Kim Jackson

Neara joins the billion-dollar club with $90 million Series D

Australian grid digital-twin startup Neara raised a $90 million Series D led by TCV, reaching unicorn status amid rising data centre power demand.

Energy grid digital twin platform Neara turns unicorn with $90 million Series D

Australian grid-modelling startup Neara raised a $90 million Series D led by TCV, valuing the company above $1 billion, funding ML and expansion.

Square Peg-backed cleaning products startup Zero Co is shutting down

Cleaning products maker Zero Co, backed by Square Peg and crowdfunded via Birchal, is closing down solvent and will hand leftover funds to shareholders after failing to find a workable path forward.

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

The $15bn National Reconstruction Fund takes $32 million stake in AI medical diagnostics startup Harrison.ai

Harrison.ai has received $32 million from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation toward its Series C, with the federal investor's December backing of Vault Cloud, Myriota and Quantum Brilliance also noted.

Also Women's Agenda·Forbes Australia

Bootstrapped father & son AI startup banks $22 million Series A in 1st raise after 6 years

Brisbane market-research software firm Askable, self-funded since 2017 by a father-son duo, has announced a $22m Series A led by AirTree at a $100m valuation, with Skip Capital and founder angels backing it.

Also SmartCompany

Six Australian startups that raised $18.4 million this week

SmartCompany roundup covering six Australian funding deals totalling $18.4 million: Visibuild, My Mirror, Cambium Bio, Freckle, Old Young's Distillery and Taly, plus news that Freckle's founder earlier sold Everproof to GO1.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Construction build tracking startup banks $6.6 million

Visibuild, a Melbourne-based construction technology company, has raised A$6.6 million in a round led by Skip Capital with other unnamed backers, to grow its site-checking software business.

Also SmartCompany

PE giant buys in as Aussie AI infrastructure start-up raises $45m

Neara, an Australian AI infrastructure startup, raised $45 million led by EQT, Partners Group and Square Peg Capital, with Skip Capital and Prosus Ventures returning; funds target North American and European expansion.

Development planning proptech tops up runway with $5 million

Archistar, whose platform applies AI to 3D building design and planning checks, has added $5 million from NAB Ventures, Skip Capital and Prabhat Sethi, with AirTree having led earlier rounds.

Also SmartCompany

Eight Aussie startups that raised $36 million this week

Weekly roundup detailing new funding for eight local startups: home lending, document verification, farm water monitoring, alcoholic drinks, freight software, leaf protein, artist content sales and organic bedding, totalling over $36 million.

Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar steps down as co-CEO

Atlassian's co-founder Scott Farquhar will vacate the co-CEO seat on August 31, staying on in governance and advisory roles, with Mike Cannon-Brookes set to lead alone from September.

The ten richest women in Australia, according to the AFR

Profiles Australia's ten wealthiest women from the AFR's new list, alongside Canva's in-progress share sale, a large gift to a global gender-fund vehicle, and one backer's earlier healthtech round.

Also quadrantpe.com.au·Forbes Australia

Digital twin startup Neara pockets $15.25 million in Series B extension for offshore plans

Neara, an energy-sector digital twin platform, has raised a $15.25 million Series B extension with Prosus Ventures leading and prior backers Square Peg and Skip Capital returning, to fund US and European expansion.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

NSW government backs biotech startup Inventia for new manufacturing hub in Sydney

Inventia, a Sydney bioprinting startup, is expanding its facility with NSW Government Jobs Plus backing, creating 75-plus jobs; its $35 million Blackbird-led Series B from the prior year is also noted.

HR analytics startup grabs $15 million from Salesforce

Workforce intelligence firm Reejig has raised $17 million with Salesforce Ventures investing, eight months after completing its Series A. The 2019-founded company's earlier backing came from Skip Capital, Airtree and Right Click Capital.

Atlassian boss Scott Farquhar ups takeover bid by 9% to win ASX-listed Genex Power

Skip Capital, backed by Scott Farquhar and Stonepeak, raised its bid for ASX-listed renewable energy firm Genex Power to $0.25 per share, valuing it at $348 million; the board will now consider due diligence.

Human books $10.15 million for new approach to chronic illness care, secures largest-ever funding round for Australian female founding team

Health tech startup Human closed a seed round led by Airtree Ventures with Skip Capital participating, which the founders say is the largest raise by an all-Australian female founding team.

Also Startup Daily·Women's Agenda·Cut Through Venture·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Women's Agenda

Atlassian billionaire leads takeover bid for solar and storage developer Genex

Skip Capital, owned by Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar and Kim Jackson, leads a conditional, non-binding bid with Stonepeak valuing Genex Power near $320 million; earlier stake-building and Stonepeak's renewables fund close are recalled.

Mr Yum completes first major acquisition, obtaining MyGuestlist to help restaurants build personalised marketing to diners

Hospitality tech firm Mr Yum has bought customer data platform MyGuestlist in a cash-and-stock deal worth tens of millions, its first acquisition, following an $89 million raise led by Tiger Global.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia

HR analytics startup Reejig tops up Series A with $15 million

Workforce analytics firm Reejig has raised a further fifteen million dollars, four months on from its October Series A, taking total funding to twenty-one million as backers double down ahead of US expansion.

Also Women's Agenda·Startup Daily