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🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #180, 4th October 2026

Weekly roundup reporting Australian startup funding rounds and government grants, a venture fund close, agreed acquisitions, an IPO pricing, a collapse, plus executive hires and AI policy developments.

Role call: new people at allt, SQC, RedBelly Network, Neara & Indebted

Weekly people-moves column: new executives at allt, SQC, Redbelly Network, InDebted and Neara, including Clive Dickens joining allt's board and Chris McNamara becoming InDebted's CEO.

InDebted appoint Chris McNamara as Chief Executive Officer and Brendan Lee as Chief Financial Officer

Collections technology firm InDebted has named Chris McNamara as chief executive and Brendan Lee as chief financial officer, filling a search opened when founder Josh Foreman shifted to a founder and executive director role.

AI boom powers new raise for energy-trading firm Xpansiv

Xpansiv has wrapped a growth equity round with Blackstone, Macquarie, CBA, Goldman Sachs, Aware Super and Aramco Ventures among its backers, as the IPO hopeful looks to fund expansion in Australia and globally.

Visaible.ai raises $1.0M Seed - Sam Rich, round details and contact

Data page reporting Visaible.ai's $1 million seed raise from August 2026; the Sydney hotel-booking platform's founder Sam Rich previously worked at Bain and Goldman Sachs.

Former MYOB executive appointed DroneShield CFO as full-year committed revenue tops $250m

DroneShield names Rebecca Lowde, previously at MYOB and Afterpay, as finance chief, succeeding Carla Balanco, while revealing a $251 million full-year order book and an initial sale of its RfRecon detection device.

Brookfield takes another shot at Australia's Reliance with $2.9b bid

Brookfield has tabled a fourth, richer proposal for Reliance Worldwide, which opened its books; the plumbing group's profit slumped on tariffs and copper costs, and it has hired advisers to assess the approach.

Cerberus kicks off auction for $1b land lease player Lincoln Place

Cerberus Capital Management has instructed Goldman Sachs to launch an auction of Lincoln Place, its Australian land lease communities business, seeking a price above $1 billion after nearly a year of sale preparations.

Sierra Raises $950M at $15B, Locking 40% of the Fortune 50 Into Its Agent Platform Before the Labs Go Direct

Analysis of Sierra's $950 million raise at a $15 billion valuation with Tiger Global and GV at the lead, weighing its revenue multiple, Fortune 50 customer lock-in, and competition from OpenAI and Anthropic's ventures.

Starcloud, the company putting NVIDIA H100s in orbit, becomes unicorn with $170M raise led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures

Also SpaceNews

Investment Notes: Elyos

Blackbird's post explains why it led Elyos's Series A with PiLabs, YC and 468 Capital, profiling the AI phone-agent startup for trade businesses, its traction and its three founders.

Getting to know our newest Partner — meet Albert

Folklore Ventures brings Albert Bielinko in as a partner, recounting his decade as a Titanium Ventures general partner, his earlier investments, and Enable's later acquisition by Flintfox.

That’s Carma: used car startup’s shares stall, falling 7.4% on ASX debut

Online used-car platform Carma slid on its ASX debut after a $70 million IPO; the piece recalls its earlier seed, Series A and convertible note raises and names its backers.

Heidi Health's $98 million raise skyrockets its valuation to $704 million

Melbourne AI medical-notes startup Heidi Health has banked a $98 million Series B led by Point72 at a $704 million valuation, adding two senior clinical and commercial hires to its leadership.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia

Klarna to raise USD1.3b in New York IPO

Swedish BNPL firm Klarna is preparing a renewed New York float, seeking as much as USD1.27 billion at a valuation a source puts at USD12.5-14 billion, after earlier delays.

GP administration startup Heidi Health tops up Series A with another $27 million

Heidi Health, whose AI tool drafts doctors' clinical notes, has added $26.8 million to its Series A in a round led by Headline, with Local Globe and Anthology also taking part.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

DigitalX Weekly Crypto Update: Market Trends and Analysis

Weekly market commentary from DigitalX covering Bitcoin's slide amid government and Mt. Gox selling, its spot Bitcoin ETF's approval to quote on the ASX, and Goldman Sachs' tokenisation fund plans.

Blackbird-backed job simulations edtech Forage exits to US merger

Australian job-simulation edtech Forage has been bought by US education company EAB on undisclosed terms; the story also recalls its accelerator days and earlier venture raises.

