3197 rounds · 2025 startups · 3708 investors
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Brisbane hydration-wearable startup WearOptimo has secured $8m from Aspen Medical, ex-F1 driver Mark Webber and Adam MacDougall, and unveiled its new sensor manufacturing facility, supported by a federal grant of nearly $1m.
Adelaide charity KIK Innovation has bought schools e-learning platform Grok Academy after backers including CBA withdrew following the founder's resignation over substantiated harassment allegations; the platform will continue under new ownership.
Built-world software firm Sitemate has closed a $27.5m Series A led by Blackbird at a valuation above $150m; Blackbird also backed its 2022 seed, and Sitemate bought Nomad Fleet this year.
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Eight Australian health startups received equity-free grants totaling 18.5 million dollars from the CUREator+ program, supported by government funding and delivered with partners Brandon BioCatalyst and ANDHealth.
Investible's 2024 review letter highlights its early-stage and climate-tech investing, Club Investible's tenth anniversary event with Canva and Deputy founders, and pitches from Harvest B and Syenta.
DroneShield plans to expand into Latin America and has appointed Carlos Gutierrez, previously at SES Satellites and Starlink, as regional director to lead the push.
Seer Medical's cofounder is suing the startup and investor Breakthrough Victoria over his dismissal, allegedly tied to rescue funding; the state fund also faces criticism, budget cuts and its CEO's resignation.
Beanstalk Ventures' Drought Venture Studio, supported by the national Future Drought Fund, has showcased eight agtech startups from its first cohort and moved four into a longer second phase; a second cohort is underway.
Shearwater Capital's sixth-anniversary letter recounts its founding, 22 investments, and the close of its second fund, underwritten solely by Mike, giving the firm $100m to invest in Australian and New Zealand founders.
Weekly roundup covering seven Australian companies' fresh capital: EV charging, satellite IoT, sovereign cloud, wearables, workplace messaging, plus two crowdfunding raises on Birchal.
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Australia's National Reconstruction Fund Corporation has put $22.5 million into Vault Cloud's Series B, its first defence-priority investment, after recent year-end cheques to Myriota, Quantum Brilliance and Russell Mineral Equipment.
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Quadrant Private Equity has completed an oversubscribed $660 million final close on its third growth fund, a larger vehicle than its two predecessors, which will target technology, healthcare and consumer businesses.
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Aura Group announces Mina Rafla joining as Associate Director in its private credit arm, recounting his earlier roles at Macquarie, Commonwealth Bank and Greensill Capital and his lending focus.
Jet Charge, an Australian electric-vehicle charging company, has secured $72 million with Mirova leading and earlier backers returning, to develop charging technology and its subscription model.
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The renewable energy agency will grant Gelion $4.8 million, conditional on co-funding, to build a Sydney prototyping centre advancing its lithium-sulphur and silicon-sulphur battery chemistries toward commercialisation.
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Melbourne biotech Certa Therapeutics has acquired OccuRx, combining two GPR68 fibrosis pipelines founded by Professor Darren Kelly, and says it will seek Series B funding to advance clinical development.
Year-end roundup ranking 2024's twelve largest startup raises, headed by PsiQuantum's $940 million government-backed quantum computing round, plus Guzman y Gomez's ASX listing and Betashares' Temasek investment.
Myriota, an Adelaide nanosatellite company, has raised $50 million with $25 million from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation; the piece also recaps the fund's recent backing of Quantum Brilliance and Russell Mineral Equipment.
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Podcast interview with Agenda Media co-founder Tarla Lambert-Patel on running independent women's media, her mastheads, and guidance for PR professionals pitching women's issues.
Zool Capital has bought SME lender ThinCats Australia, planning a February 2025 relaunch under Victor Ferreira, who earlier built Grenke Australia, to serve small businesses with faster, tech-driven lending.
Year-in-review column on Australian AI in 2024: five startup raises, Canva buying Leonardo.ai, new government AI regulation and a parliamentary inquiry, the Cosmos AI trial backlash, and a national AI capability plan.
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Compliance software company Haast has banked an oversubscribed $1.2 million pre-seed round led by Aura Ventures, with Black Sheep Capital and angel investors taking part, to keep building its marketing compliance platform.
