Virescent Ventures

Renewable Metals raises $12M Series A - Luan Atkinson, round details and contact

Profile of Australian battery-recycling company Renewable Metals, reporting its oversubscribed $12 million Series A with CEFC and Virescent Ventures leading, founder and CEO Luan Atkinson, and chair Peter Beaven.

MAKO raises $28 million for ‘shark skin’ aircraft technology

MAKO has banked a $28 million Series A, headed by Virescent Ventures, to take its drag-cutting Flightfilm coating to market; the piece also recalls an earlier seed round and a government grant.

Also Startup Daily

Investment in shark skin poised to take off

Sydney aerospace company MAKO has raised $28 million in a Virescent Ventures-led Series A to manufacture Flightfilm, a shark-inspired skin that cuts aircraft drag and fuel use.

Also Virescent Ventures portfolio·mako.aero·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·Defence Connect

Renewable Metals raises $12 million Series A to scale next-generation lithium-ion battery recycling technology

Australia's clean energy finance agency led an oversubscribed $12 million Series A in a Western Australian battery recycling startup, joining existing and new investors to fund prototype operations and first commercial plant design.

Also @AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·esgwise.org·esgtoday.com·nationaltribune.com.au·Dealroom·evmagz.com·battery-tech.net

Renewable Metals raises $12 million Series A to scale next-generation lithium-ion battery recycling technology

Battery recycler Renewable Metals closed an oversubscribed $12 million Series A led by CEFC to fund round-the-clock prototype operations and engineering design for its first commercial-scale recycling plant in New South Wales.

Also fundedstartupsdaily.com

DryFlow Magnetics: Investment Notes

Virescent Ventures announces it co-led DryFlow Magnetics' $10m seed round with Orion Industrial Ventures and Taronga Group, funding a demonstrator for the startup's dry ore-beneficiation technology.

Also Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

Breakthrough Victoria recaps a month of events across Victoria's innovation ecosystem

Breakthrough Victoria staff attended agrifood, climate finance, women's health and deep tech events, and joined the launch of agritech firm YieldX.

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

IND Technology: Investment Notes

Virescent Ventures announces it has invested in grid-tech firm IND Technology's inaugural institutional round, led by Energy Impact Partners and Angeleno Group, profiling the Melbourne company's early fault detection technology, founders and utility customers.

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

Six ANZ startups that raised $568.1 million this week

Funding roundup led by Airwallex's US$330 million Series G at a $12 billion valuation, with raises from Kasada, Hnry, All G, Bless Payments and Emanda, plus earlier rounds recalled.

Also Startup Daily

Breast milk substitution biotech raises $10 million amid French deal for global push

Sydney biotech All G raised $10 million via convertible note from Agronomics, Doehler's venture arm and ID Capital, alongside a joint venture with France's Armor Protéines to push its fermented lactoferrin products globally.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of manufacturing news: Archer Materials' biochip results with IMEC, Resmed's CPAP mask launch, Boeing's RAAF P-8A upgrades, Breakthrough Victoria's $75m across venture funds, an Avalon Airport freight facility, and Sleeptite's FlexiSense.

AR 2024/25: Breakthrough Victoria's J-Curve Moment

Breakthrough Victoria's CEO reviews its 2024/25 year: growing capital base, strong co-investment leverage, portfolio milestones including Amber's $10m raise, first fellows awarded, and projected economic impact ahead.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy

Breakthrough Victoria is slinging another $75 million at local VC funds

Victoria's Breakthrough Victoria has committed $75m to five specialist VC funds covering climate tech, life sciences, female founders and healthcare, each pledging a quarter of its capital to local startups.

BREAKTHROUGH VICTORIA INVESTS $75 MILLION IN VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS TO BUILD VICTORIA'S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Breakthrough Victoria is putting $75 million into five venture capital funds, including Virescent, SYNthesis BioVentures, Scale and Galileo, each of which has pledged a quarter of its capital to Victorian startups.

Breakthrough Victoria commits $75 million across five VC funds

Breakthrough Victoria makes cornerstone investments totalling $75 million into five venture capital funds spanning climate-tech, biotech, diversity-focused and health sciences investing.

NRN: Investment Notes

Virescent Ventures explains why it co-led NRN's Series A, profiling the Sydney company's no-upfront-cost solar and battery marketplace model and its two founders.

Amber: Investment Notes

Virescent Ventures announces it has invested in Amber, an Australian retailer letting home battery owners buy and sell power at wholesale rates, citing its customer base and overseas utility partnerships.

Cheque-in: 8 ANZ startups banked $53.46 million in funding this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian and New Zealand funding rounds totalling about $53.5 million, led by SwarmFarm Robotics' $30 million Series B for its farm robots.

Eight ANZ startups that raised $53.56 million this week

Funding roundup: eight trans-Tasman startups together secured $53.56 million, topped by SwarmFarm Robotics' Series B, with Amber, Javln, Enhance Labs, Indi, Wych, Lift Women and Ambra Spirits also raising capital.

Five Aussie startups that raised $85 million this week

Roundup of five Australian raises totalling $85 million: National Renewable Network's Series A, plus Syenta, Cuttable, SprintSuite and Bitwise Agronomy, with lead investors and expansion plans for each.

