Jim Chalmers
Politics

Budget 2024: The key points – what you need to know

- May 14, 2024 2 MIN READ

The third Chalmers’ budget will deliver a surplus of $9.3 billion for this financial year – the second successive surplus of the Albanese government. This will be the first time there have been back-to-back surpluses in nearly two decades. But the forecast surplus is less than the $22.1 billion last financial year. Tuesday’s budget will… Read more »

digital ID
Politics

Budget 2024: Digital ID scores another $288 million towards $1 billion roll out

- May 14, 2024 3 MIN READ

A further $288 million will be provided to the government’s digital identity scheme in the federal budget, bringing its total funding to nearly $1 billion. Treasurer Jim Chalmers will also extend the instant asset write-off test for another year, allowing tech and other businesses to immediately deduct $20,000 from eligible assets. Chalmers will hand down… Read more »

Will Richardson,
Venture Capital

Knowledge is worth more than money, VC Giant Leap tells inquiry into the wholesale investor test

- May 14, 2024 2 MIN READ

Impact venture capital firm Giant Leap has told a parliamentary inquiry into the sophisticated investor test that the government should measure investor quality rather than the size of their capital when it comes to the threshold qualifications The investment sector has swung into action as submissions to the inquiry close tomorrow and Startup Daily revealed… Read more »

Politics

Elon Musk 1, eSafety Commissioner 0, in legal battle over priest stabbing video removal on X

- May 14, 2024 2 MIN READ

Elon Musk has won the latest round in his Federal Court fight with Australia’s eSafety Commissioner over demands that his social media company X (aka Twitter) remove footage of a bishop being stabbed in Sydney last month. The decision by Justice Geoffrey Kennett limits the powers of  Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and the country’s Online… Read more »

Business

Queensland EV charging manufacturer Tritium may survive

- May 13, 2024 2 MIN READ

The receivers of Brisbane-based electric vehicle charging venture Tritium are hopeful of finding a buyer for the company, having stabilised the business and kept it trading. The 23-year-old business imploded last month after attempts to find a buyer fell through as it teetered on the brink of insolvency, despite being listed on the US Nasdaq, when… Read more »

Women in tech

Applications for Press Play’s Victorian program to help women become startup founders are about to close

- May 13, 2024 2 MIN READ

Press Play is a pre-accelerator program for women looking at stepping outside their corporate, scaleup or startup jobs to become a startup founder. It’s designed to take them from employee to entrepreneur in 12 weeks. Thanks to the support of LaunchVic and several other supporters there are 100 scholarship, valued at $4,700 each, available for… Read more »

AgriWebb
Funding

Farming stock management software startup plants $11 million raise

- May 10, 2024 2 MIN READ

Digital beef cattle management platform AgriWebb has raised US $US7.2 million (A$11m). The 10-year-old startup attracted listed Swedish climate solutions firm Munters Group as a new investor, with existing backers Germin8 Ventures, Grosvenor Food & AgTech, and Telus Ventures, the VC arm of the Canadian telecommunications giant, also part of the round. AgriWebb, founded in… Read more »

child with money raining down
Funding

Submissions to the parliamentary inquiry into the wholesale investor test close next week

- May 9, 2024 3 MIN READ

Rumours that the federal government was looking at dramatically ramping up the thresholds to qualify for the wholesale investor test sent shockwaves through the startup sector at the start of 2024. The purported changes being considered as Treasury looked into the issue were increasing the asset threshold to $4.5 million, up from $2.5m, with the… Read more »

Founder Craig Howe
Funding

Data transformation consultancy startup V2 Digital lands $30 million

- May 9, 2024 2 MIN READ

Melbourne tech startup V2 Digital has pocketed a $30 million equity investment from Columbia Capital just 12 months after launching. The digital transformation and data consultancy takes vision to value in companies, combining its experience, data, software, and cloud expertise to upskill internal talent. Founder Craig Howe launched the business in April 2023 and now has… Read more »

Business

The best tech companies in Australia to work for, according to Great Place to Work

- May 9, 2024 3 MIN READ

The best tech companies to work for in Australia have been revealed, with some familiar faces topping the list. The Great Place to Work organisation’s annual Best Workplaces in Technology Australia list has been unveiled, based on confidential surveys of tens of thousands of employees at tech firms around the country. The list defines a great workplace… Read more »

Finder cofounders Jeremy Cabral, Fred Schebesta and Frank Restuccia.
People

Finder cofounder Fred Schebesta shaved off his golden locks to raise funds for cancer research

- May 9, 2024 2 MIN READ

Tomorrow, scalps across Australia will be revealed for a good cause when around 16,000 people lose their hair as part of the Leukaemia Foundation’s annual fundraiser World’s Greatest Shave. Finder cofounder Fred Shebesta is among them and one of Australia’s top 10 fundraisers, collecting more than $26,000 in donations. More than $10 million has been… Read more »

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 »