The federal government is seeking feedback on mitigating any potential risks from the use of artificial intelligence technologies (AI) and how to build a safe framework for its use amid growing global concerns that seeing machine learning as potentially an existential threat to humanity. Science and industry minister Ed Husic released two discussion papers on… Read more »
ASX-listed jobs marketplace Airtasker will have its first female board leader with Cass O’Connor stepping into the chair role next month as James Spenceley departs after eight years. Spenceley, the founder of telco Vocus, is a prolific VC investor and North Sydney councillor and more recently founded humanitarian organisation Aus Ukraine Aid, was a seed… Read more »
Biotech incubator CUREator has allocated $12 million in venture funding to 19 projects focused on a range of global health issues, ranging from treatments for lupus, motor neurone disease, brain and ovarian cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease, as part of its second cohort. Backed by the federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), which invested… Read more »
Australia’s godfather of open banking, Scott Farrell, has been added to FinTech Australia’s Hall of Fame at the annual Finnie Awards. For the second year in a row, the awards have been shared widely, with small business lender Lumi the only company to receive more than one award, taking home Best Workplace Diversity and Emerging… Read more »
A Brisbane startup that has developed waterproof coatings for packaging than ensures it’s still recyclable has raised $1.85 million in a pre-Seed round. Earthodic’s bio-based coating solution, Paperbarc, provides paper and packaging with enhanced water resistance while still being strong and recyclable. It’s a potential replacement for the current use of wax or plastic-coated packaging.… Read more »
Uber’s controversial surge pricing, which has seen the US tech giant refund customers and apologise in the wake of 2014’s Lindt Cafe siege, will be capped in times of crisis under a deal with the NSW government. The agreement is part of the Transport Management Centre incident response process to deal with unplanned public transport… Read more »
Hospitality ordering app Mr Yum has been named startup of the year in the annual Governor of Victoria Startup Awards. The fintech, currently in talks with rival Me&u over a possible merger, was recognised for its role in helping the state’s restaurant sector continuing to operate during pandemic restrictions and now helping the hospitality sector… Read more »
Australia’s tech sector grew by 8% over the past year and despite a wave of high profile redundancies, added more than 10,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2023. The nation’s tech workforce increased by 70,000 jobs to 935,000 by February 2023, according to new research from the Tech Council of Australia (TCA). That growth… Read more »
The “global first” of $5 a litre “raw” milk has not been the innovation goldmine the founders of diary tech startup Made by Cow had hoped, with the business placed in voluntary administration last week and closing its doors. The Sydney startup developed a patented method to treat milk so it was safe to drink… Read more »
Australia’s roll out of open banking under the consumer data right (CDR) is stalling ahead of the third anniversary of its introduction, with industry lobby groups and the fintech sector calling on the federal government to put in place a long sought-after roadmap for CDR implementation. FinTech Australia and the Financial Data and Technology Association… Read more »
ASX-listed tradesperson platform Hipages Group has conceded to regulator the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that it potentially engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct over four years involving its subscription renewals and termination fees. The ACCC said the company’s actions were in breach of the Australian Consumer Law between October 2018 to January 2022… Read more »
Victorian alcohol delivery startup Hairydog Group has added rival BoozeBud to its portfolio, acquiring the company’s assets a month after the business was placed in administration. The terms of the deal were not disclosed by Hairydog says the acquisition will push its annual revenue above $75 million, delivering incremental profitability and reinforcing its position as… Read more »
New Zealand digital teaching aid Education Perfect has acquired a bootstrapped Victorian edtech assessment platform Essential Assessment in a deal believed to be worth $40 million Education Perfect (EP) saw global equity giant KKR take a majority stake in the business two years ago in a deal worth more than $400 million. The terms of… Read more »
Enterprise software startup Complexica has raised $6.5 million in a round backed by Acorn Capital. The nine-year-old Adelaide tech company has now taken on $31 million in external capital over the last two years as it ramps up the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in software for optimising and automating sales, marketing, and… Read more »
Edtech Cleverbean has raised $200,000 in Seed funding from Victorian early-stage investor Skalata Ventures to help reduce teacher burnout, at a time when a record number are leaving the profession. The startup offers thousands of evidence-based and research-backed learning materials for the K-6 Australian English curriculum. Cleverbean was cofounded Lucy Chambers, a teacher, and Alina… Read more »
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