In an article published elsewhere last week, the country’s largest VCs were scornful of the local sector’s prospects in 2024. No one is arguing the landscape has become tougher; costs are higher, consumers have tightened their belts, market valuations are subdued. The sector is well aware we have much to prove and big hurdles to… Read more »
If you believe that bad things come in threes, then it was a big week for geopolitics, music and investing. A prominent trio paid the ferryman within days: Henry Kissinger, the controversial former US Secretary of State and security adviser to presidents Nixon and Ford, died aged 100; Shane MacGowan, the charismatic Irish poet and… Read more »
Venture capital can be a solo, transactional game: meeting founders, building conviction, and making a case to an investment committee before allocating capital. Some firms learn how to exploit the aggregated super-power of their whole group to discover unique investments and unlock value. What we don’t talk about enough is how the firms themselves collaborate… Read more »
When it comes to disruption, the COVID pandemic offered a masterclass for startup founders. It was the best and the worst of times, with the acceleration towards a digital economy backed by the tailwinds of what appeared to be unlimited capital… Then suddenly, central banks wrought their own brand of disruption on venture capital with… Read more »
Last week, I explained why, in my first few weeks working in deep-tech VC, I decided to scan the Australian AI ecosystem and talk to more than 50 founders building inspiring and impactful companies in the AI space. If you have not done so, have a read here. In today’s instalment, I will run through… Read more »
Australian startup founders remain upbeat about the future, despite challenging conditions, according to a new survey from law firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), but an overwhelming 97% say the current fundraising environment is impacting their business strategy. Despite startup failures, withdrawals from the Australian market by some global companies and down rounds in capital raises,… Read more »
Airtree has followed in the footsteps of major VCs Square Peg Capital and Blackbird Ventures, cutting the valuation of its holding in tech giant Canva by 36%. The decision drags down the value of its early funds by Sydney investor by 18%. Blackbird and Square Peg had already reduced the value of their stakes in… Read more »
Merger and acquisition deals, along with venture capital investment, have come storming back in 2021 according to a new report from accounting and advisory firm William Buck. The firm’s 2021 M&A and VC Report reveals that M&A deals have jumped in both number and size in the first half of the year to sit 2.5… Read more »
Who Gives a Crap CEO Simon Griffiths is among a group of startup founders backing a $10 million for a new “community-powered” venture capital fund that has scooped up the cash together in just four months. AfterWork Ventures will invest in Australian and New Zealand technology startups at the pre-seed and seed stage and is… Read more »
US-based angel VC The Fund is launching in Australia + NZ Local founders are joining forces to invest in next gen ANZ startups Investors come from Canva, CultureAmp, Adore Beauty, Linktree, Safety Culture + more The Fund aims to back 50% female founders Founders and others from Australia’s most successful startups, including Canva, Culture… Read more »
Nothing excites investors and markets more than an emerging technology predicted to transform the way we live and work. Cloud accounting, NFC payments, mobile phones and social networking have all been this transformational force. Others have been hailed as the next big thing, to then plateau abruptly, or even fade into obscurity. Amazon’s Kindle is… Read more »
Record amounts of capital are flowing into the Australian startup sector, but competition between venture capital (VC) firms keen to back a winner are pushing valuations beyond potential returns at an exit, the boss of Telstra Ventures believes. Matthew Koertge, co-managing director of the $735 million fund, told the AFR Telstra Ventures had walked away… Read more »
Subhaga Amarasekara CEO and Co-Founder of FLAYR shares her top tips for attracting venture capital.
After announcing its launch last November, investment bank Investec has raised $45 million to reach the first close of its Emerging Companies Fund 1.
More money in venture capital means more companies can be funded in the Australian ecosystem, argues AirTree Ventures’ Daniel Petre.
‘Have I gone too far?’ How founders can beat their startup demons 
Tassie carbon accounting startup banks $5.3 million Seed round 
Smart hotels get even smarter: 72 Byte to launch in Australia with AI expert backing 
Eucalyptus head of growth Matt Rossi departs to launch his own marketing startup, Oodle 
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