Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM) is acquiring a US AI-powered browser startup in a deal worth US$610 million (A$935m) in cash. Atlassian cofounder Mike Cannon-Brookes has been a fan of The Browser Company (TBC), and its product Dia, which he calls “the knowledge worker’s browser”, since it was released in mid-2025 in beta mode, sending bug feedback… Read more »
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 »
Payments fintech Airwallex has acquired a US billing platform for an undisclosed sum as it looks to expand its product offering to take on the likes of Stripe Billing and Recurly. The terms of the deal to add San Francisco-based OpenPay – not to be confused with the failed former ASX-listed BNPL of the same… Read more »
When Katherine Ruiz launched People Haircare, she didn’t tiptoe into the market. She went straight into over 800 Coles stores nationally. No soft launch. No boutique trial. Just premium, high-performing haircare on the shelves of one of Australia’s biggest retailers – right from day one. “From day one, Coles was part of the vision,” she… Read more »
The University of Newcastle is backing women entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders around the Hunter and Central Coast regions with a new program to help them take charge. FLIP is a nine-week program aimed at building entrepreneurial confidence, validating business ideas and developing an authentic leadership presence in a supportive, hands-on environment. It’s run by the… Read more »
Crowd-sourced funding (CSF) platform Birchal is increasing its clip of the ticket on raises under $500,000, and shedding roles for the second time in 14 months as CEO Kirstin Hunter looks to put the business on a more financially sustainable path. Two leadership roles have been made redundant, cutting the team to four. SmartCompany reported… Read more »
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 »
Quantum infrastructure software startup Q-CTRL has been awarded to contracts worth $38 million (US$24.4m) under the US Department of Defense agency DARPA’s Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program. The funding is for Q-CTRL’s quantum sensing technologies in high-performance military vehicles, in a collaboration with Lockheed Martin. Engaging Q-CTRL’s solution comes as GPS becomes increasingly vulnerable to… Read more »
A pet food startup making dog treats from feral buffalo in the Northern Territory (NT) has banked around $30,000 to develop the idea thanks to the NT government’s Innovation Grants program. Peco Pet Food makes Buff Jerky and Buff Jellies treats for dogs. The startup will expand its range to Buff Bites an all-natural gelatin… Read more »
Going global is often seen as a rite of passage for many Australian scaleups as it can provide the company with access to new overseas markets, a broader pool of investors or the ability to attract and retain key talent from around the world. During this period of growth, founders often focus on product-market fit,… Read more »
An Australian compliance training company has been accused of turning the laptops of its workers into listening devices to surveil them while they worked from home. Online compliance training provider Safetrac deployed employee monitoring software earlier this year that recorded the audio and screens of some of its workers, which picked up online team meetings… Read more »
US artificial intelligence giant OpenAI, is looking to open a base in Sydney by the end of 2025. The company behind ChatGPT, now worth around A$750 billion, has been busy signing local deals over the past 12 months, including with UNSW and most recently, the Commonwealth Bank, as well as ramping up its lobbying efforts… Read more »
Vector Capital will acquire Showpad and fold it into Bigtincan—taken private in April—under the Showpad brand, uniting two revenue enablement leaders as analysts flag rapid, AI-driven consolidation in a market tipped to reach US$12.7bn by 2030.
Cyber-intelligence startup Apate.ai, a countermeasure to Australia’s $2 billion scam industry, has raised $2.5 million in Seed funding. The round was led by OIF Ventures with participation from Investible. The funds are for product development and international expansion, including hiring engineering and go-to-market teams, as well as expanding its partnerships with financial institutions, telcos, and governments… Read more »
ASX-listed online retailer Kogan.com is back in the red following its write-down of New Zealand acquisition Mighty Ape. Shares in Kogan.com (ASX: KGN) were placed in a trading halt briefly on Monday morning ahead of the results release and news of board changes. The $46.3 million on-cash impairment to goodwill from its $122m Mighty Ape… Read more »
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