This Week in Australian Startups #174, 16th August 2026
Australian startups raised funds including Alloy Robotics, Farmbot and Atmo Biosciences. Firmus Technologies acquired Benmax while Tabcorp bought BetMakers. SafetyCulture rebranded to Mitti.
Venture capital fund · 1 deal
Every published round Verge HealthTech Fund took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding Zoe | Unnamed stage | Nov 2025 | $770k | Participant | Startup Daily, SmartCompany (7 Nov 2025), SmartCompany (6 Nov 2025) |
Companies Verge HealthTech Fund has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding Zoe | The first AI-powered platform transforming fragmented care into coordinated, neuroaffirmi… | Nov 2025 | 1 | 0 |
Fund closes reported for Verge HealthTech Fund, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Verge HealthTech Fund has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Verge HealthTech Fund did.
Stories naming Verge HealthTech Fund. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Australian startups raised funds including Alloy Robotics, Farmbot and Atmo Biosciences. Firmus Technologies acquired Benmax while Tabcorp bought BetMakers. SafetyCulture rebranded to Mitti.
Roundup of eight funding deals: Synchron's Series D, plus raises by Lumonus AI, Hullbot, Nbryo, Cytophenix, Giftbee, Understanding Zoe and Zeligate, spanning medtech, robotics, agtech and AI.
Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily
Singaporean investor Verge HealthTech Fund has put $770,000 into Understanding Zoe, whose app helps parents of neurodivergent children coordinate care, with the round still open to further money.