Edtech Cleverbean has raised $200,000 in Seed funding from Victorian early-stage investor Skalata Ventures to help reduce teacher burnout, at a time when a record number are leaving the profession. The startup offers thousands of evidence-based and research-backed learning materials for the K-6 Australian English curriculum. Cleverbean was cofounded Lucy Chambers, a teacher, and Alina… Read more »
The battle for control of failed renewable energy startup Sun Cable between billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest has been won by the Atlassian cofounder. Sun Cable’s voluntary administrators FTI Consulting, announced on Friday afternoon that they’d entered into an asset sale agreement (“ASA”) with Helietta Holdings 1 Pty Ltd, an entity affiliated with Grok… Read more »
Paris Hilton and electronica duo The Chainsmokers have been added to the A-lister cap table of LA-based expat Australian startup Checkmate, which has raised US$15 million (A$23m) in a Series A. The round was led by GV (formerly Google Ventures), with support from DJ duo Alex Pall and Drew Taggart’s VC fund Mantis, plus several… Read more »
While startup funding globally fell last year, New Zealand venture capital investment was still on the rise, with NZ$726 million poured into 154 deals in 2022, according to the Technology Investment Network (TIN). The Technology Investment Report, launched in Auckland as part of Techweek 2023, covers funding Pre-Seed to Series C+, tracking record levels of funding… Read more »
The NSW startup sector has responded with dismay after the NSW government suddenly shut down a range of funding programs for early-stage companies in the wake of an expenditure review by the new Labor government. Popular programs such as the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) grant have been put on hold “as part of the sector-wide… Read more »
Deakin University’s Centre for AI and the Future of Business is holding its third annual AI Festival in Melbourne next week on June 1-2. The 2023 theme ‘Co-creating value with AI’ will bring together more than 150 business leaders, tech innovators, scholars, and policy makers, including 25 expert presenters. A series of panel sessions will… Read more »
Sydney coworking community and service provider Tank Stream Labs has opened a new CBD office for dedicated to social impact companies, with support from ASX-listed jobs marketplace Airtasker. The partnership means Tank Stream Labs can offer even more affordable office space to social impact companies making a positive impact in their communities, environment, and other… Read more »
FinTech Australia has updated and relaunched one of its key resources for the fintech industry: the interactive ecosystem map it first released in February last year. The sector’s peak body is also calling for local fintechs to check and update their business details on the map to ensure that they fully capitalise off the resource.… Read more »
When rapid grocery delivery service Milkrun shut down suddenly last month, many acknowledged the impact that startup had on improving a moribund sector dominated by lethargic supermarket giants. Founder Dany Milham said at the time “I believe the impact that the Milkrun team had on the industry will be long lasting”. The startup certainly had… Read more »
More than 6 million Australians have used the “buy now, pay later” lending services offered by Afterpay, Zip and more than a dozen other companies. Buy now, pay later offers an easy and convenient alternative to credit card services. You can sign up and have your loan approved almost immediately. One reason for this is… Read more »
Local sportstech is now worth as much as the fintech startup sector, with more than 750 companies involved, according to new analysis from the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN). Releasing its second annual Sports Innovation Report for 2023, ASTN put the value of sportstech at $4.25 billion as the sector begins to ramp up for the… Read more »
Fleet Space Technologies has raised $50 million in a Series C round that values the South Australian satellite startup at more than $350 million. The round was led by existing backers Blackbird, with support from Atlassian cofounder Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures, Alumni Ventures and super fund Hostplus. New to the cap table are TelstraSuper, former… Read more »
Climate change and natural capital technology company FLINTpro has raised US$9 million (A$13.5m) in a Series A as it looks to ramp up its US growth. The round was led by Understorey Ventures with new participation from Pollination, Persei Venture and existing investors Ananta-OM and Synovia Capital. FLINTpro is a pioneering software system that integrates… Read more »
The government is moving to regulate buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services under the Credit Act and force companies like AfterPay, to follow a set of responsible lending obligations. Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones on Monday that he wanted to maintain innovation and competition in the market but stop the “harmful effects of poor marketing practices and poor… Read more »
Former NSW innovation minister Victor Dominello has a new side hustle after leaving politics, joining the board of the Tech Council of Australia (TCA). He will replace former Turnbull-era federal minister and TCA executive director Wyatt Roy, who departs the board next month. TCA chair Robyn Denholm thanks Roy for his contribution in the two… Read more »
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