Investor · 3 deals
Canberra, ACT
Every published round Defence Innovation Hub took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saber Astronautics | Grant | 11 Apr 2023 | $6.6m | Lead | Defence Connect, @AuManufacturing | |
| Quasar Satellite Technologies | Grant | 17 Mar 2023 | $5.3m | Lead | @AuManufacturing (7 Dec 2023), Startup Daily, SmartCompany, @AuManufacturing (24 Feb 2023) | |
| Saber Astronautics | Grant | 2019 | $2.1m | Lead | Defence Connect, @AuManufacturing |
Companies Defence Innovation Hub has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quasar Satellite Technologies | Company created through Main Sequence's Venture Science model | 17 Mar 2023, Grant | 1 | 1 |
| Saber Astronautics | 2019, Grant | 2 | 2 |
Fund closes reported for Defence Innovation Hub, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Defence Innovation Hub has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Defence Innovation Hub did.
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Melissa Price | Defence Industry Minister | @AuManufacturing |
| Andrew Hodgkinson | Assistant Secretary Defence Capability and Innovation | @AuManufacturing |
Stories naming Defence Innovation Hub. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
A directory of fifteen Canberra investors backing deep tech, noting ACTivate Capital's fund first close, several government-backed company raises, an incubator's alumni, and one portfolio acquisition.
Kord Defence's RACU device, developed with the Australian Army, is used by Ukrainian forces. The company received past Defence Innovation Hub grants and signed an $11 million deal with US forces.
AuManufacturing analysis weighing whether Defence's drone purchase shows procurement reform is working, tracing Sypaq's Corvo from 2018 concept work to selection alongside a German rival.
Australia's federal government announced plans to buy two military drone systems — Germany's Quantum-Systems Vector and Melbourne maker SYPAQ's CorvoX — for the Army and Air Force, with deliveries expected in 2025.
AuManufacturing reports the CSIRO-linked satellite startup Quasar unveiling digital multibeam ground stations, recalling its 2021 seed raise, a NSW Physical Sciences Fund grant and a Defence Innovation Hub contract.
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.
A weekly roundup reporting six Australian startups that raised a combined $19 million, including Quasar, Nexl, MoreGoodDays, DAS and Our Cow, plus Our Cow's earlier acquisition of delivery startup Voly.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia
A roundup of Australian defence industry items: submarine build plans reaffirmed, missile supply contracts for Kongsberg and Lockheed Martin, DroneShield purchase orders, an F-35 warehouse deal, and questions over a shipbuilding college closure.
Australia's defence department has created a five-year geospatial procurement panel anticipating purchases of no more than $20 million, citing Myriota's $5.5 million innovation contract to extend satellite communications for defence sites.
Australia's science agency received a Defence Innovation Hub grant to build a CBRN respirator with two manufacturers and a university.
A defence innovation agency showcases funded companies: one gained a $1.74m contract and an industry award for its optical radar pod, another secured naval export orders, in a publisher series backed by a defence contractor.
A Sydney space incubator, a joint venture of TCG Group and Saber Astronautics, hosts six startups; three collaborate on an earth observation project supported by a manufacturing grant and university engineering help.
Nine companies received Defence Innovation Hub contracts totalling $19 million to develop technologies for the Australian Defence Force, with RFTEQ winning the largest single award of $5.31 million.
Australia's Defence Innovation Hub has granted ten companies defence contracts totalling $23 million, the largest being $5.88 million to A.W. Bell Machinery, in an announcement made by minister Melissa Price.
Canberra announces ten Defence Innovation Hub contracts worth $10 million for companies building artificial intelligence for defence, including Lumination, Droneshield and Real Response, each receiving an individual grant for a specific technology project.