In real estate terms, Elaine, the 1863 waterfront mansion in Sydney’s Point Piper, could be described as a bit of a fixer-upper, with plenty of potential. And that’s how Atlassian cofounder Scott Farquhar and his wife, venture capitalist Kim Jackson, saw it when they bought the seven-bedroom Victorian mansion, which once belonged to members of… Read more »
Canva is no ordinary success story. It’s a $39 billion unicorn with its heart in the right place. Founded by Melanie Perkins, her (now) husband, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams in January 2013, Canva has evolved from a side hustle in a family living room into one of the world’s leading design platforms. As a… Read more »
Former political advisor and Spark Festival creative director Harry Godber has signed on with the Tech Council of Australia as its new head of policy and strategy. The technology executive and senior policy adviser in the Turnbull and Morrison governments most recently oversaw the sale of fintech unicorn Flare to KKR as general counsel and… Read more »
Jobs social network LinkedIn has released the 2024 LinkedIn Top Startups Australia list, naming medicinal cannabis telehealth firm Montu as its top company The list is compiled from trawling data on the platform four core areas: employee growth, jobseeker interest, and member engagement within the company and its employees, as well as how well these startups… Read more »
LaunchVic is once again looking for Victorian startups with the potential to reach unicorn status – worth more than $1 billion – as part of the 30X30 program in 2025. 30×30 has expanded into a fourth cohort to include another 10 startups in the executive leadership program, which helps develop and mentor scaleup founders and… Read more »
Chefs have a saying: “fat is flavour”; but our relationship with fats has been complex and confusing for some time. We’re told some are good, some less so when it comes to animal fats. And now, with the rise of plant-based meat substitutes, giving them good fats that add flavour is a challenge Anna El… Read more »
Former JP Morgan banker Ashleigh Greaves has joined boutique Queensland B2B VC Tribe Global Ventures to manage investor relations. Greaves already has a strong track record on that front having spent several years within the Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB) at J.P. Morgan in New York where she managed relationships with hedge funds and quantitative trading managers.… Read more »
ASX-listed conversation insights platform Dubber (ASX:DUB) is hoping to put a horror six months behind it with the appointment of a new CEO, Matthew Bellizia, replacing former boss Steve McGovern, who was sacked in April amid an ongoing investigation into $26.6 million in missing company funds. Bellizia takes the helm today, having spent 21 years… Read more »
Autonomous navigation scaleup Advanced Navigation has new US-based Global Head of Defence, recruiting former US Army platoon leader and intelligence officer Wayne Prender to the role. The 12-year-old deep tech hardware venture, chaired by former PM Malcolm Turnbull, with legendary US Army general David Petraeus chairing its defence advisory board, is a world leader in… Read more »
Early-stage and climate tech VC Investible has appointed Charlie Ill as its new CEO in the wake of Rod Bristow stepping down after four years. Ill became the fund’s first first chief investment officer in early 2023 as the Sydney-based VC ramped up its focus on backing startups across the Asia-Pacific region. He has more… Read more »
Australia’s first dedicated pre-seed venture fund, Maxine Minter’s Co Ventures, has closed its first fund after hitting its $5 million target. Co Ventures Fund 1 is the result of nearly two years of work by Minter, who started fundraising in September 2022, before announcing the launch of her fund in April 2023. The support from… Read more »
Andrew Barnes, cofounder Brisbane workplace learning platform Go1, is following in the footsteps of Atlassian’s Scott Farquhar and relinquishing the co-CEO role at the $3 billion business. Barnes has shared the role with cofounder Chris Eigeland since 2021 and spent nearly a decade as CEO since founding the edtech unicorn in a Brisbane garage with… Read more »
AfterWork Ventures OG partner Jessy Wu has left VC for a new career as founder of her own media and communications agency. Encour. The outspoken investor, who’s dealt with hundreds of founders as the $20 million early-stage VC fund went on to back 30 companies, joined AfterWork in 2021 when it launched. “Joining the firm… Read more »
Breakthrough Victoria CEO Grant Dooley has pulled the pin, less than three years into the role, as the $2 billion tech innovation and commercialisation fund sustains continued political pressure and community criticism. In a statement announcing his departure, the fund said Dooley “intends to spend more time with his family before looking for a new… Read more »
Cauldron, the path-finding fermentation biomanufacturer from regional NSW, has appointed David Weiner as Chief Technology Officer as the startup looks to ramp up production globally. Weiner will run the technology R&D pipeline for Cauldron at it looks towards international expansion. He was previously VP and head of R&D at Solugen, where he helped develop the… Read more »
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