Funding
Blackbird’s portfolio dings $10 billion as valuations rebound
Blackbird’s disclosed portfolio value has climbed to $9.9b (AUD), capping a rebound led by Canva and fresh deep-tech momentum, and pushing performance to a 36.09% net IRR.
Business strategy
Venture capital is not the answer for women founders – they need funding that fits
For too long venture capital has dominated the conversation around women and funding. Every headline, every pitch competition, every “success story” seems to point to VC as the only path to scale. And yet, VC is not only a poor fit for most women-owned businesses, it has warped the collective understanding of what finance should… Read more »
Venture Capital
Beyond the funding funnel: Rethinking women, VC and the data shaping debate
Over the past week, conversations about women founders and venture capital in Australia have been amplified by Blackbird’s latest portfolio data, reported by Startup Daily’s Simon Thomsen, alongside Elaine Stead’s thoughtful piece, The myth of the funnel. Both point to something important: The numbers we track matter, but the story they tell depends on how… Read more »
Business
ANZ’s VC hedge, 1835i, cashes in its Airwallex stake for $67 million
The venture arm of embattled Big Four bank ANZ has offloaded its stake in international payments fintech Airwallex for $67 million, just five years after first investing, 1835i sold its US$44 million stake to Airwallex founders and executives in a deal that adds nothing to the company’s cash balance. All up they nabbed US$70m (A$106m)… Read more »
Funding
The female founder funnel myth and what it means for investing in women
Yesterday, there were numerous articles written about the fact that a couple large VC funds missed their gender targets for new investments. We do ask our VC funds for more transparency and effort, and then low key shame them when they don’t meet their goals and state it publicly, even if they are moving the… Read more »
Funding
How can we meet more women? VC Blackbird says it’s hard to find female founders to back
An all-women founding team has as little as a 1-in-5000 chance of being funded in Australia according to the latest analysis of investment data from Blackbird. The VC fund released details on its efforts to close the gender investment gap for the 2025 financial year (FY25), with head of impact, Kate Glazebrook, saying “the last… Read more »
Accelerator
From AI to algae: the 10 startups in EnergyLab’s latest climate tech accelerator
Clean energy and climate tech startup accelerator, EnergyLab, has selected 10 startups for its 2025 Climate Solutions Accelerator This is the 12th cohort since launching in 2017, helping develop ideas ranging from breakthroughs in energy storage, grid optimisation and dynamic retail, to critical minerals recovery, carbon utilisation, and circular manufacturing. Earlier this month, alumni startup… Read more »
Business
Canva gives itself a $65 billion valuation, closing in on Atlassian
Design platform Canva has revalued itself at $65 billion, up 14.5% on just six weeks ago, as employees look to sell their stakes in a secondary share sale. The confirmation from cofounder Cliff Obrecht came after news leaked earlier this week that VC investors Blackbird and Square Peg had increased the valuations to $US42 billion… Read more »
Advice
Go big, don’t go blind: 12 startup experts on what to do for US market expansion – and not
US expansion is an Australian startup’s dream. As a Californian expat and founder of a 24-week US-expansion Melbourne accelerator and Silicon Valley landing pad to prepare Australian startups for the jump, and support them once they’re there, I see the attraction. I’m not alone: 61% of Aussie startups said the US was top of their… Read more »
ASX
ASX-listed VC Bailador had a pretty good 12 months, delivering a 7.8% return
ASX-listed technology investor Bailador Technology Investments made a net profit after tax of $19.3 million, with two startups DASH and Updoc, leading the way The company (ASX:BTI) declared a final dividend declared of 3.6 cents per share fully-franked, for an annualised grossed-up yield of 8.1%. The portfolio return was 7.8% after all fees and tax.… Read more »
Funding
Longer holds, fewer exits: is Australian VC becoming more like private equity?
Australian venture capital has long rested on a familiar promise – that backing a portfolio of young startups today will deliver returns to investors within roughly a decade. But the regularity of that rhythm is changing, stretching out by up to 1.5x longer as macro shifts and dynamics reshape the path to liquidity. The IPO… Read more »
Business
Melbourne investor Boman Group is ramping up China ties for Australian startups ahead of $1 billion VC fund
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 »
Global tech
All about right-wing tech investor Peter Thiel, who’s reshaped US politics all the way to the White House
The money is easy to trace. Scroll back through tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s political donations and you’ll soon hit US$15 million worth of transfers sent to Protect Ohio Values, JD Vance’s campaign fund. The donations, made in 2022, are a staggering contribution to an individual senate race, and helped put Vance (Thiel’s former employee at… Read more »
Funding
3 Monash University health tech startups score $2.25 million in pre-Seed backing, supported by Breakthrough Victoria
Breakthrough Victoria and Monash University have co-invested $2.25 million in three health tech startups, Myostellar, Fyton Bio, and Remagine Labs. The trio of Monash spinouts have potential to improve wellbeing for millions as well as reducing pressure on Victoria’s health system. Myostellar is pioneering a first-in-class biologic therapy to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by stimulating… Read more »
Business
Brighter Super is tipping $50 million into startups via the state government’s Queensland Investment Commission
Queensland-based superannuation fund Brighter Super will invest $50 million into local startups in a partnership with state government-backed investment manager QIC. The Brighter Super mandate will invest in startups expected to deliver strong investment returns, create jobs and have a positive impact on Queensland’s innovation landscape and economy. The project has already seen QIC back… Read more »
