More than 100 fintech leaders have signed a letter to both the Labor government and Coalition opposition ahead of the May 3 election calling on them to live up to promises made in previous campaigns for reform in financial services, saying the sector’s growth is being hampered by “policy inertia”. Issues such as crypto and… Read more »
Greens Senator Nick McKim wants to end would-be Prime Minister Peter Dutton… in Fortnite. The veteran Tasmanian senator — whose career has spanned over two decades in federal politics — is perhaps the only politician who has taken to a gaming platform to pitch himself and his party to voters ahead of the May 3… Read more »
Industry body the Australian Computer Society (ACS), which represents around 50,000 members in tech, said whoever forms government after the May 3 election needs to take urgent, coordinated action on digital skills reform and research commercialisation to secure the nation’s economic future. The recent ACS 2025 Election Forum in Sydney brought together leaders from industry,… Read more »
Australia’s peak science and tech body has warned the Coalition’s plans to shut down Labor’s $15 billion manufacturing fund would put a handbrake on the nation’s innovation efforts. Citing Coalition sources, the AFR reported last week that if the Coalition wins the upcoming May election it plans to redirect all remaining capital allocated to the National… Read more »
Australia needs to reduce its “risk aversion” in order to improve its lagging research and development (R&D) sector and fragmented innovation ecosystem, according to industry experts. The nation has struggled to capitalise on innovations developed by universities and startups, and has seen their intellectual property taken overseas in search of greater funding, a panel of… Read more »
Back on February 13, Startup Daily announced news that battery storage tech startup Allegro Energy had bagged a $1.85 million federal government grant. The Newcastle-based startup was one of five early stage tech companies funded under the $400 million Industry Growth Program, and the money is for the mass production of their water-based Redox Flow Batteries… Read more »
As Australia builds up to the federal election, debates around sovereignty, national security, and economic resilience are taking centre stage. Concurrently, the startup ecosystem is awash with vibe-coded consumer apps. But coding with Lovable is just the start of a deeper shift: the AI opportunity in this decade won’t just be in frontend tools. It… Read more »
There is a prevailing belief that the 2025-2026 Federal Budget was a non-event for the majority of us in the Australian tech sector. But besides being a missed opportunity to move the dial for Australian founders, are there any risks to watch out for in the Budget? Well yes, actually. In our view, one particular… Read more »
The Labor government’s flagship National Reconstruction Fund is deploying 0.1% of its $15 billion war chest to fund a $20 million raise for 20-year-old Canberra cybersecurity firm QuintessenceLabs. The $15 million from the independent NRF comes as the government moves into caretaker mode ahead of a federal election on May 3. The National Reconstruction Fund… Read more »
There was next to nothing for the tech and startup sector in the 2025 federal budget as the Labor government prepares to call an election and seek a second term. For the second year in a row, the government has delivered little for the startup sector and it does not feature specifically in the budget.… Read more »
* No, SFA is not an acronym of Startup Funding Announcements. As we said last year. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Again. You won’t find the word startup in the 2025 federal budget papers. Innovation is mentioned seven times in Budget Paper 1 and an eighth time in Paper No. 2 – referencing “the 2024–25 Budget measure… Read more »
The Albanese government’s fourth budget is a pitch for the votes of a sour and alienated electorate, framed against a background of extraordinary international uncertainty. US President Donald Trump isn’t mentioned by name. But he is the colossus in the background of this budget and indeed the imminent election campaign. While the opinion polls and… Read more »
Tuesday’s budget is a cautious and responsible response to the cost-of-living pressures facing voters. As noted ahead of budget night, many of the major spending initiatives had already been announced. But, in the only major surprise, there are income tax cuts for all income taxpayers. Even if we need to be patient. The new tax… Read more »
FinTech Australia is calling for an urgent recalibration of Research and Development tax incentives (RDTI) and the Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership (ESVCLP) Program in its submission to treasurer Jim Chalmers ahead of the federal budget next week The peak body’s 21-page pre-Budget submission makes 11 recommendations to Treasury, arguing that with the right… Read more »
Lee Hickin, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence policy lead for Asia, has departed the tech giant after more than six years to become the new director of the National AI Centre (NAIC). The NAIC was established in 2021 to support and accelerate Australia’s AI industry. Its inaugural director, Stela Solar, herself a former Microsoft executive, stepped down… Read more »
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