HEO

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #179, 26th September 2026

Weekly roundup recording a dozen raises and acquisitions, Firmus's scheduled float, a new $50m venture fund, a founder share sale, grant winners, an accelerator intake, and an AI agent's government breach.

Also Dynamic Business·AFR Technology·AFR Technology·DealStreetAsia·This Week in Australian Startups·iTnews·Dealroom·ABC News Technology

NRF backs space startup HEO after US$100 million-plus contract

Satellite-monitoring camera maker HEO has landed a $37 million Series B, with the federal reconstruction fund contributing $10 million, and will grow its team while pushing more cameras into geostationary orbit.

Also Forbes Australia·Space Connect·This Week in Australian Startups·Dynamic Business

He's quietly invested in Australia's biggest space tech startups. Now he's moving to launch a $150m fund

Profiles space investor Will Scully-Power, whose Pine Gap firm backs Australian space startups and plans a larger US fund with partners; defence VC Beaten Zone has also wrapped up a $26 million fund.

HEO releases first images captured in Rendezvous, Proximity Operations mission

HEO has released early imagery from its first close-range orbital inspection mission, with Continuum-1 imaging a rocket body alongside partners Satellogic and UNSW Canberra Space under Defence Trailblazer funding.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #175, 23rd August 2026

Weekly roundup: Constantinople raises $62.5m; Blackbird wraps fund six above $1b; Guardhouse buys Mobohubb; SCX.ai debuts on the ASX; plus seed rounds, exits and executive changes across the ecosystem.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #163, 31st May 2026

Weekly roundup tallies five completed raises totalling $26.6m, plus Airwallex releasing a billing product, HEO approaching a Series B, Tanda hunting a private-equity backer, Firmus's ASX listing timeline slipping, and a DroneShield shareholder protest.

Australia conducts first sovereign satellite rendezvous manoeuvre in major leap for space security

HEO and UNSW Canberra Space have performed Australia's first propelled satellite rendezvous manoeuvre with the Continuum-1 spacecraft, a Defence Trailblazer-funded effort advancing sovereign space domain awareness skills.

The final frontier is proving to be rich with opportunity. Commercialising space has unleashed the power of creative capitalism… ⬇️

Beaten Zone's blog touts Australia's space sector, citing CEO Steve Baxter and reporting Gilmour Space Technologies' $217 million Series E from National Reconstruction Fund Corporation and Hostplus, plus its investments in HEO and Zendir.

Also SmartCompany·Dealroom·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Business News Australia

Steve Baxter's new defence-focused VC fund locks and loads $10 million in first close on $60m target

Brisbane defence-tech VC Beaten Zone Venture Partners has reached a first close of over $10 million toward a $60 million target, with early investments in three startups and a new general manager.

Beaten Zone Venture Partners Announces First Capital Call Following Successful Fund Close

Brisbane defence-tech fund manager BZV says Fund I has drawn over A$10 million in commitments, meeting its ESVCLP condition, with A$60 million targeted and a final close expected inside 18 months.

Also Startup Daily

Biosecurity threats software startup plants $5.3 million Seed round

ExoFlare, cofounded by ex-Data61 chief Adrian Turner, has banked $5.3 million in seed funding led by Salus Ventures to help food producers manage biosecurity risks.

Also SmartCompany

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of manufacturing briefs: Latrobe Magnesium's share placement, DroneShield and Cyclopharm results, Graphene Manufacturing Group's US OTCQX listing, an Electro Optic Systems dispute settlement, HEO London recruitment, and a green steel partnership.