submarine
Other tech

The quantum tech arms race is ramping up – and it will dramatically change national security

- April 4, 2022 3 MIN READ

Quantum technology, which makes use of the surprising and often counterintuitive properties of the subatomic universe, is revolutionising the way information is gathered, stored, shared and analysed. The commercial and scientific potential of the quantum revolution is vast, but it is in national security that quantum technology is making the biggest waves. National governments are… Read more »

ASX

SafetyCulture nabs remote worker safety app SHEQSY in $6 million deal

- April 4, 2022 < 1 MIN READ

Scaleup unicorn SafetyCulture has acquired local worker safety startup SHEQSY for $6 million. The smartphone-based app is a lone worker safety solution designed for remote situations, offering real-time safety monitoring including duress situations. For managers it offers a visual dashboard of staff locations with activity countdown timers and generates real-time alerts when an employee overstays… Read more »

People

Linda Woodford, founder of blockchain agtech AXIchain, among 5 killed in Victorian helicopter crash

- April 3, 2022 2 MIN READ

The CEO and co-founder of a Melbourne agtech startup AXIchain, Linda Woodford, is among five people killed in a helicopter crash in Victoria on Thursday. Her colleague, finance consultant Ian Perry, was also among those killed when the helicopter crashed at around 8am in remote forest near Blair’s Hut at Mount Disappointment, 60km north of Melbourne,… Read more »

Fintech

Fintech Bloom launches Australia’s first climate impact investing app

- April 1, 2022 2 MIN READ

Fintech startup Bloom is launching the country’s first climate impact investing app. Co-f0under Camille Socquet-Clerc said the Bloom fund will feature a mix of green bonds, publicly-listed stocks and privately-held projects previously available to wholesale and sophisticated investors, such as solar farms. Bloom’s fund includes 75 investments, including big players like Tesla and BluGlass. Socquet-Clerc… Read more »

Gavin Upiter
Funding

B2B pharmacy marketplace Directo raises $2.3 million Seed round

- April 1, 2022 2 MIN READ

Melbourne startup Directo has raised $2.3 million in Seed funding for its B2B marketplace for the pharmacy sector.  The round was led by Sydney seed VC Investible to scale its networked two-sided online marketplace, which offers B2C-like price transparency,  immediacy and convenience while streamlining logistics and invoicing. Founder Gavin Upiter said Directo’s proprietary enterprise technology platform… Read more »

Funding

Tim Draper, one of America’s most successful startup investors, has backed drone reforestation startup Lord of the Trees in $1.67 million pre-Seed

- April 1, 2022 2 MIN READ

US billionaire Tim Draper, famed for investments in the likes of PayPal, Tesla, Twitter, Coinbase and Robinhood, has backed Australian-based drone planting eco-tech firm Lord of the Trees (LOTT) in a $US1.25 million (A$1.67m) pre-Seed round.  The investment values LOTT, founded in 2019, at A$7 million. Lord of the Trees is a global reforestation company… Read more »

Cyber security

The Budget’s $10 billion cybersecurity plan is all about making Australia a key ‘offensive’ cyber player

- March 31, 2022 4 MIN READ

In the 2022 federal budget, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg launched a range of vote-winning initiatives – one of which included a breathtaking A$9.9 billion for cyber security over ten years. Bundled under the acronym REDSPICE (which stands for resilience, effects, defence, space, intelligence, cyber and enablers), the program is expected to help build Australia’s intelligence and… Read more »

Bored Ape
Cryptocurrency

Visa is helping the arts and creator economy understand the potential of NFTs

- March 31, 2022 < 1 MIN READ

Credit card giant Visa has launched an immersive program to help arts sector creators tackle the potential of NFTs  The Visa Creator Program aims to help digital-first artists, musicians, fashion designers, and filmmakers build their business through non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The program will help arts-based entrepreneurs deepen their understanding of the technology and platforms underpinning NFT… Read more »

cyber hacking
Cyber security

Everything you need to know about the Budget when it comes to cybersecurity from an expert

- March 30, 2022 4 MIN READ

I looked for the cybersecurity line items in the budget so you don’t have to. Initial Thoughts I commented in my corresponding post when last year’s budget was released that: “This (2021) budget continues the historical trend of spending a significant amount on national security, which includes cybersecurity, but having most of the money directed towards the… Read more »

Politics

‘A grim outcome’: startup and tech sector reactions to the 2022 Budget measures

- March 30, 2022 15 MIN READ

There’s been a mixed reaction to the Morrison government’s last budget before the election. While The Tech Council of Australia welcomed the measures for small business offering additional tax deductions for employers who invest in digital skills training for their staff, while William Buck startup advisor and accountant Jack Qi gave the budget a “C-”… Read more »