OIF Ventures' 2024 review: two portfolio companies acquired, a talent-leadership hire, its fourth fund deploying, new investments in eight named startups and nine follow-on rounds.
Alberts' annual review records its venture arm closing its portfolio at 22 companies, topping up six holdings, co-launching a gender-equity drive, and navigating board changes after Sam Mostyn became Governor-General.
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Missing Perspectives quizzed five women founders about their fundraising, covering raises at Constantinople, Build Club, Matilda, Sense of Self and Xylo Systems, and sharing their pitching advice.
Tenacious Ventures' 2024 impact report celebrates portfolio progress in agri-food, notes a first close of Fund II and over $50M under management, and recaps its ecosystem and thought-leadership work.
Breakthrough Victoria's acting CEO reviews 2024: launching the BV Fellowship, investing in JigSpace and Quantum Brilliance, hosting a Founders Day, and recruiting a permanent CEO.
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Profile of La Foundary co-founder Anh Van, who grows mycelium from food waste to create sustainable packaging and art, ahead of future fundraising plans.
Blackbird's annual review letter recaps a year of investing: sums deployed across dozens of rounds, distributions to its investors, four new investment-team members introduced, and foundation and community program highlights.
Chevron partners with NSW thermal-storage maker MGA Thermal on a FEED study toward a possible trial; the piece also recounts earlier raises from Main Sequence, ARENA, Melt Ventures, Jekara and Shell.
Chevron, MGA Thermal's first major customer, will run an engineering study of a five-megawatt-hour clean steam unit using the Newcastle company's thermal storage technology, with Anacapa as EPC partner; the budget is undisclosed.
Gift guide column recommends Light & Glo Designs, a Melbourne fragrance business, recounting its 2023 Shark Tank Australia pitch where Robert Herjavec's $175,000 investment offer was accepted, and its BrandScent arm serving corporate clients.
Advent Atum and Ukraine's Gnizdo agree to distribute each other's counter-drone systems across APAC and Eastern Europe; the Australian company also recently raised close to $2 million in a Phase Alpha-led round.
ASX-listed accelerator Scalare Partners has seen its shares fall 28% in the month since listing, cutting its market value, while listed peers Touch Ventures and Bailador back Tixel, Dash and Updoc.
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Roundup of manufacturing briefs: rare earths and semiconductor firms win government grants, Pro-Pac takes a shareholder loan, Macquarie buys into Dow infrastructure, plus sales records, a China distribution deal and a space security hub.
Profile of edge computing maker Aicraft and its founder, recognised among Australia's most innovative manufacturers; its products serve space and defence, with work progressing under a state government grant.
Battery recycler Livium has secured a three-year exclusive contract to process spent locomotive batteries for Wabtec in Western Australia, adding to an $850,000 state government grant awarded to its recycling arm last month.
Music and media company Vinyl Group has agreed to buy the city guides brand Concrete Playground for $5 million in cash and shares, with completion expected by late February 2025.
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Crowdfunding platform Birchal raised $2 million from 800-plus investors in 29 hours on its own site, its third self-run raise; Dom Pym's family office Euphemia is an early backer, and Birchal launched the Birchal First syndicate.
In the show's last episode of the season, four founders strike investment deals: Fogarty backs Mimi Haircare, Horne and Lu back Ramla, Bell backs Audima Labs, and all five Sharks together back Swiff Spray.
Metal 3D printing firm AML3D has launched an Ohio manufacturing hub, won a first order from a big US utility, and will channel proceeds from a recent fundraising into European expansion.
Adelaide satellite company Fleet Space has banked a $100 million Series D, with Teachers' Venture Growth leading and a $525 million valuation, to grow ExoSphere, its space-based mineral exploration platform.
Shark Tank Australia founders are forming lasting networks through Davie Fogarty's Daily Mentor community, and Clutch Glue's founder raised pre-seed capital after declining a televised offer.
Fleet Space Technologies has secured $150 million in a Series D round led by a Canadian pension fund, with existing backers Blackbird Ventures, Hostplus and Horizons Ventures also participating.
Satellite company Fleet Space has closed a Series D backed by Teachers' Venture Growth and prior backers, lifting its valuation past $800 million, with proceeds earmarked for its mineral-exploration platform.
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