Brisbane startup Fleetyr has banked a $750,000 Seed round four years after launching and going global. The raise was led by early-stage VC 77 Partners, which is also based in the Queensland Capital as well as Silicon Valley where’s it’s backed by Bee Partners. Also chipping in is state government-backed QIC Ventures through its enterprise… Read more »
Artificial intelligence and automation were the name of the game when it came to startup funding deals this week, with four out of the five startups with new funding embracing AI in some form. Keep reading to find out more about the five local startups that collectively raised more than $340 million, including Firmus, which… Read more »
Firmus Technologies has become the latest Australian-founded startup to reach unicorn status, after the data centre infrastructure business raised $330 million in a round backed by US chip giant Nvidia. Local investor Ellerston Capital has also backed the Singapore-based company, founded by Australian entrepreneurs Oliver Curtis, Tim Rosenfield and Jonathan Levee in 2019. The company… Read more »
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 »
The start of spring appears to be a fruitful time for startup funding, with 19 blossoming Australian and New Zealand startups sharing in new funding deals this week. Keep reading to learn more about Andromeda, Starboard Maritime Intelligence, Freckle, Marloo, X-Hemp, Harvest B, Wable and Techstars’ latest cohort. Andromeda Robotics: $23 million Robotics startup Andromeda… Read more »
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 »
PsiQuantum, the US startup with Australian cofounders, has raised a gobsmacking US$1 billion (A$1.5bn) in a round that’s more than doubled its valuation in four years to US$7bn (A$10.5bn). The California startup, founded in Palo Alto in 2015 by expat Australian professors Jeremy O’Brien, Terry Rudolph, Mark Thompson and Dr Pete Shadbolt, hopes to build… Read more »
Wable, a social networking app for neurodivergent people, inspired by the ABC TV series Love on the Spectrum, has raised $1.5 million to expand in the US and UK. The round was led by Paul Sharbanee from Taurus Capital. The app is designed to connect neurodivergent people for friendship, dating, jobs, and support, filling a… Read more »
Sustainable building materials startup X-Hemp has raised $3.4 million in Seed funding after banking a final $1 million from strategic investment partner Danehill Group. The Central Tasmanian construction tech business, based at Cressy, 30 minutes south of Launceston, was founded in 2020 by Andi Lucas, and will use the cash for critical infrastructure, R&D and… Read more »
An AI assistant designed for financial advisers, developed by New Zealand fintech Marloo has trousered A$4.2 million in pre-Seed funding. This round was led by Blackbird Ventures, with support from CoVentures, Brand Fund and a Who’s Who of angel investors, including Xero cofounder Philip Fierlinger, Stake’s Matt Leibowitz, Halter’s Craig Piggott, Heidi Health’s Tom Kelly,… Read more »
Companion robots startup Andromeda has raised $23 million in a Series A that values the business at $100 million. The round was led by San Francisco VC Forerunner Ventures, supported by Rethink Impact, Artesian, CSIRO-backed Main Sequence, Visible and Trampoline, as well as ex-Atlassian futurist Dom Price. Existing backers Purpose Ventures, which led 2024’s $3… Read more »
New Zealand ocean security startup Starboard Maritime Intelligence (SMI) has banked a NZ$23 million (A$20.7m) Series A. The round was co-led by SMI’s first backer, Kiwi VC Altered Capital, with new investors OIF Ventures and King River Capital, supported by Co:Act Capital, Icehouse Ventures, and Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation. The funding is for global expansion into… Read more »
Crowd-sourced funding (CSF) platform Birchal is increasing its clip of the ticket on raises under $500,000, and shedding roles for the second time in 14 months as CEO Kirstin Hunter looks to put the business on a more financially sustainable path. Two leadership roles have been made redundant, cutting the team to four. SmartCompany reported… Read more »
Welcome to our new weekly round-up of Australian startup raises, in a collaboration between Startup Daily and our sister publication, SmartCompany. The last week of August features 5 startups spanning vaccine delivery, logistics and cross-border payments, which collectively raised $95.45 million. (A shoutout to our cousins across The Ditch too, where the former Kiwi TikTok… Read more »
Needle-free vaccination delivery scaleup Vaxxas has raised $49.2 million in a Series D, but cut 10% of its workforce, including a clear out of its executives. The University of Queensland spin out has moved founding CEO David Hoey, who’s been on leave for the past three months, into a strategic adviser role after 13 years… Read more »
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