Founding cohost Kayla Medica is stepping away from the show because of work commitments and Simon Thomsen is devastated. But edge-of-millennial Kayla’s not sure if she’s heard Mental As Anything’s song, If you leave me, can I come too? (to be fair it was a hit in 1981 and the clip is from the Spotify… Read more »
Entries for the annual Australian Technologies Competition (ATC), which offers a $100,000 to the winner, close this weekend The accelerator program is free to enter and run by ASX-listed investor and Scalare Partners. Since its launch in 2010, more than 100 startups have been finalists in the ATC, with many having international success. Last year… Read more »
A Melbourne-founded startup that taken the old business card and turned it into a digital networking tool has raised US$25 million (A$38.5m) in a Series A. The round for Blinq was led by Touring Capital, with supported by HubSpot Ventures and existing local backers Blackbird and Square Peg. The startup, founded in 2017, previously raised… Read more »
A Sydney AI-based workflow automation scaleup has raised US$24 million (A$37m) in a Series B. The round for Relevance AI was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, supported by existing backers King River Capital, Insight Partners, and Peak XV. The five-year-old AI agents business previously raised $15 million Series A in late 2023 to expand into… Read more »
A two-year-old regulatory compliance startup has raised $6 million in a Seed round to develop AI for risk management. The round for Haast was led by Airtree, with support from US-based defy.vc, and existing backers Aura Ventures and Black Sheep Capital. The Sydney-based startup previously a $1.2 million pre-Seed in 2023 to monitor greenwashing and… Read more »
Palm oil is both important to everything from food to cosmetics and detergents, and an environmental disaster, with rainforests being felled for the cash crop. It’s estimated to be in 50% of all Western household and food products, with 75 million tonnes produced annually. It’s also the leading cause of orangutan extinction, with between 1,000… Read more »
The Queensland government is holding a Parliamentary Inquiry into personal e-mobility devices (PMD), such as e-scooters and e-bikes, in a bid to improve safety and address community concerns about their use. The reviews comes after 8 users died last year in Queensland and the number of injuries PMD riders, passengers, and pedestrians jumped 112% between… Read more »
Startups developing new treatments for cardiovascular disease, type 1 diabetes, and technology to capture carbon dioxide in the air have been backed by the University of Sydney’s new Pre-Seed Launch Fund. The $25 million fund invests in ideas and people, turning academic research developed at the uni into high-growth startups, bridging the gap between proof-of-concept… Read more »
Two rivals in construction safety software are merging, with five-year-old Sydney startup 1Breadcrumb acquiring 12-year-old Canberra platform SignOnSite. The terms of the cash and equity deal were undisclosed but it comes along with a $4.5 million SAFE note backed by Five V Capital and Tribe Global Ventures as well as a US-based family office. Five… Read more »
Happy democracy sausage weekend! As Australians head to schools and halls on Saturday (although around 20% of the population has already voted) to cast their verdict on the last three years of the Albanese government, Startup 360 cohosts Simon Thomsen and Kayla Medica took a look at the policies and election promises for the tech… Read more »
Antler has unveiled its latest investments from the 12th Australian residency: eight new startups selected from thousands of applicants, spanning robotics, cybersecurity, and health – all with a strong emphasis on AI. The cohort reflects a growing trend for Antler: more founders building at the intersection of AI and deep industry expertise, moving faster than… Read more »
FinTech Australia has revealed the finalists in its prestigious annual fintech business awards, The Finnies. The awards celebrates achievements in the fintech sector and services that support it. This 2025 awards, which coincide with the 10-year anniversary of FinTech Australia, attracted 348 entries across 21 categories, up 26 on last year, with a record-breaking 47… Read more »
Blackbird’s annual startup gathering, Sunrise, kicks off in Sydney tomorrow, culminating with Startmate Demo Day on Thursday night. The Summer ’25 Accelerator cohort of 16 startups will take the stage at Carriageworks to showcase their hard work over the last three months, with the event once again sold out. The ideas developed come from as… Read more »
A six-year-old retail products price comparison tool developed by one of iSelect’s cofounders has raised $7.5 million in a deal that give it a $37.5m post-money valuation. The round for Zyft was led by PSC Insurance founder Paul Dwyer, with support from angel investors. Dwyer’s formerly ASX-listed insurance broker was acquired by UK rival Ardonagh… Read more »
Amid debates about housing, migration, the cost of living pressures and energy during the federal election campaign, there’s been a deafening silence from both the government and opposition when it comes to tech, startups and innovation policy. It’s something ACS, the voice of Australia’s technology sector, is hoping to change. ACS CEO Josh Griggs joined… Read more »
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