Funding

Canva’s valuation has surged towards $20 billion following a new $93 million raise

- April 7, 2021 2 MIN READ

Australian design giant Canva has a staggering new valuation of US$15 billion (A$19.6bn) following a fresh US$71 million (A$93m) investment.  That figure more than doubles the company’s last A$8.7 billion valuation in less than 12 months following an A$87 million raise in June 2020. In just 18 months, the privately-owned design startup has more than… Read more »

Funding

Linktree clicks on $59 million in Series B

- March 26, 2021 < 1 MIN READ

Melbourne-based social media venture Linktree has tapped the market for more cash, just five months after its A$15 million series A, raising another US$45m (A$59m) in a Series B The round was co-led by European VC Index Ventures, and New York’s Coatue. AirTree Ventures and Insight Partners returned as investors with a Who’s Who of… Read more »

Funding

VC fund SecondQuarter Ventures has raised $51 million and struck investment deals with two more startups

- March 22, 2021 2 MIN READ

SecondQuarter Ventures , a venture capital secondary fund, has closed a $51 million round and announced stakes in two more startups. A secondary fund offers a potential exit and liquidity to investors and other shareholders, such as founders, prior to the venture going public or its sale. Secondary venture funds are well established in the… Read more »

Funding

Investible hopes to raise a $50 million fund as Mick Liubinskas partners in a new sister company

- March 16, 2021 2 MIN READ

Sydney-based seed investment group Investible has appointed financial services veteran Rod Bristow as CEO as it looks to raise $50 million for a second early-stage fund. Bristow was most recently CEO of ASX-listed Clime Investment Management Limited in a 25-year career that includes CommSec and the environmental NGO Greening Australia. His appointment comes as Investible… Read more »

Dr Kate Cornick
Funding

Victoria is launching a $10 million investment fund to back startups led by women

- March 11, 2021 2 MIN READ

Women-led early stage startups will have access to dedicated investment support from the $10 million Alice Anderson Fund – named after a pioneering Victorian businesswoman and innovator – to open for applications in July. The Alice Anderson Fund will run over three years as a sidecar investment fund committing between $50,000 and $300,000 into between 40 and… Read more »

Funding

Spoken word analysis startup Sonnant raises $750,000 seed round led by media giant SCA

- March 10, 2021 < 1 MIN READ

Melbourne startup Sonnant, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for content discovery for the spoken word, has raised $750,000 in a seed round led by radio and TV company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA). The strategic investment by SCA will help support the recent launch of LiSTNR, the rebranded PodcastOne audio channel and… Read more »

Funding

Financial models for startups: more than just a spreadsheet

- March 9, 2021 3 MIN READ

When an investor asks a founder to reveal their financial model, they are looking for the best possible attempt to provide a consistent, financial representation of the expected performance of the startup. It consists of well thought out projections about the future of the business, and a properly structured, understandable, and dynamic spreadsheet with easy-to-read… Read more »

Funding

Fintech Carclarity raises $1 million seed round

- March 4, 2021 2 MIN READ

Sydney-based car loan fintech Carclarity has raised a $1 million seed round led by Equity Venture Partners (EVP), just 12 months after launching. The funds will be use to build the startups product and development as it looks to expand from car financing to embedding itself in the car buying experience. Others in the funding… Read more »