farming
Other tech

Deep tech incubator Cicada Innovations is on the hunt for ideas to make grain growing more sustainable

- November 22, 2021 2 MIN READ

Cicada Innovations is launching a grain agtech challenge to uncover innovative deep tech solutions that will help to drive sustainability and improve profitability in the grain growing industry. The GrowLab Grains Challenge, a collaboration with the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC), is now seeking applications from entrepreneurs, grain growers, and researchers. Successful applicants will take part in… Read more »

Tesla
Other tech

Queensland researchers are investigating whether connecting Teslas to the grid could be used to power your neighbourhood

- November 17, 2021 2 MIN READ

Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) will conduct a world-first global trial to see if the spare battery capacity in electric vehicles (EV) could support the local electricity grid, and potentially power homes. UQ has partnered with analytics platform Teslascope to recruit Tesla owners internationally to take part in the study examining car use and… Read more »

Adriano Di Pietro
Other tech

Swinburne launches an innovation research hub to help make flying taxis a reality

- November 16, 2021 2 MIN READ

Swinburne University of Technology is launching an new innovation hub to develop air transport solutions from flying taxis to better spaceships. The Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) will bring together aerospace research, design, and manufacturing startups and experts to develop innovative materials and manufacturing processes for passenger planes, air cargo, and other solutions such… Read more »

Dr Simon Wilkins
Other tech

Australia’s new $40 million biotech incubator, CUREator, is on the hunt for researchers and startup founders

- November 15, 2021 2 MIN READ

Expressions of interest are now open for the first cohort for CUREator, Australia’s first national biotech incubator. CUREator was established with $40 million in funding from the federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and the incubator, run by the Brandon Capital-managed Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), hopes to play a hand in developing up… Read more »

Bump'n
Other tech

Norwegian tossers force disability sex tech startup Handi to change its name – so it’s now called Bump’n

- November 5, 2021 2 MIN READ

Australian disability sex aid startup Handi has changed its named to Bump’n following a trademark dispute with a Scandinavian company that makes a male masturbator called The Handy. Handi founder Heather Morrison said they were approached by Norwegian sex tech company, who own the trademark for “The Handy”. They insisted the Australian startup change its name.… Read more »

Silvia Pfeiffer
Other tech

Female founders lead nearly half the winners in the Australian Technologies Competition

- October 29, 2021 2 MIN READ

Female founders tackling issues ranging from climate change to health, and AI are among 11 emerging technology started crowned as winners of the annual Australian Technologies Competition. Five of the 11 companies to win are led by female founders. They were chosen from 18 companies involved as finalists in the competition. The women-led companies are… Read more »

Novalith, Steven Vassiloudis
Other tech

Lithium extraction startup Novalith raises $2.5 million seed round

- October 26, 2021 2 MIN READ

Novalith Technologies, a climate technology startup that’s developed a more environmentally friendly extraction process for lithium, has raised $2.5 million in a seed round. The raise was led by the CEFC’s Clean Energy Innovation Fund, which contributed $1.5 million. The US-based Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust’s Neglected Climate Opportunities LLC also joined the round. Novalith… Read more »

George McEncroe
Other tech

Women-only rideshare startup Shebah placed in voluntary administration

- October 20, 2021 2 MIN READ

Melbourne startup Shebah has been placed in voluntary administration, a victim of ongoing lockdowns during the Covid pandemic. Administrators Sam Kaso and Rachel Burdett of Cor Cordis said they will try to save the country’s only women-focused rideshare business through a sale or restructure. “Shebah will continue to operate as normal while we stabilise the… Read more »

Other tech

Here are the 18 finalists in the Australia Technologies Competition

- October 5, 2021 3 MIN READ

The Australian Technologies Competition (ATC), an annual celebration of the nation’s best best emerging technology companies, has revealed the 18 finalists for ATC21. The finalists were chosen from 41 semi-finalist scale-up companies that collectively, employ more than 600 people and have invested more than $210 million in the startup technology ideas. The companies involved had… Read more »

Phone frustrated
Other tech

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman says small business cops it hardest when problems arise with telcos

- September 24, 2021 3 MIN READ

Complaints about telecommunications providers declined last year for the third year in a row – but a surge in complaints from small businesses suggests that Australia’s telecommunications providers are still falling short of their promises of improved customer service. Phone and Internet-related complaints declined 6.1% during the 2020-21 financial year, according to the Telecommunications Industry… Read more »

5b solar panels
Other tech

Sun Cable’s giant solar farm in the NT, backed by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest, is now a $30 billion project

- September 24, 2021 2 MIN READ

The value a massive solar farm in the Northern Territory designed to supply power to Singapore, has increased by $8 billion to $30 billion in the wake of approval by the Indonesian Government to run the cable through its waters. The Sun Cable Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink) project has some high profile backers, including Atlassian co-founder… Read more »

Other tech

Xceptional teams up with Generation Australia to develop neurodivergent tech talent for cloud computing

- September 22, 2021 2 MIN READ

Non-profit employment pathways provider Generation Australia has teamed up with Xceptional have teamed up to accelerate skills development and employment for neurodivergent people.  The pilot program plans to develop a pipeline of talent for the tech sector.   The first program is a 12-week, 5-days a week bootcamp-style training course for people to get a job as… Read more »

Other tech

Telstra is backing Airspeeder, the wild F1-style flying electric car racing concept

- September 22, 2021 2 MIN READ

Telstra is getting behind plans for a F1-style racing competition using flying electric cars currently being developed in South Australian by Airspeeder and sister venture Alauda Aeronautics. The concept of aerial F1 racing is the brainchild of entrepreneur Matt Pearson, founder of both ventures. Pearson has already collaborated with a a team of experts from… Read more »

computer, standing desk
Other tech

Why your internet feels slow and jumpy, even when you’ve paid for high-speed NBN

- September 20, 2021 3 MIN READ

Of the 8.2 million homes and businesses active on Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) in July 2021, 77% are now reported to be on a broadband plan that delivers speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps). This is plenty to accommodate a typical household’s needs for video streaming (Netflix high-definition resolution, for instance,… Read more »

SpeeDx labs
Other tech

One reason Australia can’t make mRNA vaccine is because Australia doesn’t produce enough deep tech startups

- September 17, 2021 4 MIN READ

Caught out by its strategy to bet on COVID-19 vaccines that could be made in Australia, the federal government is now scrambling to manufacture mRNA vaccines locally. Its “approach to market” strategy has effectively asked companies how much government money they need to do so. But even with subsidies, this plan will take years. So… Read more »