R&D, science, man looking in microscope
Accelerator

MTPConnect kicks off $28.5 million health tech accelerator targeting heart disease and diabetes 

- September 2, 2024 2 MIN READ

Life sciences accelerator MTPConnect has teamed up with health tech industry giants CSL and Roche Diagnostics to launch a new program backing startups tackling cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. The $28.5 million Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) is backed by the federal government’s $22 billion Medical Research Future Fund and will look to back promising drugs… Read more »

Other

CSIRO teams up with Murdoch Uni for $8 million Bioplastics Innovation Hub developing compostable plastics 

- September 2, 2024 2 MIN READ

Murdoch University and national science agency CSIRO have partnered to launch the $8 million The Bioplastics Innovation Hub in Perth to develop a new generation of 100% compostable plastic. CSIRO research program director Dr Andy Whiteley, said the Hub aims to bring together experts in microbiology, molecular genetics, synthetic biology, biochemical engineering, advanced manufacturing and circular… Read more »

Mark and Tony
Funding

Two space startups score $100,000 each from a new South Australian government fund

- September 2, 2024 2 MIN READ

Two South Australian startups, one building a system to help locate and rescue astronauts stranded in remote areas on the Moon, the other, a lightweight spacecraft with AI capabilities, will be backed by state government with $100,000 each.  Safety from Space scored the cash from the inaugural South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund for its… Read more »

Breaking Bad, money pile
Fintech

STEALTH MODE MONEY: Techboard checks under the bed for unannounced capital driving fintech startups – and finds nearly $700 million

- August 30, 2024 5 MIN READ

The amount of capital flowing into local fintechs is nearly double the known figures according to estimates from funding analytics firm Techboard, which has launched a new report into investment in the sector. Some of that funding includes millions into VC-backed startups  with around $684 million in unannounced funding discovered alongside $769m in announced deals… Read more »

Tom Cruise
Politics

The Australian government is threatening quantum founders with 10 years in jail if they export it – even stuff that doesn’t exist – without permission

- August 30, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Australian quantum sector will now face harsh criminal penalties if it shares information or technology, even accidentally, with individuals from overseas after quantum technology was brought under the export control scheme. The Department of Defence unveiled the first changes to the Defence and Strategic Goods List in three years, with quantum computers officially added.… Read more »

Other tech

Spam calls? Sydney startup Curious Thing AI has a bot for that

- August 29, 2024 2 MIN READ

Artificial intelligence startup Curious Thing AI, which is at the forefront of AI-powered voice responses to phone calls, now has a solution for annoying spam and robocalls.  The Sydney-based voice communication platform’s flagship product for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), Lucy, is an AI phone agent designed to replace traditional voicemail systems to help companies and people… Read more »

Events

River Rival highlights a sweltering lineup for Brisbane’s innovation festival, Something Tech

- August 28, 2024 3 MIN READ

There’s plenty of startup action happening in the Sunshine State at the moment, and that’s on show this week at Something Tech.  The two-day festival, August 29-30, once again brings together Queensland’s tech and innovation community in their own unique way for “a saturation of expertise, community sharing, and networking”. Festival cofounder Pauline Fetaui, from… Read more »

Abigail Bradshaw,
Cyber security

Australia’s new chief cyber spook has $10 billion to tackle a massive problem

- August 28, 2024 3 MIN READ

The selection of Abigail Bradshaw as the new head of Australia’s cyber spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), sends a strong message. It confirms the government’s increasing intelligence focus on domestic cybersecurity, both to disrupt foreign influence operations and to promote better protection of our national cyber systems. The ASD is so far succeeding… Read more »

Telegram
Global tech

France has arrested Telegram’s founder and that has the potential to change the future of big tech

- August 27, 2024 4 MIN READ

When Pavel Durov arrived in France on his private jet last Saturday, he was greeted by police who promptly arrested him. As the founder of the direct messaging platform Telegram, he was accused of facilitating the widespread crimes committed on it. The following day, a French judge extended Durov’s initial period of detention, allowing police… Read more »

Georgina Harrisson and Paul Bassat
Politics

Square Peg’s Paul Bassat launches Amplify, a citizen-based political policy lobby group

- August 27, 2024 2 MIN READ

Bunnings CEO Michael Schneider, former Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder and ex-NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet turned BHP advisor are among a new board members of a new political think tank led by Square Peg’s Paul Bassat.  Amplify is a non-partisan organisation, independent of political parties, and says it’s seeking to find the “uncommon ground” on… Read more »