Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Startup · $14.8m raised · Energy

AGL

Major Australian energy retailer

Coverage

Stories naming AGL. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.

Exit / M&A

Sia accelerates its expansion in Australia with the acquisition of Seven Consulting

Consulting group Sia has bought Seven Consulting, an Australian transformation consultancy, adding Sydney and Melbourne offices, a Perth presence and major clients across banking, government and retail.

Also Dealroom·Dealroom·sevenconsulting.com·briefglance.com·melbourne-insider.au·cfotech.com.au·consultancy.com.au

Exit / M&A

Zen Energy sinks despite 11th-hour rescue efforts, blaming volatile market as banks and networks get cold feet

Renewable utility Zen Energy has entered voluntary administration despite regulators clearing Gunvor to buy its retail business; McGrathNicol is administrator and customers moved to AGL.

Also RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

Funding announcement

Swiss commodity trader gets approval to buy Zen retail business and PPA deals. Will it take on Big 3?

Competition regulator approval lets Swiss trading giant Gunvor proceed with buying Zen Energy's retail arm and power purchase agreements; terms undisclosed. Article weighs whether the newcomer will challenge Australia's dominant gen-tailers.

Funding announcement

Swiss commodity trader gets approval to buy Zen retail business and PPA deals. Will it take on Big 3?

The competition regulator has cleared Swiss trader Gunvor to buy Zen Energy's retail arm and linked PPAs; terms undisclosed. The article asks whether the deep-pocketed newcomer will challenge Australia's big three gen-tailers.

undisclosed $10m

AR 2024/25: Breakthrough Victoria's J-Curve Moment

Breakthrough Victoria's CEO reviews its 2024/25 year: growing capital base, strong co-investment leverage, portfolio milestones including Amber's $10m raise, first fellows awarded, and projected economic impact ahead.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy

Seed $1m

Energy retailer behind shared renewables collective collapses amid fresh market turmoil

RenewEconomy reports renewables retailer Maximum Energy, trading as Circular Energy, was suspended and wound up, its customers moved to big-three retailers; it also recalls earlier retailer collapses and Oxamii's seed backing.

3 deals

Tech's 'sleeping giant': Inside the $100 billion industry ripe for disruption

Australian insurtech momentum examined: Honey Insurance's Series A and Cover Genius's raise led Q2 2024 funding, while an Airtree partner argues incumbents have left insurance open to technology-driven challengers.

Also SmartCompany

Key hire

Grid Connections: Who’s going where in Australia’s energy transition

A rolling roundup of Australian energy-sector job moves, listing dozens of executives, directors and ministers joining or leaving utilities, regulators, developers and industry bodies between May and December 2023.

Grant $4.5m

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Manufacturing briefs: XRF Scientific posts record results, Universal Biosensors receives an R&D tax rebate, Imugene and SMC appoint executives, FWPA promotes forestry in a new campaign, and AGL agrees a Loy Yang transition fund.

Funding announcement

This week on SUDS, the Startup Daily TV podcast: Tech on women's rights, MCB v AGL, how to raise $100m, what to do with fugly fruit

Preview of the Startup Daily TV podcast covering a bid against AGL's demerger, reproductive-rights tech policy, VC conversations, a fintech fund raise, and interviews with Skedulo, Good & Fugly and One Key Access founders.

Series B $210m

Cannon-Brookes, Forrest pour more money into world's biggest solar and battery project

Sun Cable has raised A$210 million in Series B funding from existing shareholders, led by Mike Cannon-Brookes' Grok Ventures and Andrew Forrest's Squadron Energy, for its giant solar, battery and subsea cable project.

Also Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

6 deals

A Blockbuster moment: how climate tech became a hot startup sector

A Climate Salad community leader argues climate tech keeps booming, citing global investment data and listing recent raises by member startups FloodMapp, Gridcognition, Accurassi, Trace, Cecil and World's Biggest Garage Sale.

20 deals

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: Tech's climate fight, another big raise week, valuations set to fall?

Ignition Lane's weekly technology roundup: climate-tech funding activity, Grok's bid for AGL, King River Capital's digital asset fund, a batch of Australian startup raises, Maropost acquisitions, GigSuper's collapse and a National AI Centre appointment.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

3 deals

Mike Cannon-Brookes tips $200 million into renewables finance company Infradebt

Atlassian's Cannon-Brookes, via his family firm Grok Ventures, has invested $200 million in renewables project financier Infradebt days after his AGL bid was rejected; the capital is already funding a Queensland battery project.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

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