Three months ago, Lygon launched the world’s first digital bank guarantee using blockchain technology, marking the beginning of the end for the paper-based guarantee which has been the dominant form of contractual surety in the western world for around 200 years. The launch of Lygon was the first time a bank guarantee had been fully… Read more »
Of the 13 companies, 46% have a female founder and in all cases, that founder is also the CEO
Brisbane artificial intelligence startup Tribu, which aids IT helpdesks and managed service providers (MSP) automate assistance requests, has raised $1.25 million from Brisbane Angels and the California syndicate founded by US investor Jason Calacanis. Tribu is using machine learning and AI to help IT support companies deal with what the industry calls “level 1” calls… Read more »
Insurance giant IAG’s VC arm, IAG Firemark Ventures, has led a US$19 million (A$25m) series “B-1” raise into Australian cybersecurity startup UpGuard. Firemark was among several investors backing the nine-year-old business once again, including Pelion Venture Partners, Square Peg Capital and August Capital, bringing the total raised to A$59 million, following a previous raise in… Read more »
Hospitality startup The Village Co, which is changing the way restaurants entertain young customers, has raised $1.2 million in a seed round. The Hunter Valley-based augmented reality tech startup was backed by new and existing investors, including accountancy firm PKF. CEO and founder Mick Carr said the seed round was a major milestone for the… Read more »
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark will be among the first passengers aboard his Blue Origin space mission next month. The world’s second richest man took to Instagram to announce he’d be aboard New Shepard’s first human flight on July 20. “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to… Read more »
Shares in ASX-listed software venture Altium (ASX: ALU) jumped 40% after the company rejected an unsolicited $5 billion takeover offer from NASDAQ-listed multinational software behemoth Autodesk. The non-binding, indicative and unsolicited offer from for 100% of Altium at A$38.50 per share, by way of a scheme of arrangement, was rejected as “significantly” undervaluing the business,… Read more »
Even if you think the customer may not always be right, it’s increasingly clear that people expect to be heard by the companies they buy from. That’s where tech startup Hearsay comes into play. Marketer and customer experience expert Pip Stocks founded the venture to create a more structured and scientific approach to customer feedback… Read more »
Ivvy, a cloud-based event and venue management platform, has raised A$7 million in a pre-IPO round. The pre-IPO raise was led by Thorney Investment Group, and Gandel Invest, led by Tony Gandel. Ivvy plans to list on the ASX within the next 12 months. The 12-year-old venture has now raised $20 million in funding, including a $6… Read more »
ASX-listed data security company IXUP Ltd (ASX:IXU) has scored a software bargain from the administrators of failed tech startup Data Republic, buying the data exchange’s intellectual property and IT for just $3 million. The purchase price represents a 94% discount to the almost $50 million Data Republic spent building the platform. The acquisition came from… Read more »
Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers every Saturday. Don’t forget you can catch Gavin Appel discussing… Read more »
US tech workforce development venture Pluralsight will acquire online learning startup A Cloud Guru in a deal believed to be worth $2 billion. The sale is likely to be one of the biggest in local tech for the 5-year-old London-based startup. A Cloud Guru was originally built in a month in a Melbourne bedroom… Read more »
Real estate marketplace ListingLoop.com.au, which specialises in pre-market and off-market property sales, has closed a $3 million round to accelerate its already stellar growth. The pre-series A raise was co-led by Michael Locaso from investment and advisory firm LP7, who has since become the company’s Chief Operating Officer and property entrepreneur Michelle Catelan from RP… Read more »
Tenacious Ventures, a specialist agrifood tech venture capital firm, has build a $35 million fund to invest in early-stage startups with a focus on climate change resilience. The Tenacious Ventures Fund I achieved its first close in March 2020 at just over $20 million, backed by $8 million from the Australian Government Clean Energy Finance… Read more »
The NSW Government is introducing new laws to improve safety in the gig economy after five food delivery riders died on the job last year. The new laws will become part of Work Health and Safety legislation and come amid concerns over a lax approach to road safety by the riders themselves. The changes are… Read more »
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