Simon Thomsen

Simon has been editor of Startup Daily since 2019.

He hosted the Startup Daily show on streaming service ausbiz.com.au from 2020 to 2023.

He was previously associate editor of Business Insider Australia, a national restaurant critic, editor of The Good Food Guide, and newspaper proprietor during a 30-year career in journalism and publishing.

He's also an investor in early stage startups.

Simon chaired the environment committee of industry lobby group Australian Business Ltd's (now NSW Business Chamber) during the Kyoto agreement era, debating cow farts with mining execs.

Mark Zuckerberg
Global tech

Facebook clamps down on underage ad targeting after Australian research revealed children were shown gambling, smoking & alcohol ads

- July 28, 2021 3 MIN READ

Instagram’s parent company, Facebook will default set Instagram accounts for users under 16 to private, and restrict targeted advertising to them following an Australian expose that revealed how easy it was for marketers to show smoking, gambling, extreme weight loss, and alcohol advertising to underage users. The social media giant announced the changes in a… Read more »

Inquisitive
Startup Daily TV

Startup Daily TV: Save the Children’s Impact Investment Fund backs edutech startup Inquisitive

- July 27, 2021 < 1 MIN READ

Aid agency Save the Children Australia has backed a second startup with its Impact Investment Fund, taking an equity stake in education company Inquisitive. Save the Children Australia CEO Paul Ronalds said the investment is an exciting opportunity to increase Inquisitive’s social impact for children in low socio-economic areas, especially rural and remote areas, and schools… Read more »

Uber
Data

Investigation finds Uber ‘interfered’ with the privacy of 1.2 million Australians following 2016 cyber attack

- July 27, 2021 3 MIN READ

A three-year investigation into a cyber attack that stole data from Uber belonging to 1.2 million Australia has found that the US tech company failed to act appropriately in response and paid the cyber criminals responsible a bug bounty for the breach. Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk’s review said Uber “interfered” with the privacy of around… Read more »

Funding

Sydney startup FreeGuides hits the road with $360,000 seed round for a $2.6 million valuation

- July 26, 2021 2 MIN READ

Investors remain hopeful about tourism, despite ongoing lockdown restrictions, with travel app FreeGuides raising $360,000 in a seed round.  The raise was backed by Scalare Partners, Little Fish VC and inQ Innovation Global CEO Malik Irfan for a $2.5 million valuation. The cash will be used to improve the app experience ahead of a global… Read more »

Funding

3D computer vision startup Visionary Machines raises $7.5 million seed round led by Folklore Ventures

- July 26, 2021 2 MIN READ

Sydney computer vision startup Visionary Machines has raised A$7.5 million in a seed round led by Folklore Ventures, with co-investment by Our Innovation Fund (OIF). Existing backer Significant Capital Ventures reinvested, along with Thorney Investment Group and IQT International Australia, the Sydney-based of In-Q-Tel. Folklore partner Hannah Field will join the startup’s board Founded in… Read more »

Tessa Court
Funding

Marketing software startup IntelligenceBank nabs $50 million from Five Elms Capital

- July 26, 2021 2 MIN READ

Melbourne marketing startup IntelligenceBank has landed a US$37 million (A$50m) from US B2B investor Five Elms Capital.    The marketing operations software platform has earmarked the funds to accelerate growth and scale its system, which converts manual processes to digital to improve marketing efficiency, increase speed to market, and minimise marketing compliance risks. IntelligenceBank helps marketing… Read more »

Chris Strode
ASX

US fintech Bill.com snaps up Invoice2go for $850 million

- July 26, 2021 2 MIN READ

US-listed small business software company Bill.com (NYSE:BILL) is acquiring Australian SMB fintech Invoice2go for US$625 million (A$850m). The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close by the end of 2021, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals. The acquisition cost is split between 75% in Bill.com common stock… Read more »

Woman juggling
Women in tech

A new report into how New Zealand female founders tackle raising capital reveals blokes could help fix things if they’re invested enough

- July 23, 2021 2 MIN READ

New research documenting the experiences of female entrepreneurs in New Zealand as they try to raise capital show a range of challenges that could be easily fixed. Raising Capital in Aotearoa New Zealand: Insights From Women Entrepreneurs by University of Auckland Business School researcher Dr Janine Swail, outlines the insights and experiences of 26 women.… Read more »

Mikaela Jade, Indigital
Other tech

Here are the winners of the YBF Lift Off awards

- July 23, 2021 2 MIN READ

Startup founders know how to face adversity head on, so after cancelling last year’s YBF Lift Off Awards, a fresh pandemic outbreak that has three states in lockdown wasn’t going to stop the 2021 event going ahead. The Lift Off Awards are part of YBF’s overarching drive for diversity. Shifting online for a YouTube-streamed virtual… Read more »