Topic Archives

Climate tech now employs 7000+ people and is driving Australia’s economic growth, Climate Salad’s annual analysis finds

Simon Thomsen - November 27, 2025 4 MIN READ

Australia’s climate tech sector now employs more than 7,000 people across more than 730 startups and scaleups, which attracted $680 million in venture funding in 2025. The analysis of local sector and its momentum and growth feature in the 2025 Australian Climate Tech Industry Report, released today by Climate Salad founder Mick Liubinskas. “This report… Read more »

Politics

Two 15-year-olds, backed by a NSW Libertarian MP, are challenging the Australian government’s u16s social media ban in the High Court

Luke Beck - November 27, 2025 4 MIN READ

Two teenagers are taking the federal government to the High Court. They argue the ban on social media accounts for under-16s is unconstitutional because it interferes with free political communication. The ban is due to take effect on December 10. Will the High Court challenge make any difference? What does the law do? Due to… Read more »

ASX

Livestock emissions reduction startup Sea Forest’s shares soar on ASX debut

Simon Thomsen - November 26, 2025 2 MIN READ

Tasmanian climate tech startup Sea Forest was embraced by investors, with its shares closing up 12.5% on debut after listing on the ASX. The seven-year-old scaleup raised $20.5 million at $2 per share for a market capitalisation of $112.1 million, and rose as high as $2.42 before closing at $2.25. Sea Forest (ASX:SEA) was founded… Read more »

Funding

Indigenous founder focused VC Ochre Ventures hits $30 million first close on $100m target

Simon Thomsen - November 26, 2025 2 MIN READ

Ochre Ventures, the first Australian VC solely focused on First Nations entrepreneurship, has reached a $30 million first close on the $100m target for its first fund. The VC has already made its first five investments, including veteran First Nations-owned construction and facilities management business PSG Holdings; video games maker MicroProse, which generated $5m in… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Kiwi AI data tech developer Blackpearl Group dual-lists on the ASX

Simon Thomsen - November 25, 2025 2 MIN READ

New Zealand tech veteran Blackpearl Group crossed The Ditch on Tuesday for a dual listing on the ASX. Blackpearl (NZX: BPG) (ASX:BPG) listed at A$0.95 per share having raised NZ$15.1 million las month, but ended its debut down 7.41% at A$0.875 for a market cap of A$83m. Blackpearl is built around Pearl Engine, a data… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

The Australian government is launching an AI safety institute

Simon Thomsen - November 25, 2025 2 MIN READ

A new government-funded body will assess the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), fulfilling a promise made by Labor prior to the last election The Australian AI Safety Institute will evaluate emerging AI capabilities, share information and support timely actions to address potential risks. Industry, innovation and science minister Tim Ayres said in a joint release… Read more »

Phoebe Harrop, Tom Humphrey, Michael Tolo

Global tech

Airwallex is Blackbird’s new Canva, as the VC devalues workplace software unicorns Culture Amp and Safety Culture

Simon Thomsen - November 25, 2025 2 MIN READ

Blackbird’s come-to-Jesus moment six months ago, when it tipped $60 million from its 2022 follow-on fund into Airwallex, is now being pitched to the VC’s investors as its rising star. Details from the annual Blackbird Ventures investor day were leaked to Capital Brief’s Bronwen Clune, and included details of Canva’s performance, with the VC flagging… Read more »

Advice

How to lead people and drive profit in ways that doesn’t make you a jerk

Karlie Cremin - November 25, 2025 5 MIN READ

If you’ve been in the workforce for more than about five minutes, you’ve met them: The boss who thought the title automatically made them brilliant – and would like you to know about it – the same one who called “urgent” meetings that could have been an email, or could have waited until next week. The… Read more »

Business

$9.5 million, 4 cities and 7 years later, Kiki’s London launch has generated $18,700 in revenue since July

Tegan Jones - November 25, 2025 5 MIN READ

Four months after entering the UK market, controversial short-term subletting startup Kiki is following a familiar pattern as it finds its footing in London. Manual processes powered by Instagram, limited revenue, parties, and growing costs (including visa sponsorship for newly hired staff) are already defining Kiki’s local operations. Meanwhile, the startup is publicly projecting confidence… Read more »

Accelerator

Team Techstars Sydney: Check out Crystal aOS – creating a crypto compliant world

Startup Daily - November 25, 2025 3 MIN READ

Ahead of the TechStars Sydney ‘Demo the Future’ on December 8, Startup Daily is profiling the 12 startups and their founders in the 2025 cohort. Our next profile is Crystal aOS – setting up the future for crypto compliance. Crystal aOS Founder: Joni Pirovich One-liner: Crystal aOS is the governance, risk and compliance management system… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

The Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year is ‘AI Slop’ – and the Collins went with ‘vibe coding’

Roslyn Petelin - November 25, 2025 4 MIN READ

AI slop is Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2025. It also won the people’s choice vote. The dictionary defines the word as “low-quality content created by generative AI [artificial intelligence], often containing errors, and not requested by the user”. I’ve spent the last year researching the solicitous, duplicitous and ubiquitous generative AI –… Read more »

Business

South Asian Australian founders are a $1.6 billion startup powerhouse

David Adams - November 24, 2025 2 MIN READ

South Asian Australian founders have raised at least $1.6 billion in investment through to 2025, in fields as varied as artificial intelligence, mental healthcare, and sustainability, according to a new report celebrating the local startup sector. The figure demonstrates the growing influence of South Asian founders, says Sandeep Varma, whose SAARI Collective published a list… Read more »

ASX

Canadian authorities ban GetSwift’s disgraced founders, Bane Hunter and Joel Macdonald, for life

Simon Thomsen - November 24, 2025 6 MIN READ

Failed logistics startup GetSwift’s cofounders, Bane Hunter and Joel Macdonald, have been banned from being company directors in Canada for life. The bans come four years after the pair moved to North America as their ASX-listed business disintegrated amid legal action and relisted in British Columbia. The BC Securities Commission (BCSC) last month placed permanent… Read more »

Business

Decade-old food redistribution startup Yume is up for sale after hitting liquidation

Simon Thomsen - November 24, 2025 3 MIN READ

Food redistribution platform Yume Food has been placed in liquidation, with the 10-year-old social impact startup and its assets being put on the market. Founder Katy Barfield and the Yume board handed the keys to Teneo Financial Advisory Australia as Liquidators on November 18. Yume’s digital trading platform generates additional revenue for food manufacturers by… Read more »

Life hacks

A young person’s guide to getting ready for Australia’s under-16 social media ban

Daniel Angus & Tama Leaver - November 24, 2025 4 MIN READ

If you’re a young person in Australia, you probably know new social media rules are coming in December. If you and your friends are under 16, you might be locked out of the social media spaces you use every day. Some people call these rules a social media ban for under 16s. Others say it’s… Read more »