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.

Funding

Adtech startup BlendAI raises $1.5 million to automate e-commerce online ads

- July 13, 2022 2 MIN READ

Sydney adtech startup BlendAI has raised $1.5 million, two years after launching, to help small businesses with their online advertising. The round was led by Sydney-based venture fund EVP, and is for earmarked for fuelling customer growth, continued product enhancements and hiring BlendAI’s first go-to-market focused resources. BlendAI simplifies and centralises online advertising for e-commerce stores.… Read more »

Fintech

Fintechs Monoova and Moneytech FX have merged

- July 12, 2022 < 1 MIN READ

B2B payments automation provider Monoova has merged with foreign exchange fintech Moneytech FX to build out its cross-border payments offering. The terms of the merger deal were not disclosed, with Moneytech now sitting under the Monoova brand, and headquartered in Sydney with a team of around 70. Monoova cofounder and CEO Christian Westerlind Wigstrom said… Read more »

Geoff Gourley
People

Impact entrepreneur Geoff Gourley signs up as Apricot’s ESG director

- July 12, 2022 2 MIN READ

Impact Investment Fund founder Geoff Gourley has signed on as the director of ESG at leadership and executive coaching firm Apricot Consulting. Gourley will lead all ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), social value & impact, NetZero and social and sustainable procurement management consultancy activities. Apricot founder Derek Linsell said the appointment recognised Gourley’s experience as… Read more »

Business

Leakproof undies venture Modibodi sells to Swedish company for $140 million

- July 11, 2022 2 MIN READ

Sydney startup founder Kristy Chong has delivered an impressive exit for Modibodi, the “leakproof” apparel company she founded less than a decade ago, with Swedish hygiene and health company Essity acquiring it for $140 million.  Founded in 2013, the fashion tech venture provides leakproof apparel for periods and incontinence including underwear, swimwear, activewear and maternity… Read more »

Funding

Student placement platform InternMatch bags $10 million Series A for global plans

- July 11, 2022 2 MIN READ

Intern placement company InternMatch has raised $10 million in a Series A as it looks to ramp up the global side of the business. The round, led by Canberra, property developer Doma Group, with the company’s advisory firm, Henslow, also chipping in alongside existing investors. The cash will support InternMatch’s expansion into Canada, the United… Read more »

Podcast

SUDS, with Adviser Ratings founder Angus Woods, on the rise of fintech, the Great Tech Jobs crisis, paying advisors and mental health for kids

- July 8, 2022 < 1 MIN READ

Every week on the Startup Daily TV show, we talk to more than two dozen founders, CEOs, investors and experts about what’s happening in tech. Now you can catch the best of the show with the weekly podcast, SUDS.   Each week on SUDS host Simon Thomsen has a special guest join him to discuss the… Read more »

Jackie Vullinghs
Venture Capital

AirTree is opening up its free angel investor program to everyone to build a more diverse VC community

- July 7, 2022 2 MIN READ

Australian venture capital firm AirTree is opening up its previously invitation-only angel investor program, Explorer in a bid to attract more women and others to create greater diversity in the VC investment community. The Explorer program launched in 2020 in a bid to address declining angel investment. Since then more than 100 Explorers have completed the… Read more »

Funding

The 7 emerging startups with funding from Canberra Innovation Network’s ICON grants program

- July 6, 2022 2 MIN READ

Teaching language through music, AI discovering flaws in security systems and improving decision-making during natural disasters are just some of the challenges Canberra startups are tackling with backing from the Canberra Innovation Network and its Innovation Connect (ICON) grant program.  Seven startups have been selected by Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) as recipients of ICON grants,… Read more »

Funding

Gold Coast startup Cloutly lands $500,000 pre-Seed to help small businesses bolster their reputations

- July 6, 2022 2 MIN READ

Gold Coast startup Cloutly has raised a $500,000 in pre-Seed funding for its reputation tech solution for the small-to-medium business (SMB) market. The round was led by Unify Ventures, with participation from Palm Beach Ventures (PBV), amid a cast of new investors and advisors that includes Mike van der Heijden (Portal Ventures), Jason Atkins (Cake… Read more »

Funding

A Kiwi filesharing startup that’s cut the time taken to collate mortgage documents by 65% just raised NZ$10 million

- July 6, 2022 2 MIN READ

New Zealand startup FileInvite has raised $10 million in Series A to accelerate an end to the use of email for requesting and collecting documents online. The round was led by Icehouse Ventures, with US VC Forefront Venture Partners and Singapore’s Vulpes Ventures chipping in as new investors, alongside existing shareholders, including Flying Kiwi Angels.… Read more »

Funding

Kiwi creative marketplace Rubber Monkey hunts for $2.5 million for Australian push

- July 6, 2022 2 MIN READ

Rubber Monkey, the New Zealand e-commerce platform for creatives, is on the hunt up to NZ$2.5 million new capital to expand its Australian presence. Founded by Laurence Alexander and Nigel Stanford, a former TradeMe CEO and Mighty Ape major shareholder, Rubber Monkey is a one-stop-shop for specialist audio, visual and photography products, with more than… Read more »

Business

RBA ups rates by another 0.5%

- July 5, 2022 3 MIN READ

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has increased rates for the third consecutive month in a row, raising them in July’s meeting by 0.50%. The central bank has now increase rates by 1.25% in three months, taking the official cash rate to 1.35% as it moves aggressively to try and bring inflation under control. The… Read more »

Funding

Amaysim’s Rolf Hansen backs boat rental marketplace Floatspace in hunt for $3 million Series A

- July 5, 2022 2 MIN READ

Sydney-based Floatspace, the ‘Airbnb for boat experiences’, has signed on Amaysin co-founder Rolf Hansen as an investor as the startup looks to raise $3 million in a Series A round. Hansen backed that boat and yacht rental marketplace’s pre-series A SAFE note, joining the Floatspace board. He joins Airtasker founder and CEO Tim Fung as… Read more »