Mentwell, a gift card healthcare startup that’s honed in on mental health and wellness, has raised $228,950 in a crowdfunding campaign. The Birchal campaign in June was backed by 117 investors as the platform looks to expand into the US and UK markets. Mentwell founder and CEO Nikki Williams said her mission is to revolutionise… Read more »
Sydney-based Dash Technology Group has raised $22 million in a round led by listed venture fund Bailador Technology Investments (ASX:BTI). The Bailador deal will see the VC invest an initial $15 million now with $5m in follow-on funding in six months in January 2025. Dash is a cloud-based financial advice and investment management software platform… Read more »
A construction site safety management startup has raised $4 million as it looks to expand internationally. 1Breadcrumb is a worksite and process management software platform, initially focusing on construction, with ambitions to spread to other worksites to improve safety and productivity. Nearly two-thirds of construction sites still use paper-based workflows. The company plays in a… Read more »
Reusable pallet wrap startup Bearhug has banked $325,000 in a Angel round to reduce plastic waste. The Sydney startup was founded in January 2023 by Tom Field and a uni mate, Max Higgins, and has already prevented more than 4 tonnes of plastic wrap from ending up in landfill. Unlike other startups that have developed… Read more »
A renewable energy company installing home solar and batteries has raised $1 million in pre-Series A bridge funding round. The cofounder of rideshare car subscription service Splend, Alan Hunter, launched National Renewable Network (NRN) in 2021. Last Christmas NRN banked a $3.5 million raise alongside a $10 million funding facility from Catalytic Impact Capital. Investible… Read more »
A Canberra plastics recycling startup has raised $100 million in a Series A+ as it looks to take its technology to Asia. Samsara Eco, a spin-out from Australian National University, launched in late 2021 as a partnership between the ANU and CSIRO-backed Main Sequence Ventures. It set out to address the fact that less than… Read more »
Venture capital funding for NSW startups began to decline in the first quarter of 2024 after swallowing two-thirds of all Australian investment in 2023, according to new data from funding analytics firm Techboard. Startup investment in the first quarter of 2024 had slowed with $761 million invested across 82 deals recorded over the first three… Read more »
ESG credentials startup Klean has raised $725,000 in a pre-Seed round led by Prtnr Ventures, the new VC founded by Wayne Gerard, a former Queensland chief entrepreneur. Klean was founded in late 2022 by Shan Vahora to address the concerns of the 70% of Millennial and Gen Z consumers who say they care about the… Read more »
First Australians Capital (FAC) has garnered $20 million in commitments for the first close of its Catalytic Impact Funds. Managing Partner Brian Wyborn said said the investors included long-standing cornerstone supporter Paul Ramsay Foundation, an anonymous Melbourne-based trust, and the Cages Foundation. “We’re thrilled to announce the first close of this fund, bringing together values-aligned… Read more »
Sydney quantum startup Diraq has topped up its Series A2 top up with another US$7 million (A$10.5m) for its Series A-2. The fresh funds come just four months after Diraq bolstered its Series A in February with an extra A$23 million. That first tranche of the A2 follows US$20 million in a Series A in… Read more »
Document analysis firm Affinda has banked $10 million in a raise that has doubled its valuation in just 18 months as it ramps up its artificial intelligence capabilities. Affinda bootstrapped for its first decade before raising $12.9 million in 2022 at a $60m pre-money valuation. The fresh cash landed from the same investors at twice… Read more »
A deep tech startup looking to turn Nikola Tesla’s vision of wireless power transmission into reality has banked $2 million in follow-on funding. The round for Aquila was led by Alua Group, supported by existing investors Blackbird and Icehouse, who backed a $3 million Seed round 12 months ago. Aquila was cofounded by 24-year-old Billy… Read more »
Fast-rising food brand Naked Rivals, which began life as a side hustle for husband-and-wife founders Andrew and Kate Gordon just 18 months ago, has raised $3 million from angel investors. The Sydney couple developed Naked Rivals during their third pregnancy in October 2022, while still in their full-time day jobs in financial services. Trying to… Read more »
Breakthrough Victoria, the state government’s $2 billion tech investment fund, is backing California-based Liquid Instruments with $15 million to bring the test equipment manufacturer to Melbourne. The 10-year-old firm, headquartered in San Diego, began life in Canberra, and builds cutting-edge test and measurement instruments used by engineers, scientists, and students, which can be reconfigured, saving… Read more »
A proptech startup used by governments and leading property developers has raised $5 million. Six-year-old Archistar was backed by existing investors NAB Ventures and Kim Jackson’s Skip Capital, with PEXA chair Prabhat Sethi also chipping in. The startup has now raised $40 million since it was founded in 2018, including $6 million in April 2021… Read more »
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