Venture Capital

Brisbane SaaS investor VentureOn Partners moves into proptech, acquiring Story Bridge Ventures

- October 23, 2023 2 MIN READ

Queensland software-as-a-service (SaaS) investor VentureOn Partners has acquired fellow Brisbane VC Story Bridge Ventures as it looks to move into the proptech (property technology) and contech (construction technology) spaces. VentureOn, cofounded in 2023 by four SaaS founders and operators, specialises in software companies, offering working capital and operational experience from a team of software tech… Read more »

Mercu cofounders Elliott Gibb and Jascha Zittel
Venture Capital

Asian VC Sequoia India selects two Australian startups for its accelerator after rebrand and split from US

- October 23, 2023 2 MIN READ

AI-based workforce automation startup Relevance AI, and employee engagement platform Mercu are the Australian companies selected for Surge, the accelerator program run by the now rebranded Sequoia India. The Surge cohort of 13 includes seven startups from India, four from Southeast Asia, and the two Australians, chosen from around 4,800 applications for the 16-week program,… Read more »

old hollywood photo of man and woman, black and white
Investing

What founders need to know about investment term sheets

- October 12, 2023 4 MIN READ

For founders seeking funding, the term sheet is a critical document that can make or break a deal. Yet, it remains shrouded in mystery and can be intimidating for first-time entrepreneurs. Investment rounds are pivotal stages in the growth journey of any startup. They are the juncture where dreams are fuelled with capital, and visions… Read more »

Mike Abbott
Venture Capital

Early-stage investor Antler lands $60 million 2nd fund as Uber Australia OG Mike Abbott signs on as partner

- October 5, 2023 2 MIN READ

Early-stage venture capital firm Antler says it has commitments approaching A$60 million at the final close of its second Australian fund Investors in Australian Fund II include Canberra Airport billionaire Terry Snow’s Snow Foundation, Flight Centre co-founder Geoff Harris through his family office and pioneering Melbourne early-stage investor Roger Allen. Antler launched in Australia in… Read more »

Singapore
Investing

The CEO of Sydney VC fund Investible explains why Singapore is the place to be for investors

- September 20, 2023 3 MIN READ

It’s been half a decade since Investible launched our inaugural Early-Stage Fund, and first opened the doors of our office in Singapore. Since 2018, we have invested in 15 companies in Southeast Asia and we are now active in markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Vietnam.  Australia claims less than 2% of… Read more »

Party, champagne, yacht
Business strategy

If you’re an early-stage startup looking to raise, a VC investor explains why it might be time to think about a party round

- September 19, 2023 3 MIN READ

You’re a startup raising capital between pre-seed and Series A and struggling to find a lead investor – have you thought about a party round? But before we start the party, let me explain the purpose of a lead investor. When you typically raise capital there is one investor who takes the lead in the… Read more »

Rosterfy cofounders, Shannan Gove, Bennett Merriman and Chris Grant
Venture Capital

ASX-listed VC Bailador Technologies results reveal a mixed bag for investors

- August 16, 2023 2 MIN READ

While the failure of online retailer Brosa was a $4.5 million hit to the bottom line of ASX-listed venture capital firm Bailador Technologies Investments (ASX: BTI), the sale of healthtech startup InstantScripts was a massive win for investors in a difficult 12 months revealed in the company’s annual results today. Ironically, it was another ASX-listed… Read more »

Canva cofounders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams. Photo: supplied
Business

EXIT, STAGE BRIGHT: Blackbird offloads $150 million slice of its Canva stake at $39 billion valuation

- August 10, 2023 3 MIN READ

VC firm Blackbird Ventures has cracked open some of its golden eggs, offloading a small slice of its stake in design platform Canva at a US$25.5 billion (A$38.8bn) valuation in a secondary market sale to US investors. The deal with New York’s Coatue Management and San Francisco’s ICONIQ Capital is another step down the path… Read more »

Emily Casey, Jaddan Comerford, Anthony Zaccaria, cofounders of Side Stage Ventures.
Venture Capital

Linktree cofounders back new $15 million VC fund

- August 7, 2023 < 1 MIN READ

Early stage investment syndicate Side Stage Ventures, which is backed by multiple founders, including Linktree cofounders Anthony and Alex Zaccaria, has moved into mainstream VC 15 months on, raising $15 million for its first fund. The Zaccaria siblings, along with What the Health founder Emily Casey, UNIFIED Music Group’s Jaddan Comerford, and others, originally launched… Read more »