Funding

The Pitch Doctor diagnoses the Elevator pitch deck

- October 9, 2020 4 MIN READ

Welcome to our new, regular column, The Pitch Doctor, with Cheryl Mack, Head of Community at Stone & Chalk. When Mack appeared on the Startup Daily show recently on ausbