Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Startup · $222.5m raised · Energy · AI

Neara

Critical infrastructure digital twin modelling company

Sydney, NSW

Coverage

Stories naming Neara. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.

Key hire

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.

3 deals

Heidi hits $1.2 billion valuation with $470 million in fresh funding

Heidi raised US$100m in a Blackbird-led Series C plus US$240m in customer-acquisition finance from General Catalyst, reaching a $1.26 billion valuation as Australia's fourth billion-dollar startup of the year.

Also Dealroom·This Week in Australian Startups·Dynamic Business·This Week in Australian Startups

Funding announcement

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.

15 deals

Cheque-in: 10 ANZ startups raised nearly $193 million this week

Weekly roundup of ten Australian and New Zealand startup raises totalling nearly $194 million, topped by Neara's $90 million round at a $1.1 billion valuation, with Splose, Operata, HAMR Energy and Adora also covered.

4 deals

Neara powers up to unicorn status with $90 million capital raise

Neara joins the unicorn club after a TCV-led $90 million Series D at a $1.1 billion valuation, with existing backers participating; funds will fuel global expansion and engineering hires.

Also Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·Startup Daily

Funding announcement

Square Peg Investor Letter Half Year Report 30 June 2025

Square Peg's half-year investor letter reviews its accelerating AI investing, portfolio companies' progress including several completed raises, listed fund returns, a new data hire, and ongoing fundraising for its 2025 vintage funds.

2 deals

Square Peg Investor Letter Half Year Report 30 June 2025

In its half-year letter, Square Peg explains how it picks AI founders, reports several portfolio companies' recent raises, flags a data engineering hire, and says fundraising for its next funds is well advanced.

Also Tech Funding News - Australia·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Fund close $50m

Leigh Jasper leads a new $50 million fund backed by Australian unicorn founders

Glitch Capital, a new $50m vehicle led by Leigh Jasper and backed by exited unicorn founders, has completed its first deal, backing Melbourne edtech firm Cadmus.

19 deals

Blast OIF | 24 things from 2024

OIF Ventures' 2024 review: two portfolio companies acquired, a talent-leadership hire, its fourth fund deploying, new investments in eight named startups and nine follow-on rounds.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·OIF Ventures portfolio·Forbes Australia·techtaffy.com

17 deals

Fifteen ANZ startups that raised $81 million this week

Round-up reporting Neara's $45 million Series C, Alimetry's US$18 million Series A2, Earthodic's US$4 million seed, and Antler's latest residency intake of startups each receiving $225,000 for 12% stakes.

Also Startup Daily

undisclosed $45m

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.

Funding announcement

Mike Cannon-Brookes names former Macquarie banker Tan Kueh as Grok's CEO

Mike Cannon-Brookes' investment vehicle Grok Ventures has hired Tan Kueh, ex-Macquarie, UBS and BlackRock, as CEO, joining CIO Jeremy Kwong-Law, as it sharpens its strategy around climate investing.

Funding announcement

Square Peg Investor Letter Half Year Report 31 December 2023

Square Peg's latest letter to investors reviews 2023 performance, recalls early bets on Canva and Airwallex, and introduces three hires across fundraising, public-markets investing, and people functions.

Funding announcement

Square Peg Investor Letter Half Year Report 31 December 2023

Square Peg's half-year letter to investors reviews 2023: fewer new bets, portfolio revenue milestones led by Canva, an AI investment thesis, conditions in Israel, and three new hires.

6 deals

Australia's climate tech industry is booming, but it could bust without funds

Feature on Australia's fast-growing climate tech sector, recounting raises at companies including Neara, Loam Bio, Goterra and Great Wrap, and warning that scarce growth capital and limited foreign investment could stall the industry.

8 deals

Blast OIF | 23 things from 2023

OIF Ventures' year in review: full Eftsure exit, Opportunity Fund close, Visory, DataMasque and Nullify backed, follow-ons at Inspace and Dataweavers, new team members and portfolio milestones.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·OIF Ventures portfolio·OIF Ventures portfolio

3 deals

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

Pre-seed

BLAST OIF | Edition VI

OIF Ventures' newsletter announces leading Nullify's pre-seed round, two investment team hires, portfolio company awards and product launches, and Go1's acquisition of Anders Pink.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Series B $20m

Our investment in Neara

OIF Ventures' note explains its decision to back Neara's A$20 million Series B alongside Skip Capital and Square Peg, describing the infrastructure-modelling startup's technology, utility customers and growth.

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

9 deals

BLAST OIF | Edition I

OIF Ventures' first portfolio newsletter: OIF Fund II closed above $100 million, plus recent raises at Go1, Circle In, Assignar, Arcade, Visionary Machines, Neara, Futurerent and Adventus.io.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·OIF Ventures portfolio·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·TechCrunch Australia·Startup Daily

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