Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Startup

Sicona

Coverage

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

12 deals

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #180, 4th October 2026

Weekly roundup reporting Australian startup funding rounds and government grants, a venture fund close, agreed acquisitions, an IPO pricing, a collapse, plus executive hires and AI policy developments.

This Week in Australian Startups 4 Oct 2026 Avicena SystemsEastend VenturesFeBIHeidi HealthiQ SenseQ FactorialQuantX LabsR2CreteSilicon Quantum ComputingSkopos BioTrendspekAdobeAdvanced NavigationAirwallexAmpolAnthropicAtlassianAUDCBarrenjoeyBasetenBig Picture MedicalBlackbird VenturesDroneshieldEvie NetworksFirmus TechnologiesFusion Venture LabsGoldman SachsHarrison AIInDebtedLorikeetMegaportMetaMonoovaMorgan StanleyNearmapNexlOFXOpenAIOrbit2OrbitOrd MinnettPaperbarkPerennial Private InvestmentsPlanet StartupPotentia CapitalPsiQuantumQueenslandRBAREA GroupRedbelly NetworkRedEarth Energy Storage LtdREXRoyal Commission into AIScalare PartnersSiconaStanfordTank Stream LabsTech CouncilThoma BravoThorneyUnileverUniversity of MelbourneWatchfulWeMoneyBlockwall Digital Assets FundCritical Technologies Challenge ProgramFunds SAGenesis Pre-Seed FundOIF VenturesShape CapitalTenmileTin Alley VenturesUniseedYosemiteBrendan LeeChris LehaneChris McNamaraChristian Westerlind WigstromChristopher ManningDavid JanetzkiIain RossIan WangJosh ForemanJosh ParsonsKate PounderMatt ReddenPhilipp ThurnerSam AltmanTrevor St Baker
Funding announcement

Startmate CEO Michael Batko calls time after 8 years, Phoebe Pincus takes the helm

Startmate chief Michael Batko departs following an eight-year stint; COO Phoebe Pincus steps up. The piece credits his tenure for the accelerator's growth, returns and alumni, and notes his exits from two side ventures.

Startup Daily 2 Dec 2025 AmberAndromedaAquilaBlackbird VenturesClipboardClutchFluencyHeaps NormalJustFundKeeyuLyrebirdMindsetPuddle PodSiconaStartmateStartup StridersTelecareUluuVenuVexevVxtMichael BatkoNiki ScevakPhoebe Pincus
Exit / M&A

Startmate CEO Michael Batko steps down after eight years, COO Phoebe Pincus takes top spot

Long-serving Startmate chief Michael Batko departs the accelerator's top job, with operations lead Phoebe Pincus promoted to CEO; the piece also recalls two side ventures Batko previously exited.

SmartCompany 2 Dec 2025 AmberAndromedaAquilaBlackbird VenturesClipboardClutchFluencyHeaps NormalJustFundKeeyuLyrebirdMindsetPuddle PodSiconaStartmateStartup StridersTelecareUluuVenuVexevVxtMichael BatkoNiki ScevakPhoebe Pincus
Funding announcement

From 0 to 4.5 billion: how the Startmate pay-it-forward mentorship model built a startup powerhouse

Startmate reflects on a decade of backing founders, profiling breakout alumni across its cohorts and describing how its mentors reinvest in newer startups, alongside its fund model and returns.

Startmate 10 Oct 2025 AirRobeAmberBugcrowdEdroloHeaps NormalLyrebirdMindset HealthMorse MicroPropellerSiconaSitemateSwoop AeroUluuUpGuardVertus EnergyWORK180Workyard5BAdore BeautyAtlassianCanvaCultureAmpGreat WrapLuxury EscapesStartmateAdam SchwabAndy MillerCasey EllisCliff ObrechtDoug EnglishHartley PikeJon WilliamsKate MorrisMelanie PerkinsMichael De NilMike BaukesMike Cannon-BrookesMike Cannon-BrooksRod HamiltonRory San MiguelScott Farquhar
17 deals

2025 state of raising: $1.8 billion in – as late-stage deals boom

Tracxn figures show Australian tech funding reached $1.8 billion by mid-2025, powered by large late-stage rounds at Protecht, Airwallex, Harrison AI and Advancell, while seed and early-stage raising fell away sharply.

Forbes Australia 18 Jul 2025 AdvanCellAirwallexBlinqCalcTreeDiag-NoseFactor HouseHarrison AIMinikaiMyGigstersPolyactivaProtechtRayGenSiconaUpcoverBreakthrough VictoriaIn-Q-TelInsight PartnersInterValley VenturesMacdoch VenturesMain Sequence VenturesPrincess Alexandra HospitalTidal500 GlobalAirTree VenturesAntler AustraliaAware SuperBlackbird VenturesHubSpot VenturesLaunchVicNational Reconstruction Fund CorporationSquare Peg CapitalStartmateTouring CapitalWollemi Capital GroupAdam MarcusDr Aengus TranJack ZhangKell Reilly
Fund close $200k

Startmate’s top 20 most valuable investments

A profile of Startmate ranking the twenty most valuable companies it has backed, noting their valuations, past raises and founders, plus Bugcrowd's newly announced purchase of Informer and its climate focus.

Forbes Australia 30 May 2024 5BAirRobeAmberBugcrowdGreat WrapMorse MicroSiconaStartmateUluuUpGuardVertus EnergyAdore BeautyAtlassianBlackbird VenturesBoundless EarthCanvaCommonwealth BankCulture AmpGrok CapitalMain Sequence VenturesSquare Peg CapitalTattarangMike Cannon-BrookesScott FarquharAlan Sharp-PaulAndrew TerryCasey EllisChris ThompsonDan AdamsMichael BatkoMichael De NilMike BaukesNiki ScevakTwiggy Forrest
2 deals

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup covering an SME sentiment survey, Renewable Metals winning a Supercharge Australia award, a new Queensland trade commissioner, an FFI green hydrogen power deal, a Siemens emissions pilot, and a CDU drones grant.

@AuManufacturing 31 Mar 2023 Charles Darwin UniversityRenewable MetalsRoevSiconaVaultaBanjo LoansEnergyLabFood South AustraliaFortescue Future IndustriesNew Energy NexusPacific Trade Invest AustraliaQueensland GovernmentSiemensSouth Australian GovernmentStatkraftTrade and Investment QueenslandUniversity of WollongongVaxxasAustralian GovernmentSupercharge AustraliaDr Angus ForsterGuy CallaghanLeata AlaimoanaLuan AtkinsonProfessor Mark HutchinsonPeter HallidayDr Rebecca RogersDr Susan Close
3 deals

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Manufacturing roundup covering Cyclopharm's tax incentive payment, Carbon Revolution's government grant payments, CEFC's wind farm debt commitment, Adbri's land sales, a Monash energy report and a Wollongong research showcase.

@AuManufacturing 30 Nov 2022 Carbon RevolutionCyclopharmGolden Plains wind farmAdbriAmpolBoeingBrisbane AirportHysataMonash UniversityQantas AirwaysQueensland GovernmentSiconaUniversity of WollongongVestasVirgin AustraliaAustralian Taxation OfficeBank of ChinaClean Energy Finance CorporationCommonwealth BankFederal GovernmentKFWMizuhoTagEnergyWestpacMark IrwinPaul di PietroSarah PinkSteven Miles

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