The cofounder of Sydney-based grocery delivery startup Voly, Thibault Henry, has confirmed the business has shut down, a week after the company ceased operations. Henry used LinkedIn to announce his startup’s demise on Friday morning, saying the company’s existing backers were not willing to support the business further. Last week VOLY deleted all its social… Read more »
Four women and mothers who banded together to help the parents of children with disabilities have raised $1 million from crowdfunding for their social network app. The Birchal campaign closed this week with $1.037 million from 604 investors. Kindship will use the funds to help parents navigate the NDIS. They plan to launch Kindship Wallet,… Read more »
Deliveroo’s UK HQ announced sudden closure of Australian operations The business placed in voluntary administration Deliveroo said it can’t get to profitability without increased investment The company said it’s not worth it Unions says Deliveroo has always been the outlier in Australia’s gig industry Online food delivery platform Deliveroo has placed its Australian subsidiary… Read more »
Melbourne engineering and structural design startup ClearCalcs, has raised $2.5 million to double is its total pre-series capital to $5 million. Existing backers EVP and Shearwater Capital once again led the round in the software platform, which helps architects and engineers build more sustainable housing more efficiently . ClearCalcs previously raised $1.65 million 12 months… Read more »
A former Tesla Motors Australia director, Kurt Schlosser, has pleaded guilty in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court to two counts of insider trading over his purchase of shares in a lithium miner. Schlosser acquired 86,478 shares in US-based, ASX-listed Piedmont Lithium Ltd on September 16, 2020, after he find out, in his role as country… Read more »
Seaweed-based plastics replacement startup ULUU has raised $8 million in a Seed round that’s attracted and all-star cast of investors from music, restaurants and modelling. The round was led by existing backer, Main Sequence Ventures, supported by Alberts Impact Ventures, Mistletoe and Possible Ventures. The Western Australian venture, is creating compostable polymers known as PHAs… Read more »
Software development startup Buildkite has raised US$21 million (A$31m) in a Series B round. Local VCs OneVentures and AirTree led the round with Up bank founder Dom Pym also chipping in alongside US firm General Catalyst. The Melbourne devops tech company previously raised $28 million in 2020 at a $200 million valuation. It’s just the… Read more »
Renewable energy activist Mike Cannon-Brookes has succeeded in his campaign to shake up the board of energy giant AGL with shareholders voting at today’s annual general meeting to appointment four new directors to the AGL board on the recommendation of the Atlassian cofounder’s family VC firm, Grok Ventures. Former Energy Security board chair Kerry Schott,… Read more »
Sydney-based Vow, a cultured meat company, has raised US$49.2 million (A$73.5m) in Series A funding. The raise was led by local VC Blackbird and Prosperity 7 Ventures, with support from Toyota Ventures, Square Peg, Grok, Cavalio, Peakbridge, Tenacious Ventures, HostPlus Super LP, NGS Super and Pavilion Capital. It’s a record for a series A raise… Read more »
Sydney-based logistics startup Ofload has raised $60 million in Series B round of equity and debt. The raise comes 11 months after the company’s $20 million Series A. The round was led by Singapore VC, Jungle Ventures, alongside existing investors Maersk Growth, the venture arm of transport and supply chain giant AP Moller – Maersk, as… Read more »
Monogramed luxury fashion brand The Daily Edited (TDE) is up for sale after sliding into administration last month. KordaMentha Restructuring is seeking Expressions of Interest to purchase the business. Once valued at nearly $14 million when its cofounders, Alyce Tran and Tania Liu, sold a stake in TDE to fashion brand Oroton in 2017, the… Read more »
New Zealand impact startup Kara Technologies has raised NZ$1.3 million in Seed funding to make sign language more accessible in the media for deaf people. The round was led by Sydney VC Investible and with Kiwi VCs Te Pae ki te Rangi, Quident Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, as well as Startmate. Kara is building a more… Read more »
The Australian and Consumer Competition Commission (ACCC) wants tougher regulations to tackle issues such as online scams, dodgy apps and fake reviews, putting the onus on major tech companies such as Meta and Google to address the harms caused to consumers, and small businesses. The ACCC’s fifth report in its five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry proposes… Read more »
Sydney medtech startup Vexev has raised $8.5 million to ramp up the global expansion of its 3D medical imaging device. The round was led by San Francisco based deep-tech VC Neotribe Ventures with Blackbird chipping in, alongside, vascular surgeons and imaging firms, Propeller founder Rory San Miguel and Dovetail’s Benjamin Humphrey The new capital is… Read more »
Rapid grocery delivery startup Voly appears to have ceased deliveries on Friday evening, with users on the app receiving a message saying the business is “closed until further notice”. “Our hours are: Mon-Sun Closed” the app said when Startup Daily attempted to place an order. Earlier this week the company reportedly cut staffing for the… Read more »
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