Uniseed

🇦🇺 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.

Melbourne Uni concrete recycling spinout R2Crete raises $521,000 pre-Seed

A university spinout commercialising concrete recycling has secured pre-seed backing from Genesis Pre-Seed Fund and Uniseed to build a pilot plant, with field trials planned for early 2027.

Melbourne Uni concrete recycling spinout cements $750,000 pre-Seed

University of Melbourne spinout R2Crete, recycling waste concrete into aggregates and cement replacement, raised $750,000 pre-seed from the uni's Genesis fund and Uniseed to build a pilot plant.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·This Week in Australian Startups

Currus Biologics Wins FDA Clearance for CUR-001 Phase 1 Trial

America's medicines regulator has approved Currus Biologics to begin human trials of CUR-001, its solid-tumour CAR T-cell therapy combination, with dosing expected from early 2027.

Currus Biologics announces FDA IND clearance for Phase 1 trial of CUR-001 in mesothelin-positive advanced refractory solid tumours

Australian biotech Currus Biologics has won US regulator clearance to begin human testing of its lead cancer therapy, CUR-001; the company's backers include Brandon Capital, Main Sequence and Uniseed.

Currus Biologics announces FDA IND clearance for Phase 1 trial of CUR-001

Australian biotech Currus Biologics has won US regulatory clearance to begin human testing of its lead cancer therapy, CUR-001, combining an antibody platform with CAR T cells for solid tumours.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #179, 26th September 2026

Weekly roundup recording a dozen raises and acquisitions, Firmus's scheduled float, a new $50m venture fund, a founder share sale, grant winners, an accelerator intake, and an AI agent's government breach.

Also Dynamic Business·DealStreetAsia·This Week in Australian Startups·Dealroom·ABC News Technology

Dementia biotech Kinoxis raises $6.75 million with a $2.5m grant as cherry on top

Melbourne dementia drug developer Kinoxis secured $6.75 million equity led by Main Sequence plus a $2.5 million Medical Research Future Fund grant via CUREator+, funding trials of its agitation and pain drug candidates.

ENA Respiratory Begins Part B Dosing

Melbourne biotech ENA Respiratory has begun dosing participants in the second part of its Phase IIa trial of INNA-051; its investor lineup, past government funding awards and BLUE KNIGHT alumni status are recapped.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #176, 30th August 2026

Weekly roundup: Blackbird confirms a record fund close and Galileo reaches a first close, Genesis merges with Proudi, IREN secures massive debt, and several startups report raises, grants and program wins.

Our investment in Facet Amtech: Rethinking how the world makes ammonia

Main Sequence explains its decision to back Facet Amtech again alongside Uniseed in a $3 million round, funding the startup's water-based ammonia catalyst work and its first pilot plant.

Also AgFunderNews·Dealroom

Aravax Awarded FDA Fast Track Designation for PVX108

The US medicines regulator has granted Fast Track designation to Aravax's peanut-allergy immunotherapy PVX108, easing its development path; the Melbourne-based biotech expects Phase 2 data later in 2026.

BioScout raises A$6.75 million to take its agricultural technology global.

Uniseed announces portfolio company BioScout's A$6.75 million round co-led by Demea Sustainable Investment and Astanor to scale its crop disease sensor network internationally.

Green fertiliser startup PlasmaLeap lands $28 million Series A

Sydney cleantech PlasmaLeap raised a US$20m Series A to build fertiliser hubs and expand green ammonia reactor technology for farmers.

Uniseed Invests in xCystence Bio to Advance New Therapy Targeting Genetic Kidney Disease

xCystence Bio secured pre-seed funding from Uniseed, Monash Ventures, Breakthrough Victoria, and BioCurate to develop targeted protein degraders for treating genetic kidney disease.

Q-Sera announces first product launch of its RAPClot™

Uniseed-backed Australian medtech Q-Sera's blood-clotting tube technology has debuted in Japan via Terumo's VenoJect II launch; the post also credits MRCF and UniQuest Extension Fund as backers.

ENA Respiratory Receives USPTO Notice of Allowance for Two Patents Covering TLR2 Agonists and Rhinovirus-Mediated COPD Exacerbations

Melbourne-based ENA Respiratory announced US patent allowances covering its TLR2 agonist platform and a COPD treatment method, strengthening IP protection for its INNA-051 nasal spray candidate now in Phase II testing.

Seven ANZ startups that raised $71.8 million this week

Weekly roundup covering seven raises across the Tasman: Phonely's Series A, Pay.com.au's private placement, and rounds for Atomic Tessellator, Caruso, Deteqt, Clean Slate Clinic and Earthletica, worth roughly $72 million combined.

Also crane.vc

Currus Biologics: a tale of perseverance, persistence and patience

Profile of a Peter Mac spinout advancing solid-tumour cell therapies; recounts its Series A backers, later investment, grant support, and chief executive Sam Cobb's earlier career building and listing AdAlta.

ENA Respiratory Appoints Melissa Faris to Board

Deteqt Featured Across Defence and Technology Media Following A$5 Million Seed Raise

Also Forbes Australia·Startup Daily·Defence Connect·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Dealroom

Investment update: xCystence Bio

Breakthrough Victoria reports investing in xCystence Bio, a Monash University spinout developing polycystic kidney disease therapies, via its University Innovation Platform alongside BioCurate and UniSeed.

Also Uniseed

Improving laboratory management and patient outcomes – Q-Sera announces first product launch of its RAPClotTM rapid serum blood collection tube technology in Japan

Q-Sera's rapid-clotting blood tube technology has gone to market in Japan via Terumo's VenoJect II launch; the Melbourne startup's backers include MRCF, Uniseed and the UniQuest Extension Fund.

ENA Respiratory Announces Dosing of First Participants in Phase II Study of INNA-051 Nasal Spray Designed to Protect Against Symptomatic Viral Respiratory Infections

Melbourne biotech ENA Respiratory has begun dosing volunteers in a mid-stage trial of its INNA-051 antiviral spray, aimed at limiting common viral illnesses in at-risk groups.

Seven ANZ startups that raised $93.1 million this week

Roundup of seven trans-Tasman raises worth $93.1m this week, headlined by IND Technology's $50m round, with LawVu also acquiring ClauseBase.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

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.

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

Uniseed boss Peter Devine calls time on 20 years leading Australia's OG VC

Uniseed chief executive Peter Devine departs after two decades; Monash's Alistair Hick takes over in 2026. The piece recounts Uniseed's fund history and recent stakes in ENA Respiratory and Morse Micro rounds.

Uniseed appoints Dr Alastair Hick as Chief Executive Officer to lead next phase of the fund's 25-year history

Australia's Uniseed venture fund has named Dr Alastair Hick as its chief executive, with the appointment announced as the fund marks 25 years of operation.

Queensland biotech tops up $1 million Seed round with another $2m

Queensland drug developer Lucia Bio added $2 million to its seed round from UniQuest Extension Fund and Uniseed-managed funds, bringing its overall raise to $3 million ahead of a planned Series A.

Six Aussie startups that raised $28.5 million this week

Weekly roundup detailing new capital for Australian startups Diraq, BrainFish, RecycleSmart, Cohabit and Five Faces, alongside Alumly's undisclosed multimillion-dollar backing from UK investor Mauve Group.

Also Startup Daily

Quantum chips startup Diraq secures $15 million towards new raise

Quantum computing venture Diraq has banked $15 million toward an unfinished round, with earlier backers joined by two new funds, pushing its cumulative funding beyond US$137 million.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Uniseed adds another $25m from UniSuper to commercialise academic research

UniSuper adds a further $25 million to its backing of Uniseed, reaching $100 million in total support for the university research commercialisation fund; past cheques to quantum and biotech startups are recapped.

ENA Respiratory Receives US$5m Investment from Flu Lab to Support Clinical Development of Novel Intranasal Antiviral Host Defence Immune Enhancer, INNA-051

Melbourne pharmaceutical company ENA Respiratory has received US$5 million from California's Flu Lab to advance clinical testing of its nasal immune-boosting antiviral candidate INNA-051.

Also Brandon Capital portfolio

Certa Therapeutics Expands GPR68 Platform through Acquisition of OccuRx

Melbourne biotech Certa Therapeutics has acquired OccuRx, combining two GPR68 fibrosis pipelines founded by Professor Darren Kelly, and says it will seek Series B funding to advance clinical development.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio

Eight Aussie startups that raised $80 million this week

Weekly funding roundup covering eight local companies that together banked $80m, topped by twin $17m Series Bs at Safewill and Fresho, plus Celosia's $16.75m Series A and five smaller rounds.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·LaunchVic

Aravax Completes Recruitment into Phase 2 Study of PVX108, a novel immunotherapy for the Treatment of Peanut Allergy

Aravax has finished enrolling 95 young patients in its Phase 2 peanut-allergy immunotherapy trial across US and Australian sites, with results expected in the first half of 2026.

ENA Respiratory Announces Extension of U.S. Department of Defense Funding for Novel Prophylactic Antiviral

Melbourne's ENA Respiratory has won a further US$3.18 million US Defense Department contract to widen its INNA-051 Phase Ib trial to younger adults, extending the US$8.18 million the agency had already committed.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·enarespiratory.com

Five ANZ startups that raised $38.5 million this week

Weekly roundup detailing five raises across Australian and New Zealand startups — Hapana, Kinoxis Therapeutics, Appetise, Bike Matrix and Aglow — worth a combined $38.5 million, naming lead investors and planned expansion for each.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Kinoxis secures $14.5m in funding and announces expansion of clinical programs to target agitation and aggression in dementia patients

Australian biotech Kinoxis Therapeutics raised $14.5 million in Series B backing from Uniseed, UniSuper and others to fund Phase 2 trials of KNX100 for dementia-related agitation, including a new Australian study.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily