An AI-driven eCommerce software platform with the same name as one of the country’s best known Australian financial services companies has raised $20 million. Amp, founded in 2022, has been backed by existing investor, Singapore’s Openspace Ventures, with Sydney’s One Ventures also hitting the EFT button. TradeGecko founder Cameron Priest and Advocately founder Patrick Barnes,… Read more »
Three years after a record $2.2 million pre-Seed round for two teenagers to solve the problem of abandoned online sales, their eCommerce fintech has raised another $18 million in a Series A. The round for Brisbane startup Instant was led by Belgian early stage VC Hummingbird Ventures, which revels in the title “the best venture… Read more »
Bunnings may be a goldmine for Wesfarmers, but ecommerce site Catch has been a millstone since the ASX-listed retail conglomerate bought the tech startup for $230 million in 2019. Today, Wesfarmers announced it will shut down Catch at the end of April, blaming increased competition in Australian ecommerce. They expect Catch to post a loss… Read more »
Melbourne startup Viewa has raised a $300,000 pre-seed round from Skalata to bring augmented reality (AR) into the online shopping experience. An extraordinary 80% of Australians shop via their mobile, making it a challenge to create an experience that leads to sales. Viewa uses 3D, AR and generative AI to lift products from the page… Read more »
Mystery shoppers are not a new concept, but the move to online retail has changed the rules of the game – and hidden the goal posts for retailers. So Sydney startup Humii has raised $300,000 from Melbourne early-stage VC Skalata to bring mystery shoppers back into customer experience (CX) tracking in a new and more… Read more »
A new online marketplace for vintage, and antique furniture and homewares, Bazaa, has raised $650,000 in pre-Seed funding from angel investors and syndicates. The idea is the brainchild of Voly cofounder Thibault Henry, and Aria Wigneswaran, a former director of e-commerce fashion marketplace Depop. Henry calls Bazaa a new way for people to discover, buy… Read more »
Another year, another Black Friday has been and gone. Black Friday is generally the shopping spree that sends consumers into a buying frenzy and businesses into a logistical tangle, but more and more we’re seeing the sale period drag away from the big day and into a month’s worth of offers for savvy shoppers. For… Read more »
The founders of TradeGecko and Advocately, Cameron Priest and Patrick Barnes, are back with a bang thanks to their new e-commerce startup, Amp, which has secured US$18.5 million (A$28.5m) in a series A, having only launched last year. AMP is their solution for the challenge retailers face in using dozens of different apps to run… Read more »
Collingwood supporter and investor Alex Waislitz has led an $11 million raise via his Thorney Investment Group into an ecommerce startup that’s pivoted from being a surfboard rental business to underpinning retailers such as Patagonia. Five-year-old Awayco is a unified ecommerce solution that includes retail Point of Sale (POS), rental and appointments for retailers to… Read more »
Nourished Life founder Irene Falcone’s latest startup venture, Sans Drinks, has fallen victim to the challenging retail environment, with the business handed to administrators. Jirsch Sutherland partner Andrew Spring was appointed administrator of The Non Alcoholic Drinks Co Pty Ltd, trading as San Drinks, on July 17. Spring said it was “still early days in… Read more »
Event rental e-commerce platform Gecko has raised $350,000 in a pre-Seed round led by the NSW government-backed Techstars program in Sydney. Gecko is one of 12 startups selected for the inaugural Techstars Tech Central accelerator program, which got underway earlier this month. US investors Goodwater Capital and Launch House also backed the startups pre-Seed raise.  … 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 »
Paris Hilton and electronica duo The Chainsmokers have been added to the A-lister cap table of LA-based expat Australian startup Checkmate, which has raised US$15 million (A$23m) in a Series A. The round was led by GV (formerly Google Ventures), with support from DJ duo Alex Pall and Drew Taggart’s VC fund Mantis, plus several… Read more »
Online furniture retailer Brosa is up for sale after the business was placed in voluntary administration this week. Richard Tucker and Michael Korda of KordaMentha were appointed Voluntary Administrators of the 8-year-old ecommerce company, which raised more than $7 million in venture capital from the likes of Airtree and ASX-listed Bailador Technology Investments. While Bailador… Read more »
Women-led ecommerce app Sortd has raised $1.26 million in pre-seed funding to help shoppers keep track of their wish lists. Sydney founders Jodine Wolman, 27 and Alexis Aaron, 26 have emerged from the Antler Australia accelerator program with backing from the VC firm and several private investors, including ELMO Software’s chief commercial officer Darryl Garber.… Read more »
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