Tin Alley Ventures

🇦🇺 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.

Skopos Bio raises $8.4M seed to advance radioactive cancer therapy

Melbourne oncology startup Skopos Bio has raised a seed round from Tenmile, Tin Alley Ventures and Yosemite to advance radioactive cancer therapy toward human trials.

Breakthrough Victoria is slinging another $75 million at local VC funds

Victoria's Breakthrough Victoria has committed $75m to five specialist VC funds covering climate tech, life sciences, female founders and healthcare, each pledging a quarter of its capital to local startups.

BREAKTHROUGH VICTORIA INVESTS $75 MILLION IN VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS TO BUILD VICTORIA'S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Breakthrough Victoria is putting $75 million into five venture capital funds, including Virescent, SYNthesis BioVentures, Scale and Galileo, each of which has pledged a quarter of its capital to Victorian startups.

Breakthrough Victoria commits $75 million across five VC funds

Breakthrough Victoria makes cornerstone investments totalling $75 million into five venture capital funds spanning climate-tech, biotech, diversity-focused and health sciences investing.

Neurala is Rewiring Mental Health with Psychedelic Biotech

Profile of Melbourne-based biotech Neurala Biosciences, founded by two researchers turning DMT and harmala compounds into medicines, covering its origins, grant and investor backing totalling $4.5m, and planned first-in-human studies.

Mirugen Secures A$4.5m to Pioneer Cell (Re)programming, and Welcomes Charlotte Casebourne Stock as Executive Chair

Mirugen, a Melbourne biotech spun out of an eye research institute, has closed a A$4.5m seed round with three backers and hired Charlotte Casebourne Stock as chair and acting chief executive.

Also cera.org.au·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·insightnews.com.au

‘More than just a venture capital firm’: $2 billion sovereign fund Breakthrough Victoria hits back at critics who want it abolished

Breakthrough Victoria defends its spending and investment record against critics urging its abolition, pointing to portfolio companies, university partnerships and recent backing of startups including Aravax.

Media release 21 March 2024

Breakthrough Victoria's media release marks three years, citing more than $300 million committed across direct investments, a fund, a grant and university partnerships, and discusses its Aravax and Seer Medical investments.

University of Melbourne mental health startup using psychedelics kicks off with $4.5 million

Melbourne university funds backed a psychedelic medicines startup; six campus startups were showcased, and Tanarra Capital reported $100 million committed toward its alumni founders fund target.

Six Aussie startups that raised $21.3 million this week

Roundup of the week's Australian raises: Sitemate, Kashcade, Psychae Therapeutics, MediCann Health, Refilled and Upworth together banked $21.3 million across software, lending, psychedelic medicine, cannabis and drink dispensing.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Forbes Australia

Tin Alley Ventures

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

News roundup covering Bega's sale of its Vitasoy stake, a university venture fund's first close, an Australia-Netherlands hydrogen agreement, a research body's budget push, and a new Tasmanian space antenna.

Melbourne Uni's new VC fund, Tin Alley Ventures, sets $200 million target after reaching $100m

University of Melbourne's Tin Alley Ventures fund has raised $100 million toward a $200 million target, backed by the university, Breakthrough Victoria and local business figures, with a second close targeted for mid-2023.

Also @AuManufacturing

Melbourne Uni launches two investment funds, worth $115 million, to back research commercialisation startups

University of Melbourne launches a $15m pre-seed fund with Breakthrough Victoria and a $100m fund run by Tanarra Capital for research commercialisation; the piece also recalls ANU's Instaclustr sale to NetApp.