Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Startup · $209.2m raised · Software

SafetyCulture

Workplace safety and operations software company.

Sydney, NSW

Coverage

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

Fund close $650m

Airtree's Fund V: $650m to back Aussie and Kiwi founders from idea to global household name

AirTree closes its $650m Fund V across seed and growth vehicles, backed mostly by international institutional capital, and promotes three early-career investors to Principal.

5 deals

Airwallex is Blackbird's new Canva, as the VC devalues workplace software unicorns Culture Amp and Safety Culture

Leaked details from Blackbird's investor day showcase Airwallex and Canva as standout performers, record valuation cuts for Culture Amp and SafetyCulture, and detail Kiki's New York shutdown and settlement.

Exit / M&A

Beaten Zone Venture Capital Fund 1 Achieves Unconditional ESVCLP Registration

Steve Baxter's Brisbane defence-tech fund announces it now holds unconditional early-stage venture capital registration, giving investors tax breaks; it has put A$4.45m into four companies so far.

News

Beaten Zone fund wins approval, targets AUD $451m defence tech

Beaten Zone's defence-tech fund has won full ESVCLP status, unlocking tax breaks for its backers; the Brisbane vehicle has backed four companies with $4.45m and screens a deep pipeline of defence deals.

2 deals

Airtree Ventures closes $650M fund with international backing, fueling ANZ startup growth

Sydney venture firm Airtree has completed the close of its fifth fund at $650 million, drawing backing from US institutional investors and Australian superannuation funds, with allocations set for early and growth stages.

4 deals

Construction site safety proptech bags rival amid $4.5 million raise

1Breadcrumb has acquired Canberra rival SignOnSite and raised a $4.5 million SAFE note from Five V Capital, Tribe Global Ventures and a US family office, creating a merged construction-safety technology provider.

Also SmartCompany

9 deals

Seven ANZ startups that raised $42.8 million this week

Weekly roundup of seven Australian and New Zealand raises totalling $42.8 million, spanning property-investment AI, workforce credentialing, allied-health practice software, conversation analytics, maths learning games, copper processing and holiday-park bookings.

Unnamed stage $2.3m

AI-based conversation analysis startup raises $2.3 million for sales insights solution

Twine has raised $2.3 million in an Airtree-led round with three angel backers. The startup analyses business conversations to give sales and product teams actionable insight and plans to grow its AI features.

Also SmartCompany

12 deals

From quantum computing to quesadillas: Top 12 biggest capital raises of 2024

Year-end roundup ranking 2024's twelve largest startup raises, headed by PsiQuantum's $940 million government-backed quantum computing round, plus Guzman y Gomez's ASX listing and Betashares' Temasek investment.

Unnamed stage $75m

New $165 million round for SafetyCulture in “tough environment” for fresh funding

SafetyCulture secured $75 million of fresh capital plus $90 million from existing shareholders selling shares, valuing the operations software company at $2.5 billion. Airtree, Blackbird, Morpheus Ventures, Hostplus and HESTA joined the round.

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

3 deals

H1 2024 in Review: $100m invested

TEN13's investor letter celebrates passing $100 million deployed, plus fresh backing for iion and Switchboard, team promotions, AutoGrab's overseas growth and NZ-arm sale, and the Mr Yum–Me&U merger.

Also Startup Daily·thetimes.com.au·SmartCompany

Funding announcement

From SaaS to SaiS: A River of Inquiry into how AI is unlocking vertical SaaS

A Blackbird partner argues AI has revived vertical software by turning hard-to-sell customers into product-led buyers, noting the firm recently backed three such startups and recalling Aconex's sale to Oracle.

Also buildxact.com

8 deals

DOG'S BREAKFAST: Pet Circle's $75m raise from US VC a rare highlight for Australian startups amid a 42% fall in funding for September quarter

Cut Through Ventures' quarterly analysis shows Australian startup funding down 42% year-on-year at A$739 million over 77 deals, with Pet Circle's $75 million Series D from Prysm Capital the period's largest round.

Also SmartCompany·RenewEconomy·@AuManufacturing

8 deals

$739 million hits start-ups in Q3 – but funding still lags behind 2022

A quarterly venture funding report shows Australian startups collected $739 million across 77 deals in Q3 2023, trailing earlier periods; SafetyCulture and Lyre's Spirit Co drew the largest rounds while female founders' share improved.

Also TechCrunch Australia·SmartCompany·Capital Brief·Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·AgFunderNews

8 deals

Eight Aussie startups that raised $149 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian startups together securing $149 million: One Model, SafetyCulture, Hysata, Pendula, Marqo, Medigrowth, Curiious and Zena Sport, spanning HR analytics, safety tech, hydrogen, AI, medicinal cannabis, VR and sportstech.

Also Startup Daily·thebusinesstimes.com.au·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Forbes Australia

Unnamed stage $34m

SafetyCulture raises $34 million while planning a $500 million VC share sale

SafetyCulture closed a $34 million round with Morpheus Ventures, Marbruck Investments and Index Ventures, lifting its valuation to $2.7 billion. Bigger investor and employee share sales are still only plans.

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

Key hire

Tesla Inc Director Robyn Denholm appointed to SafetyCulture board

Robyn Denholm has joined SafetyCulture's board as a director, adding to her Tesla chairmanship and Technology Council role, replacing long-serving director and Blackbird co-founder Rick Baker.

10 deals

Nine startups that raised almost $40 million this week

A weekly roundup detailing nine startup funding rounds totalling $39.6 million, spanning cybersecurity, medtech, healthtech, hospitality, retail media, accessibility, clean energy and agtech ventures.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

2 deals

Alternative liquidity investor SecondQuarter raises $83 million for 2nd fund backed by Andrew Forrest, Sam Kroonenburg & Dom Pym

Secondaries fund SecondQuarter has reached an $83m first close on its second vehicle, aiming past $100m, with founder-angels and Minderoo among new backers; its portfolio includes past sales of ActivePipe and A Cloud Guru.

Also Techboard

28 deals

FUNDED APRIL 2022

Techboard's monthly roundup cataloguing April 2022 Australian startup funding: megadeals, seed rounds, grants and crowdfunding, nine acquisitions, several ASX listings, and venture firms' fund news.

3 deals

News briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup covering Victorian zero-emission bus trials, Frew Foods' planned plant expansion, 5B's layoffs and completed capital raise, Wellnex Life's convertible note raising, SafetyCulture investing in Inauro, plus wind farm and university research news.

Also @AuManufacturing·Techboard

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

Something wrong? Tell us