There’s no shortage of ambition when it comes to trying to recycle plastics, yet less than 10% are actually recycled. A Victorian envirotech startup, Phantm, which has just raised $2 million in Seed funding, is hoping to change that by helping companies understand and reduce their plastic footprint, by using alternatives. The round was led… Read more »
With Facebook now the social media version of a nursing home, a rival London-based startup cofounded by expat Australian Jack Symonds, has bagged $4 million in Seed round. The raise for Lounge, which is connecting the current generation of university students on in four countries, including Australia, was led by Square Peg with support from existing… Read more »
The NSW government has reinstated the minimum viable products (MVP) grant program, six months after it was halted in May, but at just a 25% of the value of the previous government’s program. The government has allocated $12 million to the rebadged “MVP Ventures Program” over the next four years – $3m a year –… Read more »
A new proptech startup designed to make moving less painful has raised $1.75 million in a Seed round. Sydney entrepreneur, Andrew Weinman developed Happly in early 2022, recruiting Jeremy Rosen, cofounder of mobile storage business Taxibox, as his co-CEO, 12 months ago before launching in Sydney this year. The free platform partners with the people… Read more »
Australian Red Cross innovation program Humanitech Lab has invested in two startups, Kara Technologies and AirSeed Technologies, with both receiving a $500,000 grant to take their ideas to the next level. Humanitech Lab is a mentoring and investment program harnessing technological innovation to meet critical humanitarian and social issues. It’s backed by the Telstra Foundation.… Read more »
GP-focused administration medtech Heidi Health has raised $10 million in a Series A. The round was once again led by Blackbird Ventures, with support from Hostplus, Hesta, Wormhole Capital, Archangel Ventures, Possible Ventures and Saniel Ventures. Heidi (rebranded from Oscar) previously raised $5 million in a Seed round led by Blackbird. The software platform enlists… Read more »
Outstaffer, an HR tech platform that helps businesses find, hire, equip and pay staff has raised $1.5 million in its first external round after three years of bootstrapping. The round was co-led by by the startup’s new chief operating officer, Michael Locaso (formerly COO of Listing Loop), with Utiliti Ventures, 1in100 Ventures and Side Stage… Read more »
Manufacturing process management platform Factory.app has raised $1.05 million in a Seed round led by early-stage VC Investible. The two-year-old Sydney software startup was also backed by TechnologyOne founder Adrian DiMarco, 1in100 Ventures, Beachhead Venture Capital, and Hugo-Hamman Investments. Serial entrepreneur Richard Hugo-Hamman, CEO of the legaltech firm The LEAP Group, along with HotelsCombined cofounder… Read more »
Applications for the seventh round of the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund (VMRAF) are now open. It offers both grants of up to $100,000 to support early-stage research projects with a practical application, as well as later-stage grants of up to $500,000 to help researchers bring their products and practices into clinical or health care… Read more »
Renewable energy deployment platform Orkestra has raised a second Seed round in less than 12 months, this time banking $2 million, with local VC Tidal Ventures once again leading the round. Orkestra previously raised $1.1 million in November last year in a round led by Tidal. While the VC called it a Seed round in… Read more »
Digital security and fraud prevention startup Darwinium has raised for the second time in 12 months, banking US$18 million (A$28m) in a Series A. The round was led by US Venture Partners (USVP), with last year’s Seed investors, Blackbird, Airtree and Accomplice topping up their stakes. The US-based customer protection platform was founded by Bondi… Read more »
HR platform Employment Hero has landed 2023’s biggest local raise, bagging $263 million in a Series F led by US fund Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV). It’s the second nine-figure raise this week with Canberra startup Skykraft announcing a $120 million round for its satellite-based air traffic management system. Employment Hero’s backing from TVC remains subject… Read more »
A Canberra-based air traffic management startup has banked $120 million for plans to run the system from space. The round in Skycraft was led by Australian arm of UK-listed fund manager Foresight, supported by CSIRO VC fund Main Sequence Ventures and Canadian pension fund OPTrust in a raise that took two years to complete. A… Read more »
Sydney recruitment marketing startp The Martec has raised $8 million in a round let by multi-family investment office AS1 as it looks to ramp up its offshore presence. The platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its personalised talent marketing to a level that’s normally customer-focused. Since launching in January this year, The Martec has… Read more »
A manufacturing design collaboration and quotation software startup has raised $3.8 million in a Seed round to bring the process into the digital age. Phasio was founded in 2021 by Harry Lucas and ex-CSIRO researcher Sudharshan Raman, Phasio is digitising how manufacturers quote, design and collaborate with customers, bringing a Google Docs-like approach to the… Read more »
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