Sydney future of work startup Calven has raised $6.8 million in seed funding as it looks to tackle hybrid work culture. The round was led by Sydney VC Airtree, and several strategic backers, including Herbert Smith Freehills partner Michael Gonski and the Gonski family office. Calven co-founder Jeremy Pollak, a veteran of workplace technology consulting… Read more »
Climate tech venture firm Aera VC has raised US$30 million (A$42m) in the first close of its new fund to back startups addressing sustainability and global warming. The new climate-focused fund has already backed Michael Fox’s alt-protein business Fable Foods, along with US-based chemical decarbonisation unicorn startup Solugen (valued at US$1.8bn) as well as Shiok Meats… Read more »
ClimateTech startup FloodMapp has set a new record for an Australian seed round after raising US$6 million (A$8.4m). The round led by New York VC Union Square Ventures’ Climate Fund, with participation by Mundi Ventures, Climate X, and Jelix Venutures. FloodMapp will use the capital injection to scale the company and expand into new markets.… Read more »
We’ve now made 14 investments, and in almost all cases Galileo was the first VC investor in each startup’s pre-seed or seed round. We’ve backed some compelling early-stage companies and are on the hunt for more. If you’re raising your first round, you should apply now. A common pattern I’m hearing in some early-stage founders… Read more »
Venture Capital firm AirTree Ventures has a new $700 million war chest as it looks to ramp up its backing for early stage startups. Pulling the cash together took just three months, with leading local and international institutions, endowments and foundations signing on. The announcement comes ahead of rival VC Blackbird confirming its new $1… Read more »
A female-founded wellness management platform for youth athletes has closed a $2.5 million seed round as it looks to help athletes with their mental health. Brisbane-based iNSPIRETEK was founded by former competitive gymnast Annie Flamsteed to provide athletes with mental health support and the tools they need when they need them most. The round was led by… Read more »
Officely, a desk booking service for hybrid offices, has raised US$2 million (A$2.8m) in seed funding. The round was led by investor TEN13 alongside angels such as Go1 co-founder Vu Tran and Luxury Escapes co-founder Adam Schwab. The funds will be used to expand the team, and grow the product offering and feature sets. Officely was… Read more »
Runn.io, a New Zealand software startup that offers company project managers the ability to plan, track and forecast staffing capability and capacity, has raised US$1.41 million (A$2m) in a Seed round. The round was backed by leading NZ VC GD1 as well as Wavemaker, NZGCP, K1W1, Dovetail Ventures, Icehouse Ventures and Angel Marlborough. The funding… Read more »
Melbourne startup Bardee has raised $5 million in a seed round as it looks to convert food waste into insect protein and fertiliser. The round was led by Blackbird Ventures with support from angel investors including Who Gives A Crap founder Simon Griftiths and Culture Amp founder Didier Elzinga and his wife, Greta Bradman. The venture,… Read more »
Sydney startup Renewtrak, which automates the renewals of subscription and services contracts, has raised $3 million in a seed round. The raise was led by Sydney VC firm Tidal Ventures and supported by several existing investors, including Bridgeclimb founder Paul Cave. The cash is for global expansion plans. Renewtrak’s customer base includes leading tech companies… Read more »
Australian and New Zealand accelerator program Startmate is increasing the investment it makes in startups $75,000 to $120,000 as it goes on the hunt for its summer cohort. It’s also increased the valuations by 50% to $1.5 million, in a move that means the equity investment remains roughly the same, increasingly from 7.5% to 8.5%.… Read more »
Novalith Technologies, a climate technology startup that’s developed a more environmentally friendly extraction process for lithium, has raised $2.5 million in a seed round. The raise was led by the CEFC’s Clean Energy Innovation Fund, which contributed $1.5 million. The US-based Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust’s Neglected Climate Opportunities LLC also joined the round. Novalith… Read more »
Live entertainment startup, Muso, has cranked up the volume as the nation emerges from lockdown with a $2 million seed-plus raise for international expansion plans. The round was led by Melbourne VC Rampersand, with a syndicate headed by Athena Home Loans co-founder Michael Starkey also chipping in alongside Alberts Impact Capital, Flying Fox VC and… Read more »
Move over Banksy. While the anonymous UK street artist is grabbing headlines today after his semi-destroyed artwork, Love is in the Bin, sold for $34 million a Sydney sneaker marketplace has raised $1.2 million in a pre-seed round. PUSHAS was founded in 2017 by Justin Truong and Sandy Li and offers a secondary market for… Read more »
Climate-tech startup Aspiring Materials has raised $1 million in seed funding for its breakthrough carbon capture technology. The Christchurch-based company’s round was led by Icehouse Ventures with support from Outset Ventures. The funds are earmarked to build out the team, including its first CEO, Mark Chadderton, who returns to New Zealand after more than 20… Read more »
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