quantum chip
Quantum Computing

Feds put $36 million on the table for quantum commercialisation program

- May 22, 2024 2 MIN READ

Applications for a $36 million federal government program enlisting quantum have opened as part of its flagship Future Made in Australia policy. The Critical Technologies Challenge Program (CTCP) offers funding for quantum tech companies to work with researchers and end-users to develop solutions to market-led challenges that accelerate the path to commercialisation for quantum. The funding… Read more »

Ludovic Labat
Funding

Melbourne Uni-backed medical manufacturing startup Neo-Bionica scores $5 million from Breakthrough Victoria

- May 16, 2024 2 MIN READ

Budget cuts and ongoing criticism of the state government-backed Breakthrough Victoria have not slowed its capital deployment, with $5 million invested in medtech manufacturing startup Neo-Bionica. Founded in 2021 as a joint initiative of the Bionics Institute and the University of Melbourne and based at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Neo-Bionica was developed to fill a… Read more »

Steven Bartlett
Quantum Computing

University of Sydney scores $18.4 million from the federal government to launch ‘Quantum Australia’

- April 30, 2024 2 MIN READ

The University of Sydney as won an $18.368 million grant to build a national industry hub, Quantum Australia, for the quantum computing sector. The federal funding over four years for up to 75% of the cost of the centre, which is charged with raising awareness of quantum technology, fostering collaboration between industry and universities, encouraging… Read more »

Funding

Agricultural waste conversation startup Bygen banks $2.6 million Series A

- April 16, 2024 2 MIN READ

A startup turning agricultural waste into activated carbon, which is used to filter environmental toxins, has raised $2.6 million in a Series A. Government-backed investment fund Breakthrough Victoria chipped in $1 million, joined by VCs Alberts Impact Ventures, Investible, Artesian and Startmate. The funds will support the testing and establishment of Bygen’s large-scale production plant,… Read more »

Funding

NDIS self-managed healthcare startup PlanCare pockets $2.5 million from Perth’s new VC

- April 16, 2024 2 MIN READ

Western Australian self-manage care platform PlanCare has topped up its Seed round to $2.5 million from existing backer Purpose Ventures. The new Perth VC originally backed PlanCare in July 2023, and the additional funding is the first follow-on investment from Purpose. PlanCare founder Dave Newman previously ran Morning Startup for more than a decade and… Read more »

Business strategy

A VC explains how to avoid the most common mistake founders make – raising too much too early

- April 15, 2024 4 MIN READ

Away from the VC mega-round headlines or the hard stories of founders who can’t raise capital at any price, is the solvable problem of how much money a new founder should raise. I’ve participated in hundreds of investments where founders have opted for different answers to this question, and watched the consequences unfold over the… Read more »

Aurie smart catheter system i
Funding

Disability tech accelerator and investor Remarkable goes global, backing US catheter startup’s $9.1 million Seed round

- April 4, 2024 2 MIN READ

Australian disability tech accelerator Remarkable has backed a US med tech startup reducing urinary tract infection (UTI) risks in a US$6 million (A$9.1m) Seed raise. The round for New York medtech startup Aurie, was led by existing investor Lakehouse Ventures. Founded in 2018, Aurie has developed a reusable, no-touch, intermittent catheter system used by people… Read more »

CEO and founder Olympia Yarger
Business

CSIRO is spending $20 million to help up to 750 startups and small businesses dive deeper into R&D

- April 3, 2024 2 MIN READ

National science agency CSIRO has allocated $20 million towards supporting startups and smaller companies with greater access to vital research and development (R&D) opportunities to accelerate their growth. Up to 750 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) will be supported under the banner of SME Connect via programs that provide facilitation, training, dollar-matched funding and support… Read more »

Funding

Northern Territory government puts $10 million into co-investment fund to back startups

- April 2, 2024 2 MIN READ

A $20 million business investment fund has launched in the Northern Territory in a partnership between the government and Darwin investment firm Paspalis Corporation. The Territory government is tipping in $10 million through the Local Jobs Fund, matched by Paspalis, with funding of up to $5 million available for domestic and international businesses looking to… Read more »

Kids on bike with rockets
Business strategy

Why Australian startup founders should bootstrap if they really want to succeed

- March 21, 2024 3 MIN READ

Australia’s startup world glorifies venture capital as the holy grail—the insider’s ticket to fast scaling and billion-dollar valuations. FOMO sets in when headlines splash record-breaking funding rounds, fuelling a culture that views VC backing as the singular metric for success. As an ecosystem, we fixate on spinning the VC roulette wheel. Even founders who don’t… Read more »

Luke Trickett
Other

Small business factoring fintech pockets $16 million raise

- March 19, 2024 2 MIN READ

A Melbourne small business invoice payment platform built with a venture studio has raised $16 million. The round for Marmalade was led by Blue Stamp Company, supported by existing backer Paloma Capital and several family offices. The capital will be used to fund new customer growth and product development. The fintech was built in partnership… Read more »