Renewables virtual power plant startup charges up with $17 million Series A

Household virtual power plant platform NRN has secured a $17 million Series A led by Investible and Virescent Ventures, plus $50 million debt from Infradebt, with Ecotone Partners newly joining via its Planet Fund.

Also Startup Daily

NRN's $67.2 million raise charges up virtual power plant growth

Sydney clean energy startup NRN has secured a $67.2 million Series A co-led by Investible, Virescent Ventures and Ecotone Partners' Planet Fund, plus Infradebt debt, to scale its virtual power plant platform.

Also RenewEconomy·Dealroom·SmartCompany·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

Series A-focused climate tech VC hits $50 million for fund’s 1st close

Climate Tech Partners has reached a $50 million first close on its debut climate tech fund, backed by Australian Ethical, the CEFC, Qantas, Airbus and Daniel Besen's family office.

UNSW Founders to fund 18 startups with $200,000 each

UNSW Founders partnered with Luminary Partners to invest $200,000 each in 18 early-stage deeptech startups across its 2025 accelerator cohorts, extending prior backing arrangements.

Six ANZ startups that raised $63.5 million this week

Roundup of six Australian and New Zealand startup raises totalling $63.5 million, covering in-store audio, EV charging, respiratory biotech, health AI, gig-economy fintech, and inclusive social media ventures.

Also Startup Daily

Veteran EV charging scaleup powers up on $72 million raise

Jet Charge, an Australian electric-vehicle charging company, has secured $72 million with Mirova leading and earlier backers returning, to develop charging technology and its subscription model.

Also SmartCompany

Queensland Investment Corporation backs Virescent Ventures' new climate technology fund

Virescent Ventures says QIC has joined Westpac and the CEFC backing its second climate tech fund, with new commitments lifting the initial close to roughly $125 million toward a $200 million goal.

Also @AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

A news roundup covering a government-backed hydrogen project for Telstra, a climate tech fund's first close, new appointments at a South Australian agency and a feed company, plus export approvals and science prizes.

Also @AuManufacturing

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, May 6 – May 10, 2024

Roundup of the week's top stories: Hysata's Series B with bp Ventures and Templewater, grants for Tasmanian makers Xanderware and Jayben Group, an ASC pay dispute, and chemistry sector awards.

Fireside Chat: Hysata – Defying hydrogen's hype cycle

Virescent Ventures partner Blair Pritchard reflects on Hysata, the Wollongong electrolyser spinout whose $172 million Series B he led, covering its technology, culture, customers and the green hydrogen market outlook.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·Forbes Australia·RenewEconomy·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·@AuManufacturing·commbank.com.au·australianmanufacturing.com.au·Crunchbase News

Seven ANZ startups that raised $27.4 million this week

Weekly roundup of seven trans-Tasman raises totalling $27.4 million, headlined by Xefco's $10.5 million round, plus Hometime board appointments and Matrak's China expansion.

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

Textiles dyeing climate tech startup Xefco raises $10.5 million Seed extension

Sydney-based textile dyeing startup Xefco has raised a $10.5 million seed extension led by Main Sequence Ventures, including $2.5 million from Breakthrough Victoria, funding expansion of its water-free dyeing technology into Victoria.

Xefco media release

Breakthrough Victoria is putting $2.5 million into Xefco, an Australian startup whose plasma coating enables water-free fabric dyeing, alongside Main Sequence, Virescent, Investible and Voyagers in a seed round.

Also Main Sequence Ventures portfolio·Virescent Ventures portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing

lululemon, Samsara say new recycled polyester jacket is a world first

Samsara Eco and lululemon launch a jacket made with enzyme-recycled polyester; the piece recalls Samsara's 2022 Series A and its investors.

Also TechCrunch Australia·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Techboard·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Forbes Australia·@AuManufacturing

Early VC #3 - Diraq and Marqo raised Series A. Ansarada acquired for $236.3m. New Bupa's $20m fund.

Australian startups Diraq, Marqo, and Hatch secured funding rounds. Ansarada was acquired by Datasite. Bupa launched a new venture fund, and the Queensland government backed several VCs and accelerators.

Virescent Ventures and UNSW to invest $1.6m in Australia’s most promising climate startups

Virescent Ventures and TRaCE will jointly back UNSW Founders' Climate 10x accelerator with $1.6m for local climate startups; successful applicants can get $120,000–$330,000 each, and expressions of interest open 12 April.

VCs make $200m bet that climate tech’s time has come

The VC firm's blog post recaps capital it has put into dozens of Australian climate startups and floats a second fund still at the planning stage, with nothing yet committed.

“New era:” SunDrive wins funds to scale up Australia made solar cell production

SunDrive secured an A$11 million ARENA grant to take its copper-metallised solar cell manufacturing from prototype to commercial scale in Sydney, with plans targeting up to 5GW of yearly capacity.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·@AuManufacturing·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

Here are the five amazing startups to emerge from UNSW's Climate 10x accelerator program

Five climate startups from UNSW Founders' Climate 10x accelerator shared $580,000 backed by Virescent Ventures and UNSW, presented at the 10x Demo Day featuring 25 ventures across several founder programs.