After three long years, evokeAG finally returned, bringing the Australian agri-food tech industry together. We loved meeting and reconnecting with friends and collaborators over the past few engaging, thought-provoking, and exhausting (in the best way possible) days. evokeAG also provided an opportunity to reflect on what we, as an industry, have collectively achieved so far,… Read more »
Australia’s biggest venture capital fund, Blackbird Ventures, is the favourite among startup founders according to a new ranking charting how “founder friendly” VCs are. Like the Hottest 100, Eurovision and GOAT rankings in every sport, the list is bound to spark controversy for the notable absences of some leading names in the top 25, while… Read more »
At Main Sequence, we back early-stage founders who are creating the future with cutting-edge science & frontier technologies. But beyond having a focus on deep tech, there are a range of capabilities that set us apart when compared to generalist investors. Here are a few unique things that deep tech investors can bring to the… Read more »
A new $40 million venture capital fund has recruited former Salesforce Ventures boss Mike Ferrari as managing director as it looks to back early-stage startups developing sovereign capabilities. Salus Ventures is the first dedicated early-stage Australian fund to invest in founders developing cutting-edge tech for commercial and government markets. It will back from Seed to… Read more »
Venture capital fund Blackbird has appointed three new general partners from within its own ranks Moving from principal to partner are Michael Tolo and Tom Humphrey in Australia, as well as Phoebe Harrop in New Zealand. It’s just the second time in the 11 years since Rick Baker and Niki Scevak founded Blackbird that the VC has… Read more »
Venture capital firm Antler Australia has thrown down the gauntlet on the worth of early-stage startups, upping its investment levels and the post-money valuations for companies it backs. Under new terms announced today, Antler will increase its initial investment by $35,000 to A$225,000 for the same 12% equity stake. The new deal increases the post-money… Read more »
Amid a plethora of analysis of Australian venture capital funding in recent weeks, one report truly stands out because it captures the numbers by talking to the venture capital investors involved. The recently released 2nd edition of The State Of Australian Startup Funding report, from Cut Through Venture and Folklore Ventures, reveal a record number… Read more »
As we embark on another year in the world of startups, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges that tech founders will face in 2023. This year, top performing startups will have an easier time raising capital than average performing ones. Startups that have extended their runway by making cuts must ensure that they have strong… Read more »
Software-focused venture capital firm EVP has closed its fourth fund after hitting its $100 million final target. The business-to-business (B2B)-focused VC now has more than $270 million in funds under management amid more than 40 early-stage startup investments in software companies in Australia and New Zealand, including Ignition, Deputy, Shippit and Hnry. The sole trader… Read more »
The second annual edition of The State Of Australian Startup Funding report was released this week, revealing that overall investment by around 30% to $7.4 billion last year. The analysis, prepared by Cut Through Venture and Folklore Ventures, contained plenty of good news for founders with pre-Seed and Seed investments at record levels in 2022. Fintech continues to… Read more »
Startup funding in 2022 hit $7.4 billion It’s a 30% fall on 2021, but less than a global drop of 35% Investors made 712 deals Female founders receive more deals, but less funds Investment has grown 5x in 5 years It’s a great time to be an early-stage founder, a new analysis of Australian startup… Read more »
US investor and Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham is one of the many fans of OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT. The striking thing about the reaction to ChatGPT is not just the number of people who are blown away by it, but who they are. These are not people who get excited by every shiny new… Read more »
University of Melbourne’s new startup venture capital fund Tin Alley Venture has raised $100 million from a who’s who of the Victorian business establishment to back alumni founders. The uni chipped in $25 million to kick off the fund, a joint venture with John Wiley’s Tanarra Capital, in June last year. Seven months later, the… Read more »
The Australian venture capital arm of Salesforce is one of the victims of the tech giant’s massive job cuts, with Salesforce Ventures head of Australia Mike Ferrari among those shown the door. The VC’s local portfolio of companies will now be managed from the US. Earlier this month, the 23-year-old California-based software company announced a… Read more »
‘Stupid money’ is out and smart investors are looking for opportunities in the Australian startup scene, say leading venture capital partners. Speaking at the Melbourne Startup Bootcamp at Bay City Labs yesterday, Skalata Ventures cofounder and CEO Rohan Workman called out the ridiculous funding rounds that had given startup founders unrealistic expectations. “It’s a great time… Read more »
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