Government · 14 deals
Every published round State Government took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
Everyone State Government has named to a program in published coverage. A place in a program is not a raise: the cheque is the figure recorded with the place, which is the program's standard terms where we hold them, and a blank is one we don't.
Companies State Government has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VitalTrace | Continuous lactate biosensors for real-time fetal monitoring | Accelerator | 1 | 0 |
| VeinTech | Medtech startup tackling difficult intravenous access | 2021, Accelerator | 1 | 0 |
| Thomas Food International | 1 Mar 2022, Grant | 1 | 0 | |
| Setonix Pharmaceuticals | 6 May 2024, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Purpose Ventures | 4 Apr 2023, Grant | 1 | 1 | |
| Ocean HEX | Ceramic device for seeding marine species onto artificial reefs | 12 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 0 |
| Novolo Co | Molecular technology for food preservation and waste reduction | 12 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 0 |
| Materia Health | MateriaPOD platform built to transport donor organs, blood products and reproductive cells | 9 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
| Hyperion Systems | Deployable factory-in-a-box using robotic 3D printing for large products | 9 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
| Hermes and Soteria | Jun 2024, Grant | 1 | 1 | |
| Greenroom Robotics | Moved from environmental tracking software into sovereign defence and maritime work | 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
| Genvis | West Leederville public safety software company | 9 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
| Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth | Perth-headquartered, not-for-profit, industry-led consortium focused on making WA a world… | 2026, Grant | 1 | 1 |
| Atherid Therapeutics | First-in-class drug ATH01 designed to clear arterial plaque directly | 9 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
Fund closes reported for State Government, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies State Government has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal State Government did.
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Cook | State Development, Jobs, and Trade Minister (former) | Startup Daily, Startup News (WA) |
| Stephen Dawson | Science and Innovation Minister (former) | Startup News (WA) (8 Jul 2026), Startup News (WA) (29 Jun 2026), Startup Daily, Startup News (WA) (27 Jun 2024), @AuManufacturing, Startup News (WA) (21 Feb 2023) |
Stories naming State Government. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Western Australia's government has shortlisted 23 companies for the 2026 Innovators of the Year awards across six categories; $310,000 in prizes will be shared in November, and past winners including Kanopy are recalled.
Western Australia's government is putting $6.5 million into the local space sector, dividing it between the AROSE consortium and Curtin University's Binar satellite program, with South Australia's bigger spend cited for comparison.
WA's government is putting $150,000 into Spacecubed's Perth Landing Pad through 2026, sustaining a 90-day program helping overseas startups enter Western Australia; 100-plus international startups have come through it so far.
Western Australia's government added $15 million to its WAVC fund-of-funds, committing $45 million across seven venture firms to back local startups; Purpose Ventures' fund closed at $55 million after backing My Mirror and SpacetoCo.
Western Australia's government has awarded $8.5 million in grants across three schemes, a health innovation seed fund, commercialisation bridge grants and innovation booster grants, naming dozens of local recipients.
Podcast interview with Adarsh Australia director Faz Pollard discussing post-Covid policy, government procurement, and the group's grant-funded plant recycling waste paper into new products in Western Australia.
Broome biotech Marine Biomedical opened a facility to make PearlBone, a synthetic bone substitute from oyster nacre, backed by a WA government grant, and plans regulatory submissions in Australia and the US.
FundWA has backed Perth medtech VitalTrace as the second deal from its debut fund. The biosensor startup's co-founders took out a 2021 WA Innovator of the Year award.
Kylie and Derek Gerrard's Purpose Ventures has closed $37m for its Western Australian startup fund, with WA investors, the Steinberg Family Office as cornerstone backer and state government operational support.
Also Startup Daily
WA agtech Xsights joins SVG Ventures' inaugural THRIVE APAC Accelerator, trials its smart ear tag with Craig Mostyn Group, and has locked in $2 million toward a $4 million seed target.
Western Australia's government has selected three forming local early-stage venture funds, Purpose Ventures, Fund WA and Quokka Capital, for 100,000 dollars each in matched operational funding under its WAVES pilot.
Perth-founded, London-based ergonomic wearable maker Soter Analytics has raised US$12 million (A$16 million) in a round led by AV8 Ventures, with funds earmarked for expansion and further development of its injury-prevention technology.
Adelaide meat processor Thomas Foods International plans a large plant-based protein venture with two partners, backed by federal and state government grants, targeting South Australian manufacturing hubs and thousands of new jobs.
Also @AuManufacturing