Hospitality ordering app Mr Yum has been named startup of the year in the annual Governor of Victoria Startup Awards. The fintech, currently in talks with rival Me&u over a possible merger, was recognised for its role in helping the state’s restaurant sector continuing to operate during pandemic restrictions and now helping the hospitality sector… Read more »
Victoria will join NSW, Queensland and South Australia in offering a digital licence for drivers from next year. The state government announced this week that motorists will be able to carry their licence on their phone with a digital driver licence trial in Ballarat from July before a statewide roll-out by 2024. NSW pioneered the… Read more »
A virtual reality firefighter training startup spun out of Deakin University has raised $6.7 million Series A, with the Victorian government’s investment fund Breakthrough Victoria, taking a minority stake in the business for $5 million. FLAIM Systems has developed what’s believed to be the world’s first fully immersive virtual firefighting training system, offering a safe… Read more »
LaunchVic is on the hunt for a new wave of tech startups they can help turn into unicorns – companies worth more than $1 billion. The Victorian startup agency’s 30×30 program was developed with the aim to help 30 startups hit $1 billion valuations by 2030, and is now open for expressions of interest. LaunchVic… Read more »
A $10 million program to tackle recycling solar panels has been launched in Victoria. Breakthrough Victoria, a company managing a $2 billion fund set up by the Victorian government to make the state a global leader in innovation, has launched the $10 million Solar Waste Challenge, to invest in solar waste reduction solutions. More than… Read more »
LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund is now a quarter of the way through its ambitious plan to back 60 female-led startups by 2024, just one year after it launched. Since launching in July 2021, the sidecar fund’s co-investments of between $50,000 and $300,000, for a combined $2.5 million, have gone to 11 early-stage startups, leveraging a… Read more »
Silicon Valley agrifood innovation investor SVG is setting up shop in Melbourne with a $50 million fund to back local agtech startups. SVG will launch its $50 million THRIVE Australia Venture Fund to invest in Australia and New Zealand agtech startups. Victorian economic development minister Tim Pallas visited California on the weekend to meet with SVG… Read more »
Former architect turned impact startup founder Julia Kay has been chosen as Young Victorian of the Year by the Victoria Day Council. Kay is the co-founder of Great Wrap, the compostable stretch wrap made from food waste. The Victoria Day Awards celebrate Victoria’s foundation following its split from New South Wales on July 1, 1851,… Read more »
Government-owned Breakthrough Victoria is tipping $100 million in pre-seed funding into startups at the state’s universities looking to commercialise research. Premier Dan Andrews and treasurer Tim Pallas set up the $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria fund, chaired by former premier John Bracks, as an independent investment fund manager investing in commercial innovations in health, technology, manufacturing,… Read more »
Sustainable energy retailer Amber Electric and medtech Seer Medical have been named joint winners of Victorian Startup of the Year in the inaugural Governor of Victoria Startup Awards, announced last night. The Awards, supported by Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria, celebrate the state’s leaders and investors in the startup sector. She hosted the winners at… Read more »
A new Fund-of-Funds venture capital firm, formed by veterans of the super fund Hostplus VC team, has been chosen by the Victorian government to build LaunchVic’s $120 million Victorian Startup Capital Fund (VSCF). Neil Stanford and Brighid Pappin have created V-Ignite to turn $60 million from the state government into $120 million for the VSCF.… Read more »
The Victorian government has looked across the border to manage its $30 million Venture Growth Fund, with Sydney venture capital firm OneVentures awarded the tender for the role. The plan for the venture debt fund was announced in the Victorian budget last year to inject late-stage capital into revenue positive startups. The fund was part… Read more »
Victoria is looking to bolster its reputation as the nation’s sporting capital with a new innovation centre to accelerate the commercialisation of sportstech. The state government is backing the Australian Sports Innovation Centre for Excellence in the inner-city suburb of Cremorne with a $4 million investment. Victorian innovation, medical research and digital economy minister Jaala… Read more »
A $64 million program to reskill around 5000 mid-career workers for roles in the digital economy has been launched by the Victorian government. The industry-backed Digital Jobs program has already signed on leading employers such as the ANZ bank, AWS, Carsales, MYOB, Salesforce, Siemens and Zendesk. The workers involved will complete 12 weeks of skills training… Read more »
Victoria will go back into lockdown from 8pm tonight, August 5. It is the state’s sixth lockdown, just nine days after emerging from its fifth following the spread of the Delta variant from Sydney. Eight new Covid-19 cases were reported in Victoria today, including six from yesterday. Reported yesterday: 6 new local cases and no… Read more »
Biotech incubator CUREator tips $12 million into 19 startups tackling global health
Link-in-bio startup Linktree slashes local jobs again, shedding 27% of ANZ workforce
Veteran tech director Cass O’Connor to chair Airtasker as investor James Spenceley steps down to focus on humanitarian work
‘AI isn’t the only revolution underway’: Visiting Entrepreneur Program explores new tech crossroads
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