The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) is using venture capital firms Square Peg Capital and Zetta Venture Partners to invest in startups, putting US$10 million (A$14m) each into the latest funds from the two VCs. Zetta is a US-based fund investing in artificial intelligence. In an update on the bank’s innovation program this week, CBA CEO Matt… Read more »
Should we look to China for hints as to what will happen with global VC? For our startup community to survive, we need to observe ground zero and monitor the shockwaves hitting regions ahead of us. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Chinese VC deals have taken a plunge and we’re left asking whether we’ll see… Read more »
Venture capital (VC) funding for startups has fallen by around 20% since December 2019 as the covid-19 pandemic smashed the global economy, but the impact is unevenly distributed according to new research from Startup Genome. The California-based analytics firm’s latest report into global startup funding, the first in a series its planning looking at the… Read more »
As the world steps into the jaws of another recession, it may be helpful to recall the top three lessons I learned, having been a Venture Capital investor through the last two economic crises to engulf the tech sector in 2001 and 2008. #1: The world doesn’t end, but be prepared to weather the… Read more »
Overseas investors are playing an increasingly important role in Australia’s venture capital support for startups according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). While the latest figures, which date to the end of the 2019 financial year, show a 1% fall in the value of commitments – the capital pledged by investors… Read more »
Securing the right venture capital can completely transform your startup. Getting the right partnership in place can prove to be invaluable – particularly in your early stages of development. This could make all the difference in adding influential contacts, building your networks, providing useful mentoring and education as well as giving you a firmer footing… Read more »
ASX-listed investment fund Blue Sky (BLA) has been placed in receivership over a $50 million loan to US financier Oaktree Capital Management. In a statement to the ASX today, KordaMentha said it had been appointed receivers and managers to Blue Sky Alternative Investments Ltd as the business was in breach of a financial covenant relating… Read more »
Pitches are difficult to get right. Despite all the blogs and material about how to perfect startup pitches, presenting to investors is still a challenging task. Founders often obsess over their pitch: from fine-tuning the value proposition to religiously following Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 model, cramming as much as possible in their 20-minute pitch to… Read more »
Melbourne-founded fintech Airwallex is the latest Australian startup to hit unicorn status following the closing of a US$100 million ($141 million) Series C round led by DST Global.
CRM software company Salesforce has launched a US$50 million ($70.5 million) Australia Trailblazer Fund to invest in local startups.
Artesian Venture Partners has partnered with the Grains Research and Development Corporation to launch GrainInnovate, a $50 million agtech fund.
Sydney startup Rockmelon, which has created an education platform to help autistic children and their parents, has raised $3 million from angel investors to expand internationally.
GOFAR has created a device that, plugged into a vehicle’s diagnostic port, can track a driver’s performance, monitor the car’s health, and easily log mileage expenses via a connected app.
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.
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