Dovetail

Bower raises $2M to bring ambient intelligence to the research lab

Bower, an Australian startup, has closed a $2 million pre-seed round led by TEN13 with Admiralty Capital Group, Edale Capital and angel backers, funding ambient AI that captures laboratory work as structured research records.

Our Investment in Bower | The AI Research Partner for Scientists

Ten13 led Bower's A$2m pre-seed round for a voice-first AI assistant that helps scientists capture lab observations hands-free, founded by a four-person team with backgrounds at Microsoft, Google and Atlassian.

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When two portfolio companies join forces: Tracksuit acquires Hall

Blackbird's blog post announces portfolio company Tracksuit has bought Hall, an AI brand-visibility startup the firm backed at pre-seed in 2023; Hall founder Kai Forsyth and his team have joined Tracksuit.

Four Aussie startups that raised $4.25 million this week

Weekly roundup: Breakthrough Victoria and Monash University co-invest $2.25 million across three university healthtech spinouts, while Blackbird backs Hall, which helps businesses win visibility on AI platforms, with $2 million pre-seed.

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AI marketing startup raises $2 million pre-Seed for post-Google SEO solutions

Hall, created by a former Dovetail and Atlassian designer, has secured a pre-seed round backed by Blackbird to help businesses track and improve how AI chatbots represent them.

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AI-based conversation analysis startup raises $2.3 million for sales insights solution

Twine has raised $2.3 million in an Airtree-led round with three angel backers. The startup analyses business conversations to give sales and product teams actionable insight and plans to grow its AI features.

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A CEO has a relationship with a subordinate and wants to 'get back to work'

Commentary on Dovetail's CEO being sued by the company's in-house lawyer, with notes on the startup's near-billion-dollar valuation and its Blackbird and Grok Ventures backing.

'I'm really uncomfortable with certainty': Meet Michelle Gilmore

Blackbird's blog interviews Juno founder Michelle Gilmore about her AI conversation product, its early adopters, and the $2.8 million raised to scale it.

‘I’m really uncomfortable with certainty’: Meet Michelle Gilmore, the founder behind Blackbird’s latest AI bet Juno

Interview with Juno founder Michelle Gilmore on her AI listening engine, fifth venture and first external funding — $2.8 million with Blackbird's Nick Crocker leading — plus early customers.

Investment Notes: Lorikeet US$5M Seed

Square Peg led Lorikeet's US$5 million seed round for its AI customer-support automation platform, joined by Skip Capital and US angel investors, supporting the team's US expansion.

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Investment Notes: Atticus

Blackbird announces its investment in Atticus's $10.8 million raise and profiles the startup's founding team, product craft, and enterprise customers.

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Can ten out of ten startups succeed?

Partner content profiling Heatseeker, whose AI platform tests startup growth ideas live in-market; it reports the pre-seed round reaching $1.3 million, above the original $500,000 target, with Euphemia and US angels among backers.

AWS reveals A/NZ start-ups for inaugural GenAI Accelerator

AWS has selected ten Australian and New Zealand startups for its first generative AI accelerator, a six-week program offering technical training, mentorship, AWS credits and a demo day pitch to investors.

Sydney furniture startup Recess is redesigning the way we work in hybrid offices

A profile of Sydney sustainable office furniture startup Recess, covering its soundproof Nook booths, rebrand from Nook, customer growth, and the $1 million raise it secured in late 2021 from angel and private investors.

This female-founded startup wants to build better managers – and raised $6.8 million in Seed funding to do it

Manager-training platform The Mintable, founded by Lauren Humphrey and Melissa Miller, has raised a $6.8 million seed round led by Blackbird, after previously securing $1.3 million in pre-seed backing.

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Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: The Great Reengagement, backing Web3, riding the markets & the big local raises

Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup: AirTree raises $700m across three new funds, dozens of Australian startups announce rounds, a wave of acquisitions including Block completing its Afterpay buy, plus Web3 commentary and US market moves.

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“Perfect storm”: Startup funding in ANZ topped $10 billion in 2021

SmartCompany reviews 2021's record ANZ startup funding, topping $10 billion per Cut Through Venture, highlighting mega-rounds by SimPRO, Rokt, Canva and Airwallex, plus early-2022 raises by Dovetail, Milkrun and TradeSquare.

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Dovetail raises $87 million, as it follows in Atlassian's footsteps for global growth

Customer research platform Dovetail has raised US$63 million led by Accel at a near-unicorn valuation, with Blackbird and Felicis also taking part, as co-founders Benjamin Humphrey and Bradley Ayers plan global growth.

The final FUNDED for 2021

Techboard's year-end roundup catalogues November funding activity: big raises for Rokt, Harrison.ai and Pet Circle, five acquisitions, Investible's second fund closing at $51.6m, plus a watchlist of companies still seeking capital.

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Rokt raises $458 million, as Aussie startups continue to cash in

Rokt's Series E tops a week of Australian raises including Dovetail, Inventia, DiviPay, Atomi, 6clicks, Replica Studios and ProForm Foods, with SimPro's recent raise noted.

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Remote work provides Enboarder with tailwind for fresh $45m round

HR software maker Enboarder lands $45 million from US growth backer NewSpring, with a NewSpring partner joining the board; the piece also recaps its earlier Series A top-up and other recent local rounds.

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