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Bret Taylor's Sierra raises nearly $1 billion months after last capital push

Sierra, the enterprise AI agent firm started by Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor, has banked a $950 million Series E with Tiger Global and Google Ventures at the helm, plus Benchmark, Sequoia and Greenoaks.

Also TechCrunch Australia·aivy.com.au·cmswire.com·theaiworld.org·faq.com.tw·groundy.com

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.

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

Transforming the Future of Advertising: Agentio's $12M Series A

Agentio announces a $12m Series A with Benchmark leading and earlier backers Craft and AlleyCorp returning, taking the creator-advertising platform's total funding to $16.25m.

Jonny Dawson

Dom Pym discusses his journey from engineering to founding Up Bank and now investing via Euphemia, focusing on social good and underrepresented founders.

These Are The Most Active And Spendiest Cleantech Investors

Crunchbase data analysis ranking the busiest cleantech investors, led by Lowercarbon Capital, and citing large sustainability rounds at Loam Bio, Our Next Energy, Ohmium and Palmetto Clean Technology.

Linktree is now letting users add Threads on their profile

Linktree launches a feature letting creators embed their Threads profile and posts on their Linktree pages, following its recent Snap partnership and Threads' rapid user growth.

CommBank plants funding in $220 Series A for climate change investor Wollemi Capital

Wollemi Capital, the Sydney climate investor, has closed a $220m raise, past its initial $100m goal, backed by CBA, Trawalla and others; the article recalls its bets on Loam Bio, Pluton Bio and Pachama.

The Ignition Lane Wrap: Life in the fast lane. And calling road service

Ignition Lane's weekly wrap: Tiger Global's losses and past Australian bets, MilkRun and TradeSquare closures, Cyara's Spearline acquisition, a Co Ventures pre-seed fund, Square Peg's partner promotion and LaunchVic's 30×30 picks.

Accel, Square Peg back Chronicle's tool for presentations that won't put you to sleep

Presentation startup Chronicle, based in Sydney and San Francisco, announced a $7.5 million seed round led by Accel and Square Peg, with angels from several major tech companies participating.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Successful fintech entrepreneur Michael H. Giles backs Change Financial for global growth

US fintech investor Michael H. Giles has invested A$6.9 million in Brisbane-listed payments provider Change Financial, taking a 19.99% stake via his vehicle FinTech HQ to support its US expansion.

Ignition Lane's Great Big Annual Wrap

Ignition Lane's year-end review of 2022 tech news: shifting VC sentiment, record Australian fund raises, grocery delivery failures and shutdowns, local M&A, crypto fallout, awards, and global stories from Twitter to ChatGPT.

Also AgFunderNews

The Ignition Lane Wrap: Sunrise. Demise. No more pies.

Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup covering record Australian VC fund raises, several green-tech startup funding rounds, Deliveroo's administration, the FTX collapse, and takeover offers for ELMO and Nitro.

Also Techboard

Daily Crunch: Nigerian startup that stored its 'day-to-day operational budget' on FTX announces staff cuts

TechCrunch roundup: FTX fallout hits Nestcoin and SoftBank's stake, while Quix, Joepegs, Vow, Faraday Future and Butter raise, plus items on Twitter, VLC, DoorDash, Hulu, Google and Apple.

Also AgFunderNews

Daily Crunch: After buying Twitter, will Musk bite back at Apple's in-app purchase fees?

TechCrunch's Daily Crunch roundup covering Musk's Twitter purchase and Apple's fees, Zillow layoffs, LatticeFlow and OTI raises, Square Peg's fund close, and Argo AI's shutdown.

Also Startup Daily

Ignition Lane's Great Big Wrap: VCs court cash, an M&A bash & Canva makes a splash

Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup covering fresh Australian startup raises, new venture funds and closes, a wave of acquisitions, delistings and a liquidation, executive moves, and Canva's product launch.

Also Techboard·Startup Daily

Our investment in Vouch

OIF Ventures' note explains why the fund co-led an $8m seed round in video-testimonial software maker Vouch with US-based Stage 2 Capital, profiling the product, founders and go-to-market model.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Ignition Lane's Wrap: the state of Cloud, VC advice, Tiger stripes, cattle class crypto, M&A fires up

Weekly tech wrap: cloud-market trends, Tiger Global's cheques into Stake, Shippit and Carma, new VC funds, several acquisitions, grocery delivery startups Send and Quicko collapsing, and Elaine Stead joining M8 Ventures.

Also Startup Daily

MUSK BUY: Tesla boss wins war for Twitter with $61 billion

Startup Daily relays Elon Musk's agreed takeover of Twitter for roughly US$44 billion, including his earlier 9.2 per cent stake purchase, board reactions, and the debt and equity financing behind the deal.

Elon Musk to buy Twitter: Will the trolling stop?

Twitter's board has approved Elon Musk's multi-billion-dollar takeover offer, prompting the author to ask whether the platform's harassment and safety problems will improve or worsen for women under its new owner.

Tim Draper, one of America’s most successful startup investors, has backed drone reforestation startup Lord of the Trees in $1.67 million pre-Seed

US investor Tim Draper has led a pre-seed round in Australian drone reforestation startup Lord of the Trees, raising US$1.25 million (A$1.67 million) at a A$7 million valuation.

Also AgFunderNews

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: Super-fast unicorn, VC funding boom, put another founder on a Barbie

Ignition Lane's weekly roundup: Zip's deal for Sezzle, Zeller's unicorn raise, several Australian funding rounds, Startmate backing Provvy, a space manufacturing grant, NZVC's first close, and tech's response to Russia.

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: The Great Reengagement, backing Web3, riding the markets & the big local raises

Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup: AirTree raises $700m across three new funds, dozens of Australian startups announce rounds, a wave of acquisitions including Block completing its Afterpay buy, plus Web3 commentary and US market moves.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily