Eric Gao
Business

Melbourne investor Boman Group is ramping up China ties for Australian startups ahead of $1 billion VC fund

- August 8, 2025 2 MIN READ

An Australian delegation back trade mission to the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) – the northeast port region closest to Beijing – has given new momentum in Australia–China trade relations and bilateral collaboration, according to its host, Melbourne investment firm Boman Group. The visit came as Boman looks to secure $1 billion in commitments from… Read more »

Leadership

Aconex cofounder Rob Phillpot & Airtree’s Daniel Petre feature in the new program for high-performance founder accelerator The Komo Club

- August 7, 2025 2 MIN READ

While founders know how to scale a company, many are flying blind when it comes to their most important business asset: themselves. Entrepreneur, investor and podcast host Rohit Bhargava (Playbook Ventures, The Startup Playbook Podcast) has seen it all too often – founders neglect their health, energy, clarity and relationships, leading to quiet burnout, missed… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

“Lobotomised”: The gaming industry’s complicated, polarised relationship with AI

- August 7, 2025 5 MIN READ

Frustration thrives as the promise of AI-empowered games gives way to redundancies, diminished job satisfaction and player boycotts. Solo Australian developer Joe Gibbs is excited about how artificial intelligence (AI) will transform his game. Partnering with an AI company, Gibbs intends to implement a dynamic branching story system into his real-time strategy game, Fall of… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

YEAH BUT NAH: Expat Australian AI founder turns down Zuck’s $1.5 billion offer to join Meta

- August 6, 2025 3 MIN READ

An Australian AI researcher has reportedly turned down a $1.54 billion package from Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. University of Sydney graduate and Perth native Andrew Tulloch accrued a reputation as a ‘genius’ during a ten-year tenure at Meta, where he initially worked on machine learning for Facebook before eventually securing one of the company’s… Read more »

Working Kangaroo
AI/Machine Learning

The Productivity Commission’s take on AI regulation, data, privacy and how to help the digital economy – explained by one of its coauthors

- August 6, 2025 3 MIN READ

Data and new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence present an opportunity to get Australia back on the path to productivity growth. But we can only seize this opportunity with the right policy framework. Australia can unlock billions in economic value through strategic reforms to data access, artificial intelligence regulation, and digital infrastructure. The Productivity… Read more »

Global tech

Elon Musk’s Starlink loses out to Amazon in supplying satellite broadband for Australia’s NBN Co.

- August 5, 2025 2 MIN READ

Government-owned NBN Co has chosen Amazon’s Project Kuiper’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology for high-speed, wholesale fixed broadband to customers in sections of regional, rural and remote Australia. The decision sidelines Elon Musk’s Starlink, which launched in Australia in 2021, and has around 200,000 local customers, and was also pitching for the NBN contract.… Read more »

Global tech

BOOK REVIEW: The CEO of US data surveillance giant Palantir thinks Big Tech needs a moral compass

- August 5, 2025 7 MIN READ

Critics of those who misuse power tend to be outsiders. So, it’s striking that Alexander Karp, cofounder and CEO of data analytics giant Palantir Technologies, has written a book, with Palantir’s head of corporate affairs Nicholas Zamiska, calling on Silicon Valley to find its moral compass. Together, they upbraid fellow big tech companies for “building… Read more »

3 older men
Leadership

Privilege and ageism: The devil is in the attitude

- August 5, 2025 3 MIN READ

One of the reasons I stepped back from ageism and stereotype activism this year was encapsulated in an apathetic LinkedIn post by a well-known male digital and investor leader. The intention of shaming and internalised ageism expressed riled me and others up to no end. I couldn’t stay silent. It was not only inaccurate but… Read more »

Accelerator

Sydney Uni accelerator Genesis launches $5,000 founder prize for startup financial models

- August 5, 2025 2 MIN READ

A new partnership between Genesis, the University of Sydney’s startup accelerator, and wealth management firm MLC is offering startup founders a $5000 award for excellence in startup financial modelling. The MLC Financial Clarity Prize will be awarded to the Genesis participant who develops the most clear and compelling three-year financial model aligned to their startup… Read more »

Kevin Gounden
Business

Buildkite finally has a new CEO

- August 5, 2025 2 MIN READ

Software development scaleup Buildkite has found a new CEO to replace cofounder Keith Pitt, who left the business suddenly five months ago, handing the reins to veteran Silicon Valley exec Kevin Gounden. The 12-year-old US-Australian business, allows developers to build, test, and deploy software at scale, has been rebuilding its C-suite over the last 18… Read more »