Meet the Tidal Team: Kieran O’Neill

Tidal Ventures profiles team member Kieran O’Neill, who moved from KPMG and London banking through co-founding Hometime into the firm’s seed investing team in 2022.

Australian Business Growth Fund backs skin cancer prevention clothing brand Solbari with $10 million

ABGF invests $10 million in Solbari, a Melbourne sun-protective apparel brand, marking the growth fund's second woman-led backing and funding wholesale and overseas expansion.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany

The top 20 agtech deals of 2023

A year-end countdown of 2023's twenty largest agtech funding rounds, from biofuels and carbon marketplaces to farm robotics, with EcoCeres' $400 million raise at the top.

Also AgFunderNews

The 10 biggest capital raises by Australian startups in 2023

A year-end SmartCompany roundup counting down 2023's ten largest Australian startup raises, headed by Employment Hero's $263m Series F, with investor details and commentary on fewer mega-rounds and continued under-representation of women co-founders.

In Conversation: James Tynan, Square Peg, and Jack Curtis, Neara

Square Peg partner James Tynan interviews Neara's chief commercial officer Jack Curtis on the company's 3D modelling of energy networks, doubling grid capacity, and constraints on the energy transition.

In Conversation: James Tynan, Square Peg, and Jack Curtis, Neara

Square Peg's blog runs a conversation from its 2023 AGM in which partner James Tynan interviews Neara's chief commercial officer Jack Curtis about the company's grid-modelling software and the energy transition.

Medtech Heidi Health raises $10 million Series A

Heidi Health, whose AI tool trims paperwork for family doctors, has banked a $10 million Series A round led by returning backer Blackbird, with co-investors including Hostplus and Hesta.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia

Driva partners with Carsales to enable seamless digital finance experience

Fintech Driva launches a multi-year partnership letting carsales shoppers see personalised finance options on private vehicle listings; the article also recalls Carthona Capital's earlier backing of the startup.

8th Annual FinTech Awards 2023: Macgregor Duncan, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Constantinople, to be VIP Speaker

FinTech Awards names Constantinople co-founder Macgregor Duncan as VIP speaker for its August Sydney event, noting the banking startup's record $23 million seed raise with co-founder Dianne Challenor.

Secure Code Warrior secures $50M funding

Secure Code Warrior raised US$50 million in Series C funding led by Paladin Capital Group, with Goldman Sachs and ForgePoint Capital participating, to grow market share; an Imperva executive joined its board.

Four Aussie startups that raised $115.7 million this week

Weekly roundup of four Australian startup raises totalling $115.7 million: Secure Code Warrior's Series C, Lyre's, IMRA and Naked Life's crowdfunding record, alongside commentary on funding for women founders.

Also ARN (ARNnet)·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Forbes Australia

Salesforce sheds its Australian VC arm amid swingeing job cuts

Salesforce is shutting its Australian venture arm amid global layoffs. Local head Mike Ferrari has departed, and the unit's Australian investments will now be run from the company's American headquarters.

Payments innovator Zepto appoints Laura Mineo as Chief Financial Officer

Byron Bay payments fintech Zepto has hired Laura Mineo as chief financial officer, returning from New York where she was CFO at Rokt and an executive director at Goldman Sachs.

Founders depart fintech Timelio as it raises $7.5 million

Invoice-financing firm Timelio's founding couple have stepped down as a shareholder rights issue raised $7.5 million, with a new chief executive appointed; the piece also recalls earlier backing and a bank unit purchase.

Also Australian FinTech·Techboard·Startup Daily

Investment Notes: Edrolo

Blackbird's investment note announcing it led Edrolo's Series B, recalling Startmate's first cheque and Blackbird's seed leadership in 2013, and profiling the education company's growth since.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Techboard·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Car finance platform Driva doubles down with $6m growth round

Australian car-finance fintech Driva has raised A$6 million from existing investors led by Carthona Capital, with Invictus and seed angels also participating, to double staff and fund brand and product expansion.

Fintech Driva lands $6 million raise to become famous for car financing

Driva has raised $6 million in a round led by Carthona Capital, with follow-on backers and angels joining, to double headcount, build its brand, and expand into trade-ins and vehicle listings.

Also Australian FinTech