Simon Thomsen

Simon is editor of Startup Daily.

He was previously Associate Editor of Business Insider Australia and before that a full-time restaurant critic, editor of The Good Food Guide, and a newspaper proprietor, having spent more than 25 years in journalism and publishing.

He chaired industry lobby group Australian Business Ltd's (now the NSW Business Chamber) environment committee during the Kyoto agreement era.

Funding

Former Westpac boss Brian Hartzer and climate campaigner Simon Sheikh back carbon neutral startup Pathzero

- October 13, 2020 2 MIN READ

Sydney software startup Pathzero, which launched in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdowns through the Antler Australia program, has raised $1 million in a seed round.  Antler, Black Nova Group and senior business figures including former bank boss Brian Hartzer, climate campaigner, Simon Sheikh, and former Australian Ethical Investment CEO Phil Vernon, as well as two… Read more »

News & Analysis

Two brothers who created an anti-theft motorbike tracker have turned their solution into a startup

- October 13, 2020 2 MIN READ

When brothers Nathan and Trent Torkar went looking for affordable and reliable ways to protect their motorbikes from theft, they couldn’t find a solution. So they decided to invent one using a portable GPS tracker. The result is their security startup Solid GPS, which works on everything from bikes to cars, trailers and caravans, helping people… Read more »

Future of work

6 things LivePreso co-founder Joel Thomson loves about working from home

- October 9, 2020 3 MIN READ

Every Friday, our new weekly column talk to CEOs, founders and tech leaders about the benefits they’ve discovered from WFH in 2020. This week it’s Joel Thomson. co-founder of presentation platform LivePreso (recently rebranded from SalesPreso). Thomson says he’s been working in tech (in one form or another) for almost 20 years. “That’s 20 years… Read more »

Agritech

Agritech VC Tenacious Ventures backs US carbon marketplace Nori in $5.6 m raise

- October 9, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

Australian agrifood tech venture capital firm, Tenacious Ventures has co-invested as part of a US$4 million (A$5.6m) round in carbon marketplace startup, Nori.  The round was led by US VC firm Placeholder along with North Island Ventures. Nori, based in Seattle, USA, has developed a marketplace for carbon removal using blockchain technology.  Nori’s first supported… Read more »

Fintech

Fintech Douugh’s reverse listing hits the ASX today

- October 6, 2020 2 MIN READ

Financial platform Douugh makes its ASX debut in a reverse takeover of suspended telco Ziptel. The former Ziptel will be resinstated for trading as Douugh (ASX:DOU) when the market opens for trading at 10am today. Financial reports lodged with the ASX ahead of the relisting reveal that Douugh lost $1.29 million in FY2020, down from… Read more »

Agritech

Satellites are the new tractors of agriculture

- October 5, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

It’s World Space Week, October 4-10, with the theme ‘satellites improve life’, and AgriFutures Australia is marking the occasion by getting farmers to turn their attention on space technologies. An upcoming AgriFutures Australia collaboration with the Australian National University (ANU)  is exploring why farmers should be looking to space to solve industry challenges. Space technologies… Read more »

Global tech

Ticket reseller Viagogo, one of the most complained about companies in the world, cops a $7 million fine for misleading buyers

- October 4, 2020 3 MIN READ

Ticket reseller Viagogo AG has been fined $7 million for making false or misleading representations when reselling events tickets in a Federal Court legal action brought by consumer watchdog the ACCC. The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) took on the Swiss-based ticket reseller in 2017 for price-gouging consumers  by failing to disclose substantial fees.… Read more »

Future of work

6 things Spriggy co-founder Mario Hasanakos loves about working from home 

- October 2, 2020 3 MIN READ

Every Friday, our new weekly column talk to CEOs, founders and tech leaders about the benefits they’ve discovered from WFH in 2020. This week it’s Mario Hasanakos. co-founder of fintech Spriggy, the pocket money app and card that gives kids financial wisdom and independence, alongside parental oversight. “Covid-19 has put an enormous strain on so… Read more »

Funding

Techboard’s annual funding report finds Australian startup investment bucked the global downward trend

- October 2, 2020 3 MIN READ

FY20 startup funding nearly $7 billion Private investment almost doubled to $4.48bn Blackbird led Australian VC investors with 14 deals worth $490m More than 700 Australian startups have received nearly 900 rounds of funding from around 400 investors during the 2020 financial year according to the latest annual funding report by data analysis company Techboard.… Read more »

Funding

The government wants feedback on the R&D Tax Incentive – and you have just 10 days left to give it

- October 2, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

The Research and Development Tax Incentive (R&DTI) program is one of the most crucial yet fraught programs supporting the growth of Australian startups. The R&DTI helps offset some of the costs that businesses invest into eligible R&D and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources is looking at reforms to improve how companies engage… Read more »

Funding

SalesPreso rebrands as LivePreso following $5 million raise

- September 30, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

Presentation platform SalesPreso has raised $5 million, and has also rebranded as LivePreso as it ramps up its offering for business. Shearwater Growth Ventures, the $50 million Sydney VC fund co-founded by former WiseTech directors Charles Gibbon and Mike Gregg, with managing partner Zac Zavos, led the round. Melbourne investor and MedAdvisor chair Chris Ridd… Read more »

News & Analysis

The budget will spend $800 million ramping up how business works digitally, especially when dealing with government

- September 29, 2020 3 MIN READ

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced an $800 million digital technology plan for business as part of the ongoing stimulus response to the Covid-19 pandemic The PM said next Tuesday’s Budget would support businesses to recover and create more jobs. The major areas of focus for the plan include digitisation of the government’s business register,… Read more »