3163 rounds · 2003 startups · 3652 investors
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University of Sydney spinout Kinoxis Therapeutics signs a licensing and partnership deal with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop psychiatric treatments, with payments and R&D support worth up to $266 million.
Skincare brand Purely Byron enters wind-up while collapsed parent BWX sells its digital retail arm, holding Flora & Fauna and Nourished Life, to a consortium led by Julie Mathers.
News roundup: VicReturn names its first CEO, Carbon Revolution's SPAC merger is set for July, DXN wins a first modular data centre order, and Bluechiip completes a placement.
Weekly roundup reporting four Australian startups together raising $69.5 million: Eucalyptus $50 million, MadeComfy $10 million, Safewill $5.5 million Series A, and rebranded InvestorHub $4 million.
Turkish battery-circularity firm Niocycle has become Brisbane startup Vaulta's first overseas backer, joining a further funding instalment; earlier backers included Renu Energy, and Vaulta was picked for a Supercharge Australia program.
Online liquor retailer BoozeBud entered voluntary administration on May 2, with William Buck halting sales and exploring a sale; the article also recalls its earlier ownership changes and other failed delivery startups.
Sample rebranded as Mercu, pivoting from a professional network for essential workers to employee engagement software for deskless staff, and raised a $2.4 million seed round with Sequoia Capital India returning alongside new backers.
Also Startup Daily
Federation's site reports the asset manager is raising new money while its portfolio company Windlab seeks a financial adviser for its Queensland project.
Estate planning startup Safewill has landed a second Series A of $5.5 million, led by Carthona Capital with Reinventure and Flying Fox Ventures, to grow the platform and expand overseas.
Profile of Western Australian brothers James and Rhys Williamson, whose meat provenance venture Latitude 28 Produce received government grant backing and accelerator support before spinning out traceability business Orijin Plus.
BoozeBud has entered administration, with William Buck's Michael Brereton and Sean Wengel appointed. The piece recounts the online alcohol retailer's 2018 sale to ZX Ventures, its 2020 sale back to founders, and its Get Wines Direct acquisition.
Global Kinetics, a Melbourne-based digital neurology company, names Zach Henderson its chief executive; Leighton Read shifts to non-executive chair and BioScience Managers' David Atkins joins the board.
Global Kinetics, a Melbourne-based digital health company focused on neurology, has appointed industry veteran Zach Henderson, formerly of Glooko, as chief executive, while also adding BioScience Managers' David Atkins to its board.
GROW and AgFunder have named the ten agrifoodtech startups joining their 2023 impact accelerator, chosen from a record 600 applicants, with each participating company receiving a $100,000 investment from AgFunder.
Cyber security firm Sekuro appoints industry veteran Ian Buddery as chairman while planning UK expansion, and launches a workshop program teaching directors about cyber risk.
The impact investor explains the framework it uses to keep its food, agriculture and climate investments aligned with its goals, and credits team members as it works toward a second fund.
E-bike subscription startup Zoomo cut 27 roles in its second restructuring in six months, weeks after client Milkrun's collapse, and disclosed a previously unreported $24 million raise led by Grok Ventures and the CEFC.
Also Techboard
MA Financial Group has bought New York-based credit asset manager Blue Elephant Capital Management to expand its credit platform into the US, and plans a private credit fund for Australian investors.
Investor engagement platform Fresh Equities, now called InvestorHub, landed a $4 million round led by Sydney venture firm EVP, having previously collected $2.3 million in 2021 from fintech founder angels and two other backers.
Australia will create the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, backed by a decade-long $3.4 billion commitment, to speed defence innovation and procurement; the news follows Fleet Space's recently revealed $6.4m Defence contract.
Therapeutic psychedelics biotech Emyria has banked $2.5 million via a share placement co-led by Sixty Two Capital and Taylor Collison, with follow-on from Andrew Forrest's Tenmile, funding MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapy and cannabinoid trials.
Potentum Partners, founded by ex-Future Fund private equity staff, has closed a $300 million raise for its debut global private equity fund, with four offerings due this week.
Partner series profile of Focia, an AI creator-economy platform founded by Mika Siddiqui and Umesh Wimalawardana, which took Antler Australia pre-seed backing in late 2022 and is now seeking follow-on capital.
Digital health company Eucalyptus has raised $50 million from existing backers, reportedly valuing it at $560 million, even as doctors and regulators question the prescription practices of its weight-loss brand Juniper.
Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia
An academic explainer of directed energy weapons, covering AIM Defence's newly launched Melbourne testing range, a Defence deal with QinetiQ for a prototype laser, and the ASCA program.
InvestorHub, formerly Fresh Equities, raised $4 million led by EVP to grow revenue and expand overseas, helping listed companies engage shareholders.
Aura Ventures announces Annie Liao has joined as Investment Associate, covering deal origination and platform strategy, with an interview tracing her prior roles at Westpac, BCG and Archangel Ventures.
Aura Group has hired Elizabeth Dinh, previously CEO of Acceler8 Capital, to lead its Australian real estate credit strategy serving corporate borrowers.
Shane Delia's meal-order platform Providoor has gone into liquidation after three years, with RSM appointed; the article also recalls collapses at Milkrun, Send and Voly, plus Efoodz buying CoLab's assets.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily
RenewEconomy reports HB11 Energy's bilateral research deal with Spanish laser labs and mentions its earlier $560,000 grant from ARC for a fusion laser project with UNSW and other universities.
Whole Green Foods has raised a $1.5 million seed round from GRDC, investing via its GrainInnovate fund, and Artesian, to advance its WINX food processing technology that reduces waste in plant-based ingredient production.
The Commonwealth has agreed to acquire radar maker CEA Technologies, eventually making it a government business enterprise. The piece also recalls Motorola's purchase of Barrett Communications and flags other vulnerable defence firms.
ASX-listed fintech IOUpay entered voluntary administration under PwC after an alleged fraud by its former CFO, who is under investigation in Malaysia; the company shed most staff and faces related litigation.
Weekly roundup reporting me&u's Series C, several agrifoodtech fundraises across Europe, Danone's stake in Imagindairy, Remilk's Israeli approval, plus partnerships, launches and layoffs.
Better Bite Ventures' First Bite program has made its first investments in four Asia-Pacific alternative-protein startups working on fermentation, plant-based ice cream and cultivated seafood, with applications open for the next intake.
A monthly Crunchbase roundup of five overlooked venture rounds, including raises by ChopValue, Australia's Cortical Labs, Harvey, Sepura Home and Ebb Carbon, with lead investors and amounts for each deal.
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Melbourne business-planning software maker Empiraa raised $518,000 in a seed round at a $7.5 million valuation from angel investors, with founder Ash Brown planning a Denver office as it expands into the US.
Profile of EQL, an Australian hype-commerce platform founded by ex-Google staff, which powered the Nike x Tiffany sneaker launch and previously received early backing from AirTree.
Cybersecurity accelerator CyRise, run by NTT and Deakin University since 2017, is shutting down in May, leaving Australia without a dedicated cyber startup accelerator; its portfolio startups collectively raised over $40m afterwards.
Also Startup Daily
The CEFC has committed $75 million in debt funding to Rino Recycling's new Brisbane plant recycling construction and demolition waste, its largest investment to date from its recycling fund.
NBN Co is testing small wind turbines from a Newcastle university spinout to keep remote sites powered in emergencies; the maker earlier received an ARENA grant for similar trials.
Ignition Lane's weekly wrap: Tiger Global's losses and past Australian bets, MilkRun and TradeSquare closures, Cyara's Spearline acquisition, a Co Ventures pre-seed fund, Square Peg's partner promotion and LaunchVic's 30×30 picks.
Australian skincare brands Boost Lab and tbh Skincare merge into York Street Brands alongside a $5 million Series B led by Alium Capital, with founders taking executive roles. BWX's administration is also noted.
Also SmartCompany
Techboard's new quarterly tally counted $1.01 billion in local VC deals, well above a rival firm's figure, with four megadeals by Loam, Till Payments, Songtradr and Xpansiv.
HelpPay co-founder Rowan Wilde shares five lessons from taking his fintech's crowdfunding campaign live on Birchal, as tight venture markets drove record startup interest in crowd-sourced raising in 2022.
A weekly roundup reporting seven Australian startups that together raised more than $66 million, including Novalith, Propeller, Cortical Labs, Waave, Restoplus, Empiraa and The Very Good Bra.
Klarna's Climate Transformation Fund invested over $500,000 in Western Australian carbon-capture startup InterEarth, which stores tree biomass underground; insurer Zurich has also invested, founder Howard Carr told SmartCompany.
Customisable headphone maker Nura has been acqui-hired by medical device firm Masimo, with its team and technology folded into Denon; the Nura brand will be sunset once remaining inventory is sold.
Also TechCrunch Australia