The Australian government is backing the quantum sector with $4.6 million in funding to improve education and collaboration. National science organisation CSIRO has scored $3.6 million to fund up to 20 PhDs in quantum technology under the Australian Quantum Graduates Program. A further $1 million goes to the Sydney Quantum Academy through the National Quantum… Read more »
The annual Cartier Women’s Initiative (CWI), which supports early-stage women-run companies focusing on social and environmental impact, has selected three Australian startup founder among its 33 finalists. The program provides financial, social, and human capital support and this year expanded its Oceania focus as a new standalone regional award, which Cartier CEO Cyrille Vigneron said… Read more »
Western Australian startup CO-architecture has raised $330,000 in a pre-Seed round for its community platform for professional designers and creatives. The cash came from Victorian early-stage VC Skalata Ventures, with support from several local angel investors, including architect and former Perth deputy lord mayor Sandy Anghie, and Hassell director Peter Lee. CO-architecture connects independent and… Read more »
Australia’s transition to renewables is gathering speed, but there’s a looming problem with storage. We will need much more long-duration storage to get us through the night, once coal and fossil gas exit the system. We also need to find new and better ways to create heat for industrial processes. Renewables can supply much of… Read more »
The dream is over for rapid delivery startup Milkrun, which shuts down this week after 18 months of operations, having raised $86 million in the last two years. Cofounder Dany Milham emailed staff today after the Easter break to say “we have made the difficult decision to wind down the business, and as a result,… Read more »
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange can no longer legally operate within Australia after financial regulator ASIC cancelled the firm’s financial services license due to policy breaches that left consumers financially exposed. Although it was licensed to sell financial derivatives to wholesale customers, Binance Australia Derivatives – the trading name of Oztures Trading Pty Ltd –… Read more »
It’s not news that artificial intelligence (AI) can be biased, and since AI-powered tools are used for almost everything now, including recruiting, there is unconscious bias in hiring processes. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has launched a new cyber workforce program to address the issue. The Cyber National Assessment Program for Skills and Employment (CYNAPSE)… Read more »
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) software startup Fivecast, has raised US$20 million (AU$30m) in a Series A. The Adelaide-based intelligence gathering platform scans publicly available data, including social media sites and the dark web, to identify threats ranging from extremists to terrorists, drug trafficking and organised crime. The round was led by US cybersecurity VC Ten Eleven,… Read more »
Drones are transforming beach patrols and disaster management in Australia, but there’s no easy way for operators to control multi-drone and multi-vehicle operations. So AI and robotics innovator Advanced Navigation has developed Cloud Ground Control (CGC), a platform to manage drone fleets. It enables users to live-stream, control and send commands to drones remotely using… Read more »
If you’re a new mother who wants to document each and every moment of your little bebe in a baby book but can’t find the time and effort, this new app is for you! Baby journaling platform Dujourbaby has launched a memory book app to help mothers easily capture and preserve memories of their baby’s… Read more »
Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) are shaking up the waste management game by deploying artificial intelligence (AI) in rubbish bins to keep tabs on public bin collections. The tech will be used to predict which spots generate more garbage so authorities can plan how frequently public bins should be emptied. UniSA PhD… Read more »
Jamie Dimon, chair and CEO of JP Morgan Chase, has been dubbed the king of Wall Street, while also being seen as America’s “least-hated banker”. He’s seen as a level head in banking circles, so his views on the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last month, which sent shockwaves through the global tech… Read more »
A Melbourne startup that’s hoping to build a mental health app to help people clear their minds has raised $800,000 despite being at least 9 months away from releasing a product. Called Modo, the startup has been backed by Archangel Ventures, Black Sheep Capital, Co Ventures, Giant Leap Fund, the female founder-focused Alice Anderson Fund,… Read more »
Venture Science is a practice for founding and building new companies with designed advantage at the start. We’ve done this a lot at Main Sequence to create companies like v2food, Samsara Eco, Eden Brew, Endua and Quasar Sat. I’ve been using Chat GPT-4 to help me imagine new companies. Here’s how you can too. #1… Read more »
Last week, artificial intelligence pioneers and experts urged major AI labs to immediately pause the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. An open letter penned by the Future of Life Institute cautioned that AI systems with “human-competitive intelligence” could become a major threat to humanity. Among the risks,… Read more »
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