Funding
Blackbird’s portfolio dings $10 billion as valuations rebound
Blackbird’s disclosed portfolio value has climbed to $9.9b (AUD), capping a rebound led by Canva and fresh deep-tech momentum, and pushing performance to a 36.09% net IRR.
Business strategy
Venture capital is not the answer for women founders – they need funding that fits
For too long venture capital has dominated the conversation around women and funding. Every headline, every pitch competition, every “success story” seems to point to VC as the only path to scale. And yet, VC is not only a poor fit for most women-owned businesses, it has warped the collective understanding of what finance should… Read more »
ASX
OIF Ventures takes CBA-backed Payble off ASX-listed Identitii’s hands for $1.6 million
Financial crime prevention small cap Identitii (ASX:ID8) has sold its remaining stake in joint-venture fintech Payble to existing investor OIF Ventures for $1.6 million. Payble, founded in 2020 by CEO Elliott Donazzan, is a payments platform for local government payments using QR codes and now has 50 customers, including four New Zealand councils after launching… Read more »
Funding
The female founder funnel myth and what it means for investing in women
Yesterday, there were numerous articles written about the fact that a couple large VC funds missed their gender targets for new investments. We do ask our VC funds for more transparency and effort, and then low key shame them when they don’t meet their goals and state it publicly, even if they are moving the… Read more »
Funding
How can we meet more women? VC Blackbird says it’s hard to find female founders to back
An all-women founding team has as little as a 1-in-5000 chance of being funded in Australia according to the latest analysis of investment data from Blackbird. The VC fund released details on its efforts to close the gender investment gap for the 2025 financial year (FY25), with head of impact, Kate Glazebrook, saying “the last… Read more »
Business
Cheque-in: 5 startups that raised $95.45 million this week
Welcome to our new weekly round-up of Australian startup raises, in a collaboration between Startup Daily and our sister publication, SmartCompany. The last week of August features 5 startups spanning vaccine delivery, logistics and cross-border payments, which collectively raised $95.45 million. (A shoutout to our cousins across The Ditch too, where the former Kiwi TikTok… Read more »
ASX
ASX-listed VC Bailador had a pretty good 12 months, delivering a 7.8% return
ASX-listed technology investor Bailador Technology Investments made a net profit after tax of $19.3 million, with two startups DASH and Updoc, leading the way The company (ASX:BTI) declared a final dividend declared of 3.6 cents per share fully-franked, for an annualised grossed-up yield of 8.1%. The portfolio return was 7.8% after all fees and tax.… Read more »
Funding
Longer holds, fewer exits: is Australian VC becoming more like private equity?
Australian venture capital has long rested on a familiar promise – that backing a portfolio of young startups today will deliver returns to investors within roughly a decade. But the regularity of that rhythm is changing, stretching out by up to 1.5x longer as macro shifts and dynamics reshape the path to liquidity. The IPO… Read more »
Business
Melbourne investor Boman Group is ramping up China ties for Australian startups ahead of $1 billion VC fund
An Australian delegation back trade mission to the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) – the northeast port region closest to Beijing – has given new momentum in Australia–China trade relations and bilateral collaboration, according to its host, Melbourne investment firm Boman Group. The visit came as Boman looks to secure $1 billion in commitments from… Read more »
Funding
LaunchVic seeds 7 VC funds in $3.75m boost to Victoria’s startup ecosystem
LaunchVic has injected $3.75m into Victoria’s startup scene, seeding seven VC funds, funding four university pre-accelerators and supporting 60+ founder events. The state expects the funds to raise $275m+ for early-stage startups, as it doubles down on innovation amid a tough global capital market.
Funding
Brandon Capital closes $439m fund with $150m leg up from the NRFC
The NRFC has tipped $150m into Brandon Capital’s sixth fund, taking it to $439m and pushing the government investor past its $550m FY25 target. The cash targets late and early-stage medtech, aiming to keep commercialisation onshore.
Business strategy
Winning without a safety net: How I bootstrapped and grew without VC
Most people think if you’re not backed by venture capital, you’re not playing in the big leagues. That you’re hustling in the shadows, scraping by until some investor finally gives you permission to scale. But for people like me, who started with no handouts, no blueprints, and no pitch deck, the game has always looked… Read more »
Business
Queensland’s VC comeback: funding surges 37% to $417 million in FY25
Queensland’s venture scene is back in growth mode. Cut Through Venture’s FY 2025 report shows $417 million across 109 deals—up 37 percent year‑on‑year—fuelled by enterprise software, climate and health tech. With bigger seed and Series A cheques and strong female‑founder uptake, investors say Brisbane is no longer a satellite market.
Funding
Yes, we need to talk about funding for Australian women-led startups. Yet again
The recent quarterly figures on the Australian startup scene finally put numbers to what everyone has been feeling in their bones for months: the vibes are off. Venture capital investment plunged to an 18-month low, with Q2 2025 clocking in as one of the weakest funding periods in recent memory. This is a major reversal… Read more »
Business
Kiwi VC Icehouse Ventures is halfway to nailing a new $30m Seed fund
When Halter raised a $155 million Series D last month, turning the Kiwi agtech scaleup into a unicorn, Icehouse Ventures was once again among the investors. Now the New Zealand VC is gearing up to back the next wave of Kiwi tech startups and has already secured NZ$15 million in commitments towards a new $30… Read more »
