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🇦🇺 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·DealStreetAsia·This Week in Australian Startups·Dealroom·ABC News Technology

Pedestrian cofounder Chris Wirasinha nails $23 million Series B for adtech startup Linkby

Sydney adtech firm Linkby secured US$15 million in a Volition Capital-led Series B to expand in the US; CEO Chris Wirasinha earlier founded Pedestrian.tv, later sold to Nine.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Finder and ASX-listed NobleOak contra with marketing VC Scaleup Mediafund

Scaleup Mediafund swapped ad space for equity in Finder and ASX-listed insurer NobleOak, the latter worth $1.5m, among six investments from its third fund backed by major media companies.

Runway May 24: The 7 startups revealing venture raises this week

Weekly roundup covering seven ANZ startup raises — Bare Funerals, Humii, WeMoney, CLT Toolbox, Clean Slate Clinic, SpatialGPT and Great Wrap — plus LaunchVic's $900,000 into Paul Little's Skalata fund.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Hawke's Brewing and Bare Funerals toast $1 million media-for-equity deals

Scaleup Mediafund's $15 million third fund has made its first two investments, backing Hawke's Brewing and Bare with roughly $1 million in advertising apiece; oOh!media joined as an investor.

‘When Lachlan calls, you answer’: Inside this Murdoch-backed luggage giant

Profile of luggage brand July, built by Melbourne founders Athan Didaskalou and Richard Li with backing including Lachlan Murdoch, covering its pandemic pivot, Olympic team supply deal and retail expansion.

Wellness and sport-focused VC XT Ventures launches with $5 million from health fund HCF

Health insurer HCF has committed a five-million-dollar cornerstone investment into the newly launched sports, fitness and wellness venture fund XT Ventures, run by Slingshot founder Craig Lambert.

Shippit acquires Premonition for $20.5 million

Shippit, a Sydney logistics software provider, has bought last-mile technology firm Premonition for A$20.5 million; the piece also recalls Shippit's 2020 Series B and notes another raise in progress.

Also Techboard·Startup Daily·alkye.com

Peer-to-peer lender SocietyOne is selling to ASX-listed MoneyMe in $132 million deal

ASX-listed lender MoneyMe has agreed a scrip-based acquisition of SocietyOne valued at $132 million, with major shareholders escrowing their stakes; the deal completes in March 2022 pending shareholder approval.

Media & Marketing

AFR's Media & Marketing section roundup: Joe Aston's Rampart has raised $2.3m from five backers and TEG has locked in roughly $100m of fresh bank debt, alongside media policy, court and personality stories.

Also Startup Daily·AFR Technology·Dealroom·SmartCompany·Mumbrella·This Week in Australian Startups·The Age Business·SMH Business·Mumbrella