Simon Thomsen

Simon has been editor of Startup Daily since 2019.

He hosted the Startup Daily show on streaming service ausbiz.com.au from 2020 to 2023.

He was previously associate editor of Business Insider Australia, a national restaurant critic, editor of The Good Food Guide, and newspaper proprietor during a 30-year career in journalism and publishing.

He's also an investor in early stage startups.

Simon chaired the environment committee of industry lobby group Australian Business Ltd's (now NSW Business Chamber) during the Kyoto agreement era, debating cow farts with mining execs.

Business

Space Machines Company is setting up its satellite manufacturing in Western Sydney

- September 28, 2025 2 MIN READ

Bradfield, the site of the new Western Sydney airport, will become a manufacturing hub for space infrastructure such as satellites following a deal between the NSW government and local startup Space Machines Company. Space Machines Company will begin high-value manufacturing projects at the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility’s (AMRF) this year, developing production capability to produce… Read more »

Business

‘Profitiness’: Why Canva’s ‘profitable’ right up until it has to file accounts with the government

- September 24, 2025 5 MIN READ

It’s just shy of 20 years since US political satirist Stephen Colbert coined the term ‘truthiness’. He described it as “something that seems like truth – the truth we want to exist”. In corporate circles, there’s a fiscal truthiness where everyone’s wealthy and successful right up until the moment they lodge tax filings with the… Read more »

Data

Waymo, Tesla execs back robotics data analytics startup Alloy’s $4.5 million pre-Seed round

- September 24, 2025 2 MIN READ

Robotics data analytics platform Alloy has raised $4.5 million in pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Blackbird Ventures with support from Airtree, US-based robotics VC Xtal Ventures, and Skip Capital as well as strategic angels investors include senior engineering leaders and founders from Waymo, Tesla, Halter, Reach Robotics, and Carbon Robotics. The Eucalyptus cofounders… Read more »

Funding

NRF backs $88 million Series C for wi-fi chip maker Morse Micro

- September 23, 2025 2 MIN READ

Sydney long-distance wi-fi chip maker Morse Mirco has raised an $88 million Series C. The round was led by existing backer Japanese fabless semiconductor supplier MegaChips, topped up by $35 million from the federal government’s National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) and support from other previous investors including Blackbird, CSIRO-backed Main Sequence, super funds Hostplus, NGS, managed… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Atlassian’s AI shopping spree continues with $1.5 billion bid for US developer platform DX

- September 19, 2025 2 MIN READ

Atlassian has made a second major acquisition this month, handing over US$1 billion (A$1.5bn) for developer intelligence platform DX. The deal comes just a fortnight after the Australian software giant spent US$610 million (A$935m) in cash on AI browser startup The Browser Company. US-based DX, founded in 2020, helps engineering organisations measure, understand, and improve… Read more »

ASX

Dom Pym’s fintech fund, Triple Bubble, pairs up with CommBank’s VC arm, x15ventures

- September 18, 2025 2 MIN READ

Fintech entrepreneur and investor Dom Pym and his fintech-focused venture fund Triple Bubble have forged a strategic partnership Commonwealth Bank’s venture-scaling arm x15ventures to support and scale Australia’s financial technology ecosystem. The partnership includes an investment, exploration of new fintech opportunities using x15’s bank-safe venture stack, and the development of a mutual mentorship and talent exchange program… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Sovereign legal AI startup Isaacus courts $700,000 in pre-Seed

- September 16, 2025 2 MIN READ

Australia’s first foundational legal AI startup Isaacus, which is building sovereign legal AI models and tools for legal tech companies, has raised $700,000 in pre-Seed funding. The round was co-led Aura Ventures and Galileo Ventures and will be used to bring Isaacus to market with significant customer traction already underway. Isaacus has developed a massive, proprietary… Read more »

Ag tech

Two Victorian circular farming startups harvest $35,000 from LaunchVic

- September 16, 2025 < 1 MIN READ

Two startups from LaunchVic’s recent CivVic Labs accelerator program have banked $35,000 each to develop their ideas further. The program saw WoolGrow Australia and CForge each receive $35,000 to help bring their circular agriculture solutions to market. The decision follows a pitch featuring all 10 startups, which each one receiving $15,000 in equity-free funding, in… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Swinburne 3D printing spinout H3D lands $5.8 million Series A

- September 16, 2025 2 MIN READ

An AI-powered 3D printing startup creating custom healthcare products has raised $5.8 million in a Series A. H3D emerged from Swinburne University in 2018, its initial investor alongside Starfish Ventures. Cofounder and CTO Dr Philip Kinsella developed fully-automated design technology at Swinburne. It’s made the startup a global leader in the hearing sector, producing hearing… Read more »

Funding

Breakthrough Victoria lures Sydney proteins startup Harvest B south in $3.5million pre-Series A

- September 12, 2025 2 MIN READ

Victorian government-backed venture fund Breakthrough Victoria has lured another NSW startup across the border, investing $2 million in proteins manufacturer Harvest B as part of a $3.5 million pre-Series A. The round was led by Mandalay Venture Partners, supported by Breakthrough Victoria, Alberts Impact Ventures, the Investible Climate Tech Fund, and Investible Club. In January,… Read more »