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 »

Ingrid Maes
Venture Capital

Homebrand ventures: Woolies goes global with its VC fund in partnership with international grocers

- April 9, 2024 2 MIN READ

Australian supermarket giant Woolworths has teamed up with four international retailers to create a global venture capital looking to back startups in the shopping space. Joining Woolies in W23 Global are Dutch-Belgian multinational Ahold Delhaize, which runs 16 brands in nine countries, the UK’s Tesco, Canada’s Empire  Co. (best known for Sobeys, Foodland & Safeway)… Read more »

The NextGen Ventures Melbourne team: Varad Chaudhari, Ikya Thearam, Mitchell Hughes and Donald La. Photo: Valent Media.
Venture Capital

Students are getting into VC with NextGen Ventures to back uni-founded startups

- April 2, 2024 3 MIN READ

Australian universities are creating extraordinary startups founded by students that are changing the world. Think tech giant Atlassian – cofounders Mike and Scott met at UNSW – to more recent successes such as gaming platform Immutable, diagnosis medtech Harrison.ai, and drone deep tech venture Propeller Aero. Now students are taking charge of the investment side… Read more »

Venture Capital

VC Square Peg has already returned $1.1 billion to investors as it gears up for a 6th fund

- March 26, 2024 3 MIN READ

Investments in tech companies such as Fiverr, Vend, Property Guru and Canva have already returned $1.12 billion to Square Peg’s early backers, the VC has revealed as it gears  to raise a sixth fund worth US$500m (A$840m). The exits across 14 portfolio companies have spanned mergers and acquisitions, secondary market share sales and public floats… Read more »

The NextGen Ventures Melbourne team: Donald La, Ikya Thearam, Mitchell Hughes, Varad Chaudhari. Photo: Valent Media.
Venture Capital

Investors have poured more than $1.2 billion into Australian student-founded startups

- March 25, 2024 3 MIN READ

University students are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship, with student-founded startups raising more than $1.2 billion since 2012. And now that investment is set to escalate dramatically with the launch of Australia’s first student-run venture capital fund. NextGen Ventures, which launches this week, has taken a deep dive into the data around VC and student founders,… Read more »

knights, joust, horse
Venture Capital

‘More than just a venture capital firm’: $2 billion sovereign fund Breakthrough Victoria hits back at critics who want it abolished

- March 23, 2024 5 MIN READ

Government-backed investment fund Breakthrough Victoria has defended itself against critics wanting it abolished saying it wants to “fundamentally reshape the innovation landscape”. The $2 billion VC fund, launched in 2021, and chaired by former Labor premier John Brumby, has been subject to a sustained media campaign for it to be dismantled, led by Adir Shiffman,… Read more »

Bede Moore and Mike Abbott, Antler
Venture Capital

Queensland government backs 5 VCs, including Antler and Main Sequence, with $130 million

- February 14, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Queensland government’s new venture capital development fund has backed five VCs: Antler, Five V Capital, Main Sequence, Mandalay Venture Partners and Salus Ventures, with a combined $130 million investment. Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said the deals will give Queensland startups access to up to $200 million in new matched… Read more »

Nick Stone, Bupa
Venture Capital

Bupa launches $20 million VC fund to back Australian healthcare startups

- February 12, 2024 2 MIN READ

Health insurance company Bupa has launched a $20 million VC fund, Bupa Ventures, to back Australian healthcare startups. Bupa Ventures will support early-stage investment from  Seed to Series A and will look to support startups across a broad spectrum of health sectors. Its early focus includes predictive and preventative healthcare, genomics, home care and remote monitoring,… Read more »