A Melbourne startup hoping to be the Canva of 3D presentations has raised another $5.2 million from exisiting investors. It’s the third time Rampersand and Investible have backed JigSpace, co-leading the round with Vulpes Investment Management, which previously backed the 3D and augmented reality (AR) product tool in its 2021 $6 million Series A. The… Read more »
The hunt is on to find the best Australian startups to work for, with submissions now open for My Startup Gig’s guide: Top Startup Employers 2023. The initiative is being backed by Tank Stream Labs and Startup Daily to build a comprehensive guide to the best startups to work for across Australia, as voted by… Read more »
It’s currently Ramadan, Pesach (Passover) begins tonight for Jewish people and for Christians, Easter is this weekend, with seafood the focus of eating, especially on Good Friday. To deal with demand, the Sydney Fish Market is open from 5am to 5pm this Friday, April 7, before returning to its usual business hours of 7am-4pm for… Read more »
New car sales fell in March, down 3.9% on 12 months ago to 97,251, but the shift to electric vehicles is well and truly underway in Australia The monthly figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reveal that battery electric vehicle sales grew by 19.5% on March 2022 figures along with plug-in-hybrid sales… Read more »
The federal government has issued a discussion paper on the development of a new National Robotics Strategy to better understand the opportunities and challenges for Australian industries adopting robotics and automation. Industry and science minister Ed Husic said the discussion paper will help guide a conversation on growing the production and responsible use of robotics… Read more »
If you’re after some gourmet food at a discount over Easter, CoLab’s new administrators, EY, are offering 30% off the marketplace’s best sellers until 11 April – 5 days after creditors will meet in Sydney to hear more about the financial status of the business this Thursday. The meal home delivery marketplace, which raised $3… Read more »
When it comes to the size of the problem deep tech startup MRead is solving, detecting and dealing with the global humanitarian crisis caused by landmines is both larger and more horrifying than any market you’d want to address. Today, April 4, is the United Nations International Day for Mine Awareness and MRead is the… Read more »
A virtual reality firefighter training startup spun out of Deakin University has raised $6.7 million Series A, with the Victorian government’s investment fund Breakthrough Victoria, taking a minority stake in the business for $5 million. FLAIM Systems has developed what’s believed to be the world’s first fully immersive virtual firefighting training system, offering a safe… Read more »
Australian lawyers are seeking app developers to join a class action against Google and Apple over what they claim is an abuse of market power by charging 30% commissions on in-app spending while preventing competitive payment alternatives. The class action reflects similar legal action launched in 2020 by Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, against the… Read more »
New Zealand agtech startup, which developed a GPS-enabled solar collar that “guides” cows around pastures using sound and vibrations, has raised NZ$85 million (A$79.5m) in a Series C. The round was led by US VC Bessemer Venture Partners with existing backers Blackbird, Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck Kiwi VC Icehouse Ventures and DCVC. Mechanical engineer Craig… Read more »
Brisbane fintech Paypa Plane, which is at the forefront of instant payments, has raised $10 million in a Series A. The round was led by the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) through the government’s $100 billion Business Investment Fund, with support from payments platform Cuscal, Mastercard and Queensland VC Sprint Ventures. Paypa Plane is hoping to… Read more »
Sir Richard Branson’s space tech startup Virgin Orbit, which launches rockets mid-air from under a 747, is shutting down after it failed to find more funding. CNBC reports that Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart told staff most operations will cease “for the foreseeable future” with 675 people losing their jobs and a skeleton staff of… Read more »
Senator Andrew Bragg is pushing once again to introduce regulation for the cryptocurrency sector in Australia, amid ongoing exchange collapses and US regulators investigating alleged illegal activity by Binance. The NSW Liberal, now in opposition, introduced a private senator’s bill to the Senate on Wednesday, accusing financial services minister Stephen Jones of being “uninterested in… Read more »
ASX-listed buy now play later fintech Zip has struck deals to offload Twisto, the European BNPL it acquired two years ago, as well as its South African business, Payflex. The business is also winding down its Middle Eastern operations, as previously flagged, as it looks to stem losses and quarterise its cash burn. Zip (ASX:… Read more »
The Albanese government’s plan for a $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund to invest in technology, science and manufacturing became a reality today after the Senate passed the legislation last night, before the House of Representatives gave final approval at lunchtime today. Industry and science minister Ed Husic said passing the legislation delivers on a major Labor… Read more »
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