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Exit / M&A

‘A sword to send companies into bankruptcy’: Businesses face ‘audit hell’ as R&D goalposts shift

Advisers warn that ATO audits and years-later repayment demands are destabilising firms claiming the R&D tax incentive, citing BindiMaps' administration and sale, as the government prepares to overhaul the scheme from 2028.

4 deals

Three Aussie startups that raised $18.75 million this week

Roundup of three Australian raises: Skopos Bio's $12m seed for targeted cancer radiopharmaceuticals, Trendspek's $6m for infrastructure condition AI, and R2Crete's $750,000 pre-seed for concrete recycling.

Under Startup Daily ·leads this story in the feed

4 deals

The Victorian Opposition wants to end the state’s $2 billion VC fund

Victoria's opposition pledges to shut down Breakthrough Victoria and sell its investments, calling the state fund a failure. The piece recalls portfolio raises, a rescue deal, an NYSE listing and the LaunchVic merger.

Under Dealroom ·leads this story in the feed

4 deals

Four Aussie and Kiwi startups that raised $21.5 million this week

Roundup of four trans-Tasman raises: First Table, Metacognition AI, Dela and GoTroppo secured a combined $21.5 million for restaurant discounting, robotics software, scam-safe payments and flexible internet plans.

Under datapile.co ·leads this story in the feed

8 deals

15 ANZ startups that raised $67.2 million this week

Roundup of the week's Australia and New Zealand raises: Gridsight, Pearler and Apate.AI secure the biggest cheques, Drumbeat and GonGlobal add smaller sums, and ten AI startups join Airwallex's Latitude 37 program.

Under AFR Technology ·leads this story in the feed

4 deals

Expert360's $16 million sale leaves founder, early investors with no share payout

Workforce platform Expert360 is being bought by AI hiring firm Swipejobs at a reported $16 million value, while its founder and earliest backers are set to receive nothing for their stakes.

Also Startup Daily

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Grant $20m

Recycling Plastics Australia in administration despite plan to fill gap left by REDcycle

South Australian soft plastics recycler Recycling Plastics Australia, recipient of a $20m federal grant, has entered voluntary administration with KPMG appointed, after a major supplier's collapse derailed its plan to fill REDcycle's gap.

Funding announcement

Two ANZ startups that raised $21 million this week

Two raises reported: Superhero has banked $20m of a hoped $30m round led by Salter Brothers at a $176m valuation, while New Zealand crime-intelligence startup Azonic took NZ$1m in a Blackbird-led pre-seed.

4 deals

Smart50 star Pay.com.au lands $39 million for US expansion

Melbourne payments fintech Pay.com.au has raised a Series E to launch in the United States under its PayRewards brand; the piece also recalls three earlier raises and names cap table backers.

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Funding announcement

Seven ANZ startups that raised $111.5 million this week

Roundup of seven raises across the Tasman spanning fintech, marine tech, agtech, defence and AI, plus a first close for an ACT venture fund.

8 deals

Eight ANZ startups that raised $67.4 million this week

Eight Australian and New Zealand startups secured a combined $67.4 million in funding across various sectors including agtech, medtech, robotics, and fintech.

Under Startup Daily ·leads this story in the feed

2 deals

Australian Business Growth Fund doubles first cheque size to $30 million

The government-backed growth fund has doubled its largest first-investment size to $30m and may now take majority stakes; it also invested an undisclosed multimillion sum in defence manufacturer Griffin Industrial Group.

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4 deals

Firmus raises $2.85 billion in latest blockbuster funding for AI infrastructure

Data centre infrastructure firm Firmus has raised US$2 billion at an AU$15 billion valuation from Coatue, Nvidia, Blackstone and Jane Street, funding its Project Southgate rollout across Australia and Asia-Pacific.

Under Startup Daily ·leads this story in the feed

8 deals

Four Aussie startups that raised $2.86 billion this week (sort of)

Roundup of four Australian raises: Firmus Technologies' US$2 billion round at a $15 billion valuation, Eudaemon's $3.75 million, Zabidou's $3.5 million seed round, and Rampart's $2.3 million.

Also This Week in Australian Startups

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Seed $4m

Ovum raises $4 million seed round for AI-powered women's health platform

Australian women's health startup Ovum secured $4 million seed funding led by Admiralty Capital Group to grow its AI health dataset and platform reach.

Under Dealroom ·leads this story in the feed

9 deals

Eight ANZ startups that raised $102 million this fortnight

Roundup of eight Australian and New Zealand startups whose late-July funding totals $102 million across space capsules, medical devices, livestock breath analysis, sports analytics and AI crop forecasting.

Under Investible portfolio ·leads this story in the feed

4 deals

Queensland startup uses AI to give cancer patients their voices back

Queensland medtech Laronix has built AI that recreates patients' own voices from brief recordings; the profile recalls its 2023 seed round, earlier federal grants and a 2025 non-dilutive award.

Also Startup Daily

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Funding announcement

Sendle is back and under new ownership

The Sendle delivery brand, liquidated earlier in 2026 after a troubled merger, has been bought by logistics executive Andrew McKenna, who expects a September relaunch with Quantium Solutions handling deliveries.

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4 deals

Former Smart50 winner Cover Genius reaches $2 billion+ valuation

Insurtech Cover Genius, previously ranked first on the Smart50 list, has secured $143 million from Vista Credit Partners at a valuation above $2 billion, with funds earmarked for AI development and acquisitions.

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4 deals

Three ANZ startups that raised $3.6 million this week

Roundup of three ANZ raises: BlueNexus' $2m seed led by M31 Capital, Hyades' NZ$1.1m pre-seed with Icehouse Ventures plus an R&D grant, and ESGAgent.ai's $725,000 seed led by DNX Ventures.

Also ontargetish.com·aistartupsnews.com

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Exit / M&A

Dashdot liquidator to retrieve $70,000 founder loan as creditor claims near $15.5 million

A liquidator's report on collapsed buyers' agency Dashdot details a $69,295 founder loan to be recovered, a $3.08 million inter-company loan expected to be lost, and creditor claims of $15.46 million.

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Series A $25m

Australian rocket launch startup Southern Launch raises $25 million

South Australian spaceport operator Southern Launch has banked a $25m Series A with National Reconstruction Fund backing, while Gilmour Space adds a former NASA astronaut to its board.

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3 deals

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

Under IP Group Australia portfolio ·leads this story in the feed

2 deals

Everlab receives $65 million injection to fix healthcare fragmentation

The preventative healthcare startup behind a diagnostics-and-data platform has banked a $65 million Series A, headed by Airtree Ventures with several funds and cricketer Pat Cummins taking part, to fund international growth.

Also Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·Dealroom·Capital Brief·medtechdaily.org·everlab.com.au·datapile.co

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11 deals

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

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2 deals

Pay.com.au postpones IPO plans as Iran war spooks investors

Payments fintech Pay.com.au shelved its planned ASX float amid war-driven market volatility, completing a private placement first reported at $20 million ($750 million valuation), ultimately $40 million at $753.4 million.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Dealroom·Fintech News Australia

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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

8 deals

Seven ANZ startups that raised $17 million this week

Weekly roundup of seven Australian and New Zealand startup raises totalling $17 million, including two startups entering Y Combinator, plus a new QuantX Labs board director and SmartrMail's earlier sale to Relay Commerce.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

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Unnamed stage $4.3m

Scalare Partners reels in Fishburners from administration

ASX-listed Scalare Partners has bought Fishburners out of voluntary administration, acquiring its brand, programs and community assets, weeks after KPMG was appointed administrator over unpaid rent.

Under Startup Daily ·leads this story in the feed

2 deals

Birchal cuts own valuation to $5 million in new crowd-sourced funding round

Birchal launched a new CSF raise at a reduced $5 million pre-money valuation, with about $800,000 already committed, amid sector downturn; rival Equitise collapsed and Earthletica raised $1.1 million.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

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