More than 10 bids were submitted to the voluntary administrators of failed startup StrongRoom AI, hoping to snap up the value left in the business, despite it being mired in legal action over allegedly faked revenue figures and a VC investor wanting its $10 million back. Final offers for what remains of StrongRoom are due… Read more »
Woolworths is having a bet each way after selling chips, soft drinks and grog to its customer, investing in a Western Australian telehealth startup’s $6 million Series A. The round for Hola Health follows a $4.5 million pre-Series A 12 months ago, that marked a return to VC investing for Alan Jones and Emily Rich… Read more »
Qantas and European plane manufacturer Airbus have jointly committed to invest AUD$15 million into local VC Climate Tech Partners (CTP), in the hope it will accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other aviation decarbonisation solutions. Qantas is using the Airbus A350-1000 for its “Project Sunrise”, with plans to launch non-stop flights to… Read more »
A Sydney startup tackling visual merchandising for retailer has raised $6 million (US$3.75m) in a second Seed round as it looks to ramp up its presence across the Pacific amid rapid growth in the US market. US VCs Coreline and Veridical Ventures led the round for Flagship, with support from Tidal Ventures, and Macdoch Ventures, for… Read more »
Creditors of Strong Room AI will get a chance to stare at the financial entrails of the drugs managements startup next week, when administrators for the business hold its first creditor’s meeting on April 8. A battle for whatever funds remain in the Melbourne startup, just weeks after it raised $17 million, will unfold in… Read more »
A UK investor with close ties to one of the defendants in legal action against besieged medtech startup StrongRoom AI has come out swinging against Sydney VC EVP, which is fighting to get its $10.4 million investment back. Aaron Michelin, a director of Tyson & Blake – named after founder Chris Tornblom’s dogs – has… Read more »
The NSW Innovation Blueprint finally dropped on Monday – 18 months after innovation, science and technology minister Anoulack Chanthivong first announced it in September 2023. And if you’re wondering if it was worth the wait, the feeling is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The Minns government needs to get cracking, and quickly. It has lost ground to make up… Read more »
Australian Super has sold holding in logistics software giant WiseTech Global in recent weeks as founder Richard White returned to the business as chairman. The superannuation fund had more than 2.2% of WiseTech (ASX: WTC) shares and had backed the business since its 2016 float. But governance concerns amid board resignations and White’s elevation to… Read more »
A diamond-on-silicon quantum sensing startup cofounded by two University of Sydney professors has raised $750,000 in pre-Seed funding. The raise for DeteQt was backed by deep tech CSIRO-backed Main Sequence Ventures and US deep tech investor ATP Fund. DeteQt was founded by Adjunct Professor Jim Rabeau and Professor Omid Kavehei from the University of Sydney Nano… Read more »
The Albanese government’s fourth budget is a pitch for the votes of a sour and alienated electorate, framed against a background of extraordinary international uncertainty. US President Donald Trump isn’t mentioned by name. But he is the colossus in the background of this budget and indeed the imminent election campaign. While the opinion polls and… Read more »
A Sydney software company founded in 1999 by two former PwC executives to tackle governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) issues has sold a majority stake in the business to US investment firm PSG Equity for US$280 million (A$445m). The deal for Protecht gives an exit for California growth equity firm Arrowroot Capital after just three… Read more »
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has been ordered by a US court to provide details on how scammers use the social media platform to create scams ads as part of legal action by Dr Andrew Forrest. The WA mining billionaire has been doing battle with Facebook both here and in California for the last three years… Read more »
Some of America’s most profitable tech companies have seized on their chance to join US president Donald Trump’s global trade war arguing that laws and taxes in other nations are costing them money. Industry lobby group the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google and Elon Musk’s X, among others,… Read more »
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 »
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 »
The Queensland government has startup grants worth up to $200,000 up for grabs 
Square Peg-backed cleaning products startup Zero Co is shutting down 
Eye Thy with my AI: Australian Radio Network digitises diversity with an artificially generated Asian female presenter 
12 startup festivals and events you need to know about this year 
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