Simon Thomsen, Author at Startup Daily

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

Project F’s Emma Jones launches diversity standards for Tech Council under pressure in the wake of Richard White saga

Simon Thomsen - November 11, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) is hoping to address the industry’s “women problem” by launching a certification framework for the sector to address equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) amid lingering tension over the organisation’s response to former board member Richard White. The TCA is gathering in Melbourne this week for the three-day National Tech… Read more »

Business

Metigy founder David Fairfull charged with fraud over the startup’s collapse

Simon Thomsen - November 11, 2024 3 MIN READ

David Fairfull, the bankrupt founder and former CEO of marketing startup Metigy, appeared in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Friday to face six charges following an ASIC investigation into the failure of the company. Fairfull was charged with five counts making false and misleading statements contrary to the Corporations Act, plus one count of… Read more »

Business

Crowdfunding platform Equitise placed in voluntary administration

Simon Thomsen - November 7, 2024 3 MIN READ

Crowdfunding platform Equitise has been handed to voluntary administrators after cofounder Jonny Wilkinson failed in his own attempts to raise a $500,000 bridging round. Administrators Damien Mark Hodgkinson and Mohammad Mirzan Bin Mansoor from Sydney firm Olvera Advisors were handed the books on October 31. An initial creditor’s meeting will be held on November 12.… Read more »

Politics

An under 16s ban on social media is coming to Australia

Simon Thomsen - November 7, 2024 5 MIN READ

The federal government is looking to take on big tech companies like Meta, owners of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, TikTok and Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), and possibly YouTube, with a social media ban for children under 16. Prime minister Anthony Albanese and communications minister Michelle Rowland today revealed plans for legislation to be introduced… Read more »

Funding

ARENA powers up clean tech startup Orkestra with $2.77 million for EV charger plans

Simon Thomsen - November 7, 2024 2 MIN READ

Federal government-backed Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded software startup Orkestra $2.77 million in co-funding to help fast-track the rollout of commercial electric vehicle chargers. The $5.5m software project is also being backed by electricity giants AGL and EnergyAustralia, as well as motoring organisations RACV and RAA and commercial real estate firm CBRE, aims… Read more »

Space

Rocket pads Gilmour Space and Southern Launch get ready for lift off

Simon Thomsen - November 5, 2024 3 MIN READ

Rocket launch pads in Queensland and South Australia have been granted permits by the Australian Space Agency to fire up, with Gilmour Space hoping for lift off before Christmas. Meanwhile, the Southern Launch Whalers Way Orbital launch complex in South Australia has been granted final environmental approvals for work on permanent facilities ahead of plans… Read more »

Politics

Victoria’s trial on driving under the influence of medicinal cannabis is underway

Simon Thomsen - November 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

The first drive in a Victorian government trial to see someone who’s taken medicinal cannabis to see if they can drive safely got underway this week. The closed-circuit testing at the METEC Driver Training facility in Bayswater is the start of a $4.9 million, 18-month trial, conducted by Swinburne University of Technology, to analyse how… Read more »

Funding

Kiwi scaleup Crimson Education swots up on NZ$67 million Series D

Simon Thomsen - November 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

Kiwi editech Crimson Education has raised NZ$67 million (A$60m) Series D that has seen the scaleup’s valuation jump by nearly 40% in just two years. The raise was previously reported in July, but the size of the round was not disclosed. It was led by NZ investor Movac, with support from existing backers HEAL Partners,… Read more »

Politics

Breakthrough Victoria posts $3 million loss

Simon Thomsen - November 4, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Victorian government’s controversial $2 billion venture capital fund, Breakthrough Victoria, posted a $3 million loss in its third year of operation. The funding body, which saw several directors depart in 2024, with CEO Grant Dooley also heading to the exit after just three years, copped a $360 million haircut in the Victorian budget earlier… Read more »

Funding

Robot logistics startup Nexobot lands $400,000 pre-Seed raise

Simon Thomsen - November 1, 2024 2 MIN READ

Robotics startup Nexobot has raised $400,000 in pre-Seed funding to deliver an affordable solution for order fulfilment in smaller warehouses. The round was backed by Skalata and Antler, to help smaller retailers and others compete against the multi million-dollar robotic systems deployed by the likes of Amazon. Nexobot was founded in 2023 by Dom Lindsay and… Read more »

Business

Atlassian beats revenue predictions as losses grow – and investors are happy

Simon Thomsen - November 1, 2024 3 MIN READ

Q1 FY25 revenue of US$1.19bn, up 21% Subscription revenue of US$1.13bn, up 33% US$123.8m net loss, up 300% Operating loss of $32m FY25 revenue growth expected at 16.5-17%. $1.5bn share buyback planned Atlassian beat its own revenue growth predictions in the first quarter of the new financial year (Q1, FY25), but its losses also continue… Read more »

Events

Girl Geek Academy hunts for $2 million as it looks to relaunch with a focus on AI

Simon Thomsen - October 31, 2024 3 MIN READ

It’s been a tough time for women in tech, both financially and emotionally, over the past 12 months. It’s been a well-documented struggle to attract venture funding, despite the oft-stated best intentions of VCs. On top of that, governments have withdrawn support, with the NSW government killing off a $10 million fund to back female… Read more »

Funding

Canva valuation jumps 23% to $49 billion following share trade

Simon Thomsen - October 31, 2024 2 MIN READ

Design platform Canva has seen the company’s valuation soar by nearly a quarter to A$48.7 billion in the latest sale of its shares on the secondary market. The global business, which is heading to a public listing in the US next year, saw its valuation rise by US$6 billion (A$9.1bn) to hit US$32 billion with… Read more »

Funding

SXSW Sydney pitch winner NanoCube Health scores $3m federal grant for pancreatic cancer plans

Simon Thomsen - October 29, 2024 2 MIN READ

Victorian startup NanoCube Health has been awarded $3 million in federal grant funding as part of a $7.3m plan to drive develop technology for early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer. The medtech startup, which won last year’s SXSW Sydney pitch competition, sending cofounder Lisa Milani to Austin, Texas, to pitch at SXSW earlier this… Read more »

Alimetry cofounder Dr Armen Gharibans with investor Vignesh Kumar from GD1 and his cofounder and CEO Dr Greg O’Grady.

Funding

Kiwi medtech startup Alimetry raises $27 million Series A2 for gut health wearables

Simon Thomsen - October 29, 2024 2 MIN READ

Alimetry revolutionises gut health diagnosis by integrating AI into its wearable device, raises US $18m to fuel next phase of growth New Zealand startup Alimetry has raised US$18 million (A$27m) in a Series A2 round to commercialise its wearable gut health monitoring device for the US market. The round was led by Kiwi VC GD1… Read more »