ASX

ASX-listed accelerator Scalare Partners buys VC marketplace Inhouse Ventures for $1.73 million

- March 12, 2025 2 MIN READ

ASX-listed startup accelerator and investor Scalare Partners (ASX: SCP) has made its third acquisition, snapping up VC matching marketplace Inhouse Ventures in a deal worth up to $1.73 million. Scalare initially invested in the marketplace in November 2023, taking a 20.7% stake. Venture studio Shadowboxer also backed Inhouse, which was founded by CEO Elliot Spiegel in… Read more »

Business

Call centre software veteran Local Measure doubles valuation in $100 million sale to Zendesk

- February 25, 2025 2 MIN READ

A Sydney call centre startup is being acquired by US global services platform Zendesk for a reported $100 million. The deal for Local Measure comes 14 years after it was founded by CEO Jonathan Barouch. Zendesk CEO Tom Eggemeier said the acquisition accelerates his company’s expansion into larger, more complex service environments, enhances its AI… Read more »

Business

Work skills edtech HEX acquires Sydney tech training startup EntryLevel

- January 24, 2025 2 MIN READ

Future of work education startup HEX has acquired Sydney edtech, EntryLevel, to build out its skills training offering. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. EntryLevel, founded in 2020, has developed an AI-powered, cohort-based learning management systems offering online courses in areas such as data analytics, cybersecurity, UX design, Python and growth marketing. More… Read more »

Business

After buying the founder’s own business for $43 million, Employment Hero spends another $112m on a Canadian rival

- January 8, 2025 2 MIN READ

Small business HR and payroll platform Employment Hero has spent $112 million acquiring a Canadian rival as part of ambitions to expand into the North American market. The scaleup’s founder and chief economist, Ben Thompson said Canada has been in our expansion plans since their Series A, eight years ago “Humi is Canada’s leading employment… Read more »

Other tech

Student tech education platform Grok Academy lives on, acquired by KIK Innovation

- December 23, 2024 2 MIN READ

Schools-focused digital skills e-learning platform in Grok Academy has survived a near-death experience following allegations of inappropriate behaviour by its founder and former CEO, is rebuilding under the ownership and management of Adelaide’s KIK Innovation. KIK, which delivers the tuition-free coding school 42 Adelaide, stuck a deal to acquire Grok Academy last month. It came… Read more »

Vinyl Group, Concrete Playground
ASX

Richard White-backed Vinyl Group’s latest media play is acquiring Concrete Playground for $5 million

- December 12, 2024 2 MIN READ

ASX-listed music and media company Vinyl Group is broadening its publishing portfolio yet again, acquiring the city guides site Concrete Playground in a deal worth $5 million. Vinyl (ASX: VNL) has signed binding Heads of Agreement to acquire the 15-year-old digital lifestyle brand for $3.5 million in cash and $1.5 million in Vinyl shares, with… Read more »

Funding

Bailador drops another $5 million into fintech Dash for acquisition ambitions

- October 10, 2024 2 MIN READ

ASX-listed venture fund Bailador is having a busy week investing, ploughing an additional $5 million into financial advice software and investment platform Dash Technology Group to fund its acquisition plans. Alongside the $5m equity investment, Bailador is also stumping up $5m in a repayable debt facility for Dash to acquire Integrated Portfolio Solutions (IPS), a… Read more »

Andrew Moore
Business

Cannon-Brookes-backed millennial super fund Spaceship snapped up by eToro in $80 million merger

- September 27, 2024 3 MIN READ

Global trading platform eToro is getting into the Australian superannuation business after acquiring the controversy-plagued investment app Spaceship Capital in a deal worth up to $80 million. The price is a blow to investors such as Airtree, which previously valued the fintech at more than $100 million. Investment in Spaceship has been opaque, but may… Read more »

Business

US private equity giant Blackstone pounces on Sydney data centre scaleup AirTrunk in monster $20 billion deal

- September 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

Eight-year-old Sydney cloud data centre startup AirTrunk is set to be acquired by US private equity firm in a deal worth a reported $20 billion. The Financial Times reports that the cloud computing and artificial intelligence business, founded by CEO Robin Khuda, who immigrated to Australia from Bangladesh when he was 18, has been part… Read more »