A veteran startup detecting faults in powerlines to prevent bushfires has raised $50 million from US and local venture funds. IND Technology was cofounded by RMIT Professor Alan Wong and Kokwai Leu Melbourne in 2013 following the 2009 Black Saturday fires, to develop Early Fault Detection (EFD) systems for preventing bushfires and grid failures. The… Read more »
Another startup looking to deal with cattle methane emissions using seaweed has raised $2.176 million in Seed funding. The round for Fremantle Seaweed, at an $11 million pre-money valuation, comes a week after seven-year-old Sea Forest (ASX:SEA) listed on the ASX. The Tasmanian startup raised $20.5 million at $2 per share for a $112m market… Read more »
Australia’s climate tech sector now employs more than 7,000 people across more than 730 startups and scaleups, which attracted $680 million in venture funding in 2025. The analysis of local sector and its momentum and growth feature in the 2025 Australian Climate Tech Industry Report, released today by Climate Salad founder Mick Liubinskas. “This report… Read more »
Tasmanian climate tech startup Sea Forest was embraced by investors, with its shares closing up 12.5% on debut after listing on the ASX. The seven-year-old scaleup raised $20.5 million at $2 per share for a market capitalisation of $112.1 million, and rose as high as $2.42 before closing at $2.25. Sea Forest (ASX:SEA) was founded… Read more »
The government-backed Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has tipped $25.3 million in new funding into Sydney startup SunDrive, which is developing cheaper, copper-based solar panels. It’s the second major funding injection from ARENA, which also tipped $11 million into SunDrive in 2023 and has now supplied nearly $40 million in capital. SunDrive began life in a… Read more »
A Sydney startup looking to reduce methane emissions from livestock has raised $11 million in a Series A. The round for Number 8 Bio was led by Kiwi VC Icehouse Ventures with support from existing backer Main Sequence, as well as Japanese climate VC One Innovators joining the cap table. Japan is Australia’s second largest… Read more »
Perth sustainable materials startup Uluu has raised $16 million in Series A, helping it develop a facility capable of turning seaweed into a natural plastic alternative at commercial scale. The latest raise was led by Germany’s Burda Principal Investments, with contributions from Main Sequence, Novel Investments, Startmate, and impact investors and family offices, including Fairground… Read more »
Air conditioning is doesn’t sound like a sexy startup problem, but Conry Tech cofounder Sam Ringwaldt knows more than most how profound its impact on us and the planet will be as climate change takes hold. “It’s a really vicious irony that the main solution that we’re relying on to mitigate the change is also… Read more »
A Sydney startup using batteries to replace gas for industrial heat, and cut business energy costs, has raised more than $2 million. Good Heat will deploy large-scale thermal energy storage (TES) systems powered by cheap renewable electricity to provide industrial heat at prices below gas. Plans for Australia’s largest heat battery development, for a significant… Read more »
Melbourne air-conditioning startup Conry Tech has raised $3 million in Seed funding as it looks to transform workplace cooling. The round was led by specialist climate tech investor, Audacy. The cash will help complete development of the startup’s revolutionary “BullAnt” air-conditioner, which has the potential to halve energy bills in commercial buildings, as well as… Read more »
A Sydney climate tech startup looking to electrify heavy freight supply chains has shown what’s possible in a demonstration trial with impact toilet paper brand Who Gives A Crap. New Energy Transport (NET), founded in 2024, by Daniel Bleakley and Scania’s former head of innovation, Fredrik Pehrsson, is a trucking company delivering zero-emission heavy road… Read more »
Australian-born, US-based OpenSolar has banked US$20 million (A$30m) in a fresh raise as it looks to expand its AI implementation in the renawables design and sales platform. The raise was backed by existing investors Titanium Ventures – the former Telstra VC fund – and London- and Copenhagen-based 2150 Sustainability Fund, as well as Google, and… Read more »
NRMA Insurance has unveiled Help Fund, a multimillion-dollar program for climate resilience, announcing five $100,000 innovation grants to FloodMapp, GeoNadir, DNA Energy, Rainstick and VALAI, alongside leadership training and upcoming community-led projects.
This week’s Startup 360 is a little different as cohosts Simon Thomsen and Majella Campbell frock up for the Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards. That’s the key theme of this week’s episode and we celebrate one of the winners by replaying our conversation with Climate Salad cofounder Mick Liubinskas. On Thursday night, Mick was… Read more »
Clean energy and climate tech startup accelerator, EnergyLab, has selected 10 startups for its 2025 Climate Solutions Accelerator This is the 12th cohort since launching in 2017, helping develop ideas ranging from breakthroughs in energy storage, grid optimisation and dynamic retail, to critical minerals recovery, carbon utilisation, and circular manufacturing. Earlier this month, alumni startup… Read more »
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