-to-three-year exit.

Kinoxis Therapeutics closes $6.75 million financing round

Melbourne biotech Kinoxis completed a $6.75 million round with new backer MainSequence and won a $2.5 million government-funded CUREator+ grant for dementia and pain drug development; MainSequence's Elaine Stead joins the board.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Dealroom·This Week in Australian Startups·Dynamic Business

Elixinol Wellness strikes $3.5m deal to acquire personalised vitamin platform Vitable

Elixinol has agreed an all-share takeover of supplement subscription platform Vitable at a $2.5 million headline value plus earn-out, while shareholder Ben McHarg commits a convertible note; the piece also recaps Vitable's earlier raises.

Green Street News features Taronga Group's latest program - Asset Impact

Taronga Group's RealTechX arm has chosen twelve startups from Australia and abroad for its 2026 Asset Impact program, pairing them with institutional real asset owners.

Morgan Stanley says Firmus could be worth as much as $128b

Morgan Stanley research values AI chip rental firm Firmus at up to $128 billion ahead of its planned IPO next month; four banks will manage the float.

DroneShield announces official opening of Adelaide research and development facility

Counter-drone technology firm DroneShield has opened an Adelaide R&D hub, growing its national engineering footprint; South Australia's defence industries minister marked the occasion.

AFR editor James Chessell quits to join Joe Aston's Rampart

Long-serving Financial Review editor James Chessell departs Nine to edit Joe Aston's new venture Rampart, which has recently banked $2.3 million from five backers; Cosima Marriner steps up to lead the masthead.

7 startups share $15.6 million in the latest round of government-backed dementia research grants

Seven Australian health startups receive equity-free grants totalling $15.6 million in the second CUREator+ round for dementia research, backed by the Medical Research Future Fund, spanning gene editing, medicines and diagnostic tools.

Also This Week in Australian Startups

Syngenis-backed venture Gene S Dx acquires Australian pharmacogenomics platform Rosa

A new precision-medicine company formed by Perth's Syngenis Labs, a research institute and two scientists has bought Gene S, maker of the Rosa pharmacogenomics tool; no price was disclosed.