sprint race finish
Accelerator

Queensland brings sportstech accelerator ASTN north to back 40 startups

- June 11, 2024 2 MIN READ

As the Brisbane Olympics loom in 2032, the Queensland government is keen to get local sportstech startups on the podium with new accelerator programs. The state government-backed Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) is bringing Melbourne-based Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) north with funding from the QIC-managed Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund (QVCDF). The accelerator and entrepreneurship programs… Read more »

Barb Hyman, Sapia.ai
AI/Machine Learning

Sapia.ai opens its machine learning models with strategic API program

- June 10, 2024 2 MIN READ

Jobs interview platform Sapia.ai is opening up its machine learning models as part of a strategic API program, launching on AWS Marketplace. The move will give companies around the world the ability to develop their own workplace-based AI applications, using the data insights Sapia.ai has gathered from more than four million job interviews involving 20… Read more »

Tyro Payments
Events

WeMoney wins 3 Finnies at the FinTech Australia awards

- June 8, 2024 2 MIN READ

WeMoney was the biggest winner at the annual FinTech Australia Finnie Awards, taking home the silver in three categories, including the People’s Choice Award for fintech of the year. The annual awards, which recognise the best in Australian fintech, saw FrankieOne take home the top gong as Fintech Organisation of The Year award, while digital… Read more »

Agrifutures female farmer
Funding

Victorian agtech startups score an extra $1 million

- June 8, 2024 < 1 MIN READ

The Victorian government is doubling the size of its early-stage agtech fund to $2 million. The extra $1 million for the Hugh Victor McKay Fund, run by LaunchVic, follows the initial $1 million commitment revealed last year.  The fund offers up to $200,000 to early-stage Victorian agtech startups, so the new funding doubles the potential… Read more »

Diana Callebaut
Venture Capital

Queensland backs impact VC Pollination’s $150 million fund for climate solution startups

- June 6, 2024 2 MIN READ

The Queensland government is backing in specialist venture capital firm Pollination in a new fund for local climate and nature technology startups. Pollination’s Climate and Nature Impact Venture Fund has kicked off with the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) as cornerstone investor through the Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund (QVCDF).  It’s been a busy week for… Read more »

Politics

eSafety drops Federal Court case against Elon Musk’s X over bishop stabbing in favour of tribunal hearing

- June 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

Australian eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has dropped her Federal Court action against social media platform X (formerly Twitter), no doubt hoping the in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal will be as sympathetic to her arguments as a similar tribunal in Queensland. The change in strategy comes are X owner Elon Musk last month won the… Read more »

People

Tech jobs are jostling for a place on the Australian government’s new skilled migration visa list

- June 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

Consultation is underway on whether a range of cyber security-related jobs should be added to Australia’s skilled migration visa list, as the sector faces a widening talent gap. The federal government’s Migration Strategy, unveiled late last year, handed Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) a formal role in developing the core skills occupations list, which will… Read more »

Politics

Here’s the good news in the federal government scrapping the Women in STEM Ambassador program

- June 5, 2024 3 MIN READ

Last week, Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic announced with little fanfare that the position of Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador would be discontinued, effective three days later. The role was created in October 2018 “to encourage girls and women to study and work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields”. Astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith… Read more »