The recent Productivity Roundtable in Canberra focused on how to increase productivity and resilience with technology, but one niche sector was overlooked, as it often is: agtech. Yet agriculture is where some of the most urgent innovation is taking place, particularly in adapting to climate change, increasing yields and productivity. Beanstalk’s Drought Venture Studio, backed… Read more »
Auckland startup Nurox Hydrothermal has partnered with Interwaste to deploy its hydrothermal hazardous-waste processing technology—using heat, water, and air to convert dangerous waste into useful by-products without harmful emissions.
Clean energy and climate tech startup accelerator, EnergyLab, has selected 10 startups for its 2025 Climate Solutions Accelerator This is the 12th cohort since launching in 2017, helping develop ideas ranging from breakthroughs in energy storage, grid optimisation and dynamic retail, to critical minerals recovery, carbon utilisation, and circular manufacturing. Earlier this month, alumni startup… Read more »
Australia is at a critical juncture. The global transition to a net-zero economy is no longer speculative, it’s underway and accelerating. The nation has everything it needs to lead: world-class research, abundant natural resources, and strong research institutions, but Charlotte Connell, head of impact at Greenhouse, said the issue is how funding is being deployed… Read more »
An energy infrastructure platform developing virtual power plants (VPPs) from household renewables as raised $17 million in a Series A. The round for NRN (National Renewable Network) was led by existing backer Investible and Virescent Ventures, with Ecotone Partners joining the cap table via its new $25m Planet Fund. The capital raise was topped up… Read more »
As the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, many worry the increased demand could overload national power grids. In Australia, electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050. If everyone charges their car and heats water using electric systems at the same time, peak demand could rise sharply, forcing costly grid upgrades. But this would… Read more »
Sydney’s Salesforce Tower is ground zero for a world‑first “true‑zero” power trial. Climate‑tech hub Greenhouse and retailer Flow Power say time‑matched renewables could slash emissions from Australia’s energy‑hungry office towers—no offsets required.
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.
The NSW government is spending $2.8 million in grants to install 549 new kerbside chargers for electric vehicles across 130 suburbs, between Newcastle and Wollongong over the 12 months. EV Kerbside Charging Grants were awarded to five companies: Charge Post, Connected Kerb, EVX, Plus ES and EF Asset Management, which will contribute a combined $2.2… Read more »
The technology behind Owls Eat Rats is more RI (raptor intelligence) than AI-based, but it solves a big agricultural problem and won the $50,000 grant prize at the Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program pitch last week. Six startups were involved in the annual program, which culminated in the pitch night at Taronga Zoo Sydney. Owls Eat… Read more »
The business world has become increasingly crowded with net-zero pledges and sustainability buzzwords. But for companies who actually want to walk the talk, there’s a real solution that goes beyond the greenwash and creates lasting impact. Designed for office-based businesses that are on the hunt for practical ways to reduce their carbon footprint, CitySwitch is… Read more »
A US startup used extensively by Australian authorities to detect bushfires has raised a US$44 million (A$68m) Series B. The round for Pano AI included an undisclosed level of secondary share sales, with the surveillance platform claiming to have raised A$138m (US$89m) in its five-year-old lifetime. New investor Giant Ventures led the raise, supported by… Read more »
A new venture capital fund with heavy-hitting corporate partners and focused on backing climate tech startups at Series A has secured $50 million in commitments to reach its first close. Climate Tech Partners (CTP), founded in 2023 by Patrick Sieb and Tom Kline (who established Investible’s climate tech fund), more than doubled its size thanks… Read more »
Climate, health and people-related startups are getting an increasing slice of early-stage Australian investment according to new analysis of where venture capital is being deployed. The report, Impact Startups Benchmark Report 2025. draws on data from Melbourne impact investor Giant Leap, and more than 2,800 startup deals over the past three years. While total startup… Read more »
Melbourne renewables battery startup Voltavate has raised $850,000 in a pre-Seed round to make lithium-ion batteries and energy storage devices safer, more efficient and sustainable. The round was led by Artesian, with support from Investible, Electrifi Ventures, and angel investors John Wood, Christiaan Jordaan, and Steven Vassiloudis, as well as the startup’s chair, Reza Behnam.… Read more »
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