Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Startup · $25.9m raised

Uluu

Deep tech startup making biodegradable plastic alternatives from seaweed-derived PHA

Perth, WA

Coverage

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

7 deals

The 8 Australian startups on Forbes Asia's 100 To Watch list

Eight Australian companies make Forbes Asia's annual 100 To Watch list; the piece profiles each and recaps recent raises across climate tech, health and software.

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.

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.

13 deals

The Week in AgriFoodTech: Funding for insect protein, Believer Meats USDA approval, Pow.Bio scales continuous biomanufacturing

Weekly agrifoodtech roundup: raises for more than a dozen companies including Australia's Uluu and Nbryo, executive and board appointments, Leon's buyback from Asda, and the collapse of two insect firms.

11 deals

Cheque-in: 8 startups raised $113 million this week to end October

Weekly funding roundup covering eight raises totalling over $113 million across aerospace, biotech, materials, health and software, plus a pharmacy firm's acquisition out of administration.

10 deals

Eight ANZ startups that raised $113 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight trans-Tasman startup raises worth a combined $113 million-plus, alongside Joe Zhou's buyout of StrongRoom AI from administrators.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

2 deals

Uluu raises $16 million Series A to replace plastics with seaweed-based alternatives

Perth seaweed materials maker Uluu has closed a Series A led by Burda Principal Investments to fund a commercial-scale facility, with Main Sequence returning after leading its 2022 round.

Also Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·Startup News (WA)·Startup Daily·AgFunderNews

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.

2 deals

Oceans of opportunity for plastic replacement

Profile of Uluu, a Perth climate tech startup turning farmed seaweed into biodegradable PHA to replace plastics, recalling early backing from Alberts Impact Ventures and Main Sequence plus two grants.

Also Forbes Australia

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.

6 deals

Five ANZ startups that raised $36.4 million this week

A weekly roundup detailing five raises across Australia and New Zealand: Marmalade, Cauldron, Prophet, Hola Health and Buddy, naming amounts, lead backers and founders.

2 deals

Alberts Impact Ventures: 2023 in review

Investor's own year in review: five new portfolio companies, a follow-on into ULUU, the Verve Super exit, the Equity Clear gender-reporting initiative, a first founders' retreat, and a sweep of awards for portfolio companies.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·Alberts Impact Ventures portfolio·Alberts Impact Ventures portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Women's Agenda·Crunchbase News

3 deals

No bull!@#$: Number 8 Bio lands $1.8 million for animal feed that reduces cow farts

A biotech startup making a methane-cutting cattle feed additive has raised pre-seed capital from four backers, with the piece also recalling recent emissions-focused raises by two other Perth ventures.

Also AgFunderNews·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews

2 deals

Cauldron brews $10.5 million to globalise its precision fermentation platform

Regional NSW precision fermentation startup Cauldron has raised a $10.5 million seed round led by Main Sequence Ventures, following an earlier Queensland government investment, to expand its pilot facilities.

Also Women's Agenda·@AuManufacturing·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany

6 deals

Alberts Impact Ventures year in review

Alberts Impact Ventures recaps 2022: six new portfolio companies, five follow-on investments, a led seed round in Abby Health, plus team events, a trade mission and investor recognition.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·RenewEconomy

9 deals

Cultured meat, seaweed and death tech: 10 startups we’re watching in 2023

SmartCompany profiles ten Australian startups to watch in 2023, recapping recent funding rounds, one acquisition, and pitch-event and awards results across insurtech, gaming, biotech, death tech and freight.

Also SmartCompany

16 deals

FUNDED November 2022

Techboard's monthly roundup reports November 2022 Australian private funding of roughly $678 million across 38 deals, listing closed raises by Vow, Samsara Eco, Advanced Navigation and others, Sprint Ventures' first fund close, and rounds still open.

Also SmartCompany

11 deals

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

Unnamed stage $8m

ULUU secures $8m in their latest fundraising to replace the world's plastic

Alberts Impact Ventures announces it is backing Uluu, a maker of seaweed-based plastic alternatives that has raised $8 million, and directs readers to the Australian Financial Review for more on founders Julia Reisser and Michael Kingsbury.

Also Alberts Impact Ventures portfolio·TechCrunch Australia·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·Startup News (WA)·Startup Daily·Techboard·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup News (WA)·Forbes Australia

2 deals

ULUU wants to solve the plastic crisis with seaweed

Seaweed-based plastics maker ULUU has raised AUD 8 million led by Main Sequence, with angels including Karlie Kloss and Kevin Parker taking part, to scale its biodegradable PHA polymer and launch first products.

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