hysata
Funding

Green hydrogen startup Hysata pockets record $172 million Series B

- May 9, 2024 2 MIN READ

Wollongong-based electrolyser startup Hysata, which is developing production methods for low-cost green hydrogen, has raised $172 million (US$111.3m) in a Series B, a record for clean tech in Australia. The round was co-led by the venture arm of oil industry giant bp, and Investec’s Hong Kong-based  alternative investment firm Templewater, with both chipping in US$10m (A$15.2m).… Read more »

SupplyScope cofounders Raman Singh, Reinaldo Lie and Preet Singh.
Funding

Product development startup SupplyScope lands $300,000 pre-Seed from Skalata

- May 9, 2024 2 MIN READ

SupplyScope, a product development startup dealing with regulatory compliance and safety to get to market faster, has raised $300,000 from early-stage investor Skalata. The challenge faced by product suppliers is that takes months of testing and paperwork to get to market. As a result, many have bypassed larger stockists by selling direct-to-consumer and via online… Read more »

Politics

Breakthrough Victoria cops a $360 million haircut, LaunchVic scores $40 million in state budget

- May 7, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Victorian government is cutting funding for its sovereign venture fund, Breakthrough Victoria, by $90 million annually over the next four year, today’s state budget reveals. The reduction in capital allocation for the $2 billion fund comes amid sustained criticism and a high profile media campaign by the likes of Adir Shiffman, chair of ASX-listed… Read more »

artificial intelligence advertising
AI/Machine Learning

The real reason retailers are replacing staff with AI bots is not because they’re cheaper, but for customer data

- May 7, 2024 4 MIN READ

You might have seen viral videos of Wendy’s drive-thru customers in the United States ordering their fast food from the firm’s generative AI bot Wendy’s FreshAI. Most show a very human-like transaction punctuated with cries of amazement at how fast, accurate and polite the system is. While the system and others like it are in… Read more »

Andrew Pedley
Accelerator

Startmate Demo Day: Carbonaught is transforming farm fertilisers and carbon reduction using volcanic rock

- May 7, 2024 5 MIN READ

Startmate held Demo Day for its summer 2024 cohort at Blackbird’s Sunrise in Sydney last week and Startup Daily is profiling the 10 startups involved. Today it’s Carbonaught, which is using basalt rock as fertiliser for farmlands The global food system is broken, and the challenges on our horizon are even harder to swallow. In… Read more »

Canva cofounders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams.
Business

Canva has a new $500 million shareholder – a Sydney private equity firm that previously made a fortune from pet food

- May 3, 2024 2 MIN READ

Sydney investment firm Quadrant Private Equity is now a Canva shareholder after acquiring a hefty $500 million slice of the design giant, including more than $100 million worth of shares from VC fund Blackbird. That represents about 1.2% of the company’s stock. The deal comes after $2.4 billion worth of Canva shares changed hands earlier… Read more »

World View balloon
Funding

Breakthrough Victoria invests $37 million to lure US near-space exploration platform World View to Melbourne

- May 3, 2024 2 MIN READ

State government-backed investment fund Breakthrough Victoria is backing US stratospheric exploration company World View with $37 million to entice it to Melbourne. The strategic investment will see World View establish its Indo-Pacific headquarters in the capital, as well as building an advanced manufacturing facility in Victoria, creating up to 200 jobs in engineering, mission control… Read more »