Finance-for-kids fintech Spriggy has raised a $35 million Series B round led by NAB Ventures. Perennial Value Management also invested, with previous backer, Grok Ventures, the family investment vehicle of Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife, Annie, also topping up the piggy bank. Grok led the $12 million Series A round in 2019 as… Read more »
Venture capital firm King River Capital says it has completed the first close of its second fund (KRC Fund 2) with US$95 million (A$128m) committed. The VC says backers in its second fund include tech entrepreneurs and execs from leading local tech companies such as Xero and AfterPay, as well as family offices such as… Read more »
A CSIRO-backed startup is planning to create animal-free ‘dairy’ milk that will hit supermarket shelves next year. The idea, Eden Brew, has also been backed by northern NSW dairy co-operative Norco, and the CSIRO’s venture fund Main Sequence, a key investor in fake meat venture V2food. Eden Brew hopes to make its “dairy” products using… Read more »
Investors remain hopeful about tourism, despite ongoing lockdown restrictions, with travel app FreeGuides raising $360,000 in a seed round. The raise was backed by Scalare Partners, Little Fish VC and inQ Innovation Global CEO Malik Irfan for a $2.5 million valuation. The cash will be used to improve the app experience ahead of a global… Read more »
Sydney computer vision startup Visionary Machines has raised A$7.5 million in a seed round led by Folklore Ventures, with co-investment by Our Innovation Fund (OIF). Existing backer Significant Capital Ventures reinvested, along with Thorney Investment Group and IQT International Australia, the Sydney-based of In-Q-Tel. Folklore partner Hannah Field will join the startup’s board Founded in… Read more »
Melbourne marketing startup IntelligenceBank has landed a US$37 million (A$50m) from US B2B investor Five Elms Capital. The marketing operations software platform has earmarked the funds to accelerate growth and scale its system, which converts manual processes to digital to improve marketing efficiency, increase speed to market, and minimise marketing compliance risks. IntelligenceBank helps marketing… Read more »
LaunchVic is seeking a fund manager to run the Victorian Startup Capital Fund (VSCF), a Fund of Funds announced in the Victorian budget. The $120 million VSCF is support Victorian early-stage technology-based startups with potential to grow into high-performing businesses. The fund manager will be charged with raising at least $60 million from the private… Read more »
Tennis Australia will follow the lead set by US governing sports bodies such as the NFL and NBA and launch its own venture capital fund to back tech startups. Wildcard Ventures will invest in early-stage startups using technologies that benefit the sports, health and entertainment industries. The fund will also create a syndicate for investors… Read more »
Digital lending and payments provider WLTH has landed a $3 million seed round, with the Brisbane fintech now launching a $15 million series A with an eye to international expansion. The venture, founded in 2019, has trimmed its sails since originally announcing its intentions earlier this year for a $5m seed, followed by a $20… Read more »
HR and payroll startup Employment Hero has raised $140 million in a series E that tripled the venture’s valuation to $800 million. The round is led by US-based Insight Partners, with local existing investors SEEK, OneVentures, AirTree Ventures and Salesforce Ventures also chipping in again. The cash will be used to bolster engineering capabilities, enhance… Read more »
Brisbane-based online corporate training marketplace Go1 is Australia’s newest unicorn startup after raising a whopping US$200 million (A$273m) series D. Japanese investment powerhouse SoftBank’s Vision 2 fund led the round, announced less than a fortnight after it backed another Brisbane startup, Skedulo’s $100 million raise. Others investors in the latest Go1 round include AirTree Ventures… Read more »
InDebted, the Sydney fintech that successfully collects outstanding debts with digital carrots rather than sticks, has raised $25 million in a series B. The round was led by Perennial Value Management alongside follow-on investments from Carthona Capital, Reinventure and Mass Mutual Ventures Southeast Asia, as well as several prominent local investors, including former Tiger Global… Read more »
Sydney telehealth startup Eucalyptus has raised A$30 million in a series B round led by California investor NewView Capital. NewView founder and managing partner Ravi Viswanathan will join the board. Existing investors Blackbird Ventures and W23, the Woolworths VC fund, also hit the transfer funds button, with AirTree Ventures signing on for the first time. Tim… Read more »
Sydney plant-based proteins startup Harvest B has raised $3.5 million in seed funding just 12 months after launching. The seed raise was led by Aura Ventures and W23, the venture capital arm of supermarket giant Woolworths. The startup also landed a $1 million grant from the federal government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre Commercialisation Fund. It… Read more »
Techboard’s annual Australian Angel Awards have returned for 2021. The awards recognise people active in the angel investment community and the importance of angel investment to the growth of the Australian startup and tech ecosystem. Entries for the Australian Angel Awards are now open. Individual angel investors as well as angel investment groups are welcome to enter. … Read more »
Daily startup news and insights, delivered to your inbox.
