AI/Machine Learning

King River Capital is building a $157 million sixth VC fund to back AI

- March 18, 2025 2 MIN READ

UNSW chancellor David Gonski and Simon Sheikh’s impact investment fintech Future Super are among the investors in a new US$100 million fund to back artificial intelligence (AI) startups. King River Capital said it’s nearing the final close of  its latest A$157 million fund, which continues its ongoing strategic focus on AI-driven software startups both here… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence expert Lee Hickin departs Microsoft to become National AI Centre director

- March 17, 2025 2 MIN READ

Lee Hickin, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence policy lead for Asia, has departed the tech giant after more than six years to become the new director of the National AI Centre (NAIC). The NAIC was established in 2021 to support and accelerate Australia’s AI industry. Its inaugural director, Stela Solar, herself a former Microsoft executive, stepped down… Read more »

Amp cofounders Cameron Priest and Patrick Barnes
Funding

eCommerce platform Amp raises $20 million and goes shopping

- March 11, 2025 2 MIN READ

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 »

Elon Musk
Business

Sinking in: Tesla EV sales are tanking in Australia

- March 10, 2025 3 MIN READ

While the Tesla CEO is busy rage-tweeting, Roman saluting, dialling into far-right German political rallies, cutting aid funding and sacking US government workers, sales of his car brand in Australia, as well as the rest of the world have gone over a cliff, with January’s poor results continuing in February. The plunge for Nasdaq-listed EV… Read more »

Chris Mathwin, James Dao, Jackie Vullinghs, Soroush Pour
AI/Machine Learning

US-Australian cybersecurity startup hacks $4.75 million Seed round

- March 10, 2025 2 MIN READ

An Australian-American cybersecurity startup has raised US$3 million (A$4.75m) in Seed funding to develop its artificial intelligence-driven defensive systems. The round for Harmony Intelligence was led by Airtree Ventures, alongside 30 strategic investors, including First Row Partners, Maxwell Capital, and execs from Canva, Adept AI, and Plaid as well as The Lean Startup author Eric… Read more »

Mike Wishart
Climate Tech

Queensland renewables storage veteran charges up with $15 million raise after a decade bootstrapping

- March 10, 2025 2 MIN READ

A Queensland renewable energy tech company  has taken on its first external investment, banking $15 million in a round led by Ellerston Capital’s Industrial Growth Fund and Fifth Estate Asset Management. The raise for EcoJoule Energy, which provides solutions for managing renewable energy integration, will be used for international expansion, as well as a national… Read more »

Quantum Computing

Quantum Brilliance teams up with Pawsey Supercomputing for a cheaper hybrid quantum solution

- March 10, 2025 2 MIN READ

Quantum computing has reached another milestone with a breakthrough hybrid computing workflow developed by Quantum Brilliance and Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre. The system integrates quantum processing with traditional high-performance computing (HPC), providing researchers and enterprises with a flexible and scalable way to explore real-world quantum applications. The milestone, led by Dr Pascal Elahi and Pawsey’s… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Martech startup Flowing Bee lands on $1.6 million pre-Seed

- March 5, 2025 2 MIN READ

Flowing Bee, the AI-powered behavioural insights platform for marketing strategy and execution, has raised $1.6 million in a pre-Seed round. The raise was led by Archangel Ventures, with participation from The University of Melbourne Genesis pre-seed Fund, Antler, LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund, and M8 Ventures, plus strategic angel investors. The cash will be used to… Read more »

Richard White
ASX

Prodigal founder: Richard White returns to WiseTech as executive chairman after boardroom bloodletting

- February 26, 2025 3 MIN READ

Wisetech Global’s former CEO, Richard White, finally has a new job at the logistics software company he founded 30 years ago – executive chairman. The appointment follows the resignation of former chair Richard Dammery and three other non-executive directors, Lisa Brock, Michael Malone and Fiona Pak-Poy, on Monday in a battle for control of the… Read more »

Business

Nothing ventured, plenty gained: EV charging startup Jolt borrows $214 million for Canada roll out

- February 25, 2025 2 MIN READ

Sydney advertising and electric vehicle charging startup Jolt has eschewed VC funding for its latest global expansion, instead striking a $214 million (C$194m) loan agreement with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to fast track its charging network across the top of North America.  The funds will see Jolt install 1,500 fast and free kerbside chargers… Read more »

Cyber security

Australia bans Russian cybersecurity software firm Kaspersky on government devices over espionage concerns

- February 25, 2025 3 MIN READ

Australia has banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products across government, mandating the popular antivirus suite be removed from federal government systems. Since 2017, Russia-based cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky Lab has faced a slew of international bans over perceived risks to national security – namely that the Kremlin could hold sway over the organisation and its… Read more »