Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Investor · 1 deal

University of Queensland

Research university where Cortisonic's underlying phononic computing research originated

St Lucia, QLD

Coverage

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

Accelerator $1.5m

Vaccine Platform Secures Funds Against Mosquito Threats

UQ spinout Proboxis Biotechnology has received $1.5 million via the first round of the Biointelect Venturer incubator to advance a vaccine platform against mosquito-borne diseases toward human clinical development.

Funding announcement

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #175, 23rd August 2026

Weekly roundup: Constantinople raises $62.5m; Blackbird wraps fund six above $1b; Guardhouse buys Mobohubb; SCX.ai debuts on the ASX; plus seed rounds, exits and executive changes across the ecosystem.

Exit / M&A

Diageo Acquires Mr Black Coffee Liqueur: A Strategic Move in the Premium Ready-to-Drink and Espresso Martini Era

Spirits giant Diageo has bought the Sydney-founded coffee liqueur maker Mr Black; the piece examines the price, the cocktail trend behind it, rival acquisitions, and what comes next for the brand.

Unnamed stage $32m

Dentroid raises $32 million for needle-free dental technology

Canberra medtech Dentroid has banked $32 million at a $265 million valuation, with Septodont both investing and signing a worldwide licensing deal for its light-based device that eases dental pain without needles.

Also Dealroom

Funding announcement

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.

8 deals

Federal government slips $12.7 million to 8 quantum projects tackling energy, minerals and health

Eight university- and company-led Australian quantum projects share $12.7 million in stage-two Critical Technologies Challenge Program grants, funding prototypes for data-centre cooling, medical imaging and rare-earth detection.

News

Yield by Artesian: Aligning Capital, Capability and Innovation for Australia’s Agrifood Future

Artesian's write-up of its first Yield summit in Melbourne, where agrifood leaders discussed AI, biologicals, robotics, agri-energy and biosecurity, and how RDCs, investors and corporates can together speed Australian agricultural innovation.

Funding announcement

Wise Repro launches state-of-the-art semen processing lab

A Queensland cattle genetics business has opened a laboratory to process bull semen at Glen Aplin with government grant support, and a partner will sort sexed semen there from early 2026.

5 deals

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.

Series A $46m

Hydrogen-powered hypersonic defence aircraft startup soars on $46 million Series A

Brisbane hypersonic aircraft developer Hypersonix Launch Systems has raised a $46 million Series A led by High Tor Capital with Saab, RKKVC, QIC and federal backing, valuing it at $141 million.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Business News Australia

Grant $2.1m

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing items: gold-nanoparticle cancer diagnostics research, a medical research endowment's ten-year mark, a footballer's ambassador role, EU research program accession talks, a pectin producer's government grant, and battle-tank trainers.

Fund close $439m

Peter Beattie AC appointed Brandon BioCatalyst Chair

Brandon BioCatalyst has named Peter Beattie its chair as Bill Ferris retires, with Andrew Nash joining the board and Ross King becoming deputy; manager Brandon Capital's newly raised $439 million fund was noted.

Grant $492.5k

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, July 7 – July 11, 2025

Weekly roundup of readers' five favourite stories: a hydrogen grant for 1414 Degrees, LS Precast's rail tunnel contract, AML3D's US Navy pact, quantum clock breakthrough, and Suntory Oceania's launch.

6 deals

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.

Grant $65m

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, April 21 – April 25, 2025

Roundup of the publication's five most-read stories of the week: a $65 million grant for the SMART regenerative-therapies CRC, QUT's flexible semiconductor research, a Lima Declaration fact-check, and Greensteel Australia's $1.6 billion mill order.

2 deals

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of brief items: Memphasys hails fertility device trial results; a concrete recycler is fined; Wurrba, Hazer and University of Queensland land government grants; Aus J gains a North American distribution partner.

9 deals

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.

3 deals

Australian champion of two-way smart grid technology that won Arena funding placed in liquidation

Queensland smart-grid company Elexsys Energy, trading as Planet Ark Power, won federal and state grants and partial Series B backing before being wound up on a tax office application.

8 deals

Funding Australia’s Future Economy: CUREator Deploys $7.21 Million to Propel local Life Sciences Potential

CUREator, Brandon BioCatalyst's government-backed grant program, has awarded $7.21 million across eight Australian biotech firms in its newest round, split between clinical-stage and preclinical recipients.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Startup Daily·ausceleratesa.org

3 deals

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Matrak closes a Series A, Queensland Pacific Metals receives an R&D tax refund, ARENA funds a household energy trial, Ampcontrol appoints a transformation chief, plus policy and launch briefs.

Also @AuManufacturing

Key hire

Welcoming Harikesh to the Partnership

Stoic Venture Capital has promoted Harikesh Pushpapathan into its partnership, with co-founder Guy Hedley crediting two years of work helping university researchers commercialise their science.

2 deals

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

AuManufacturing's briefs roundup records Electro Optic Systems' completed $35 million placement and Environmental Clean Technologies' completed $1.5 million placement, alongside Incat's best-managed-company award, Osteopore's approvals in two Asian markets, and GLAM applications opening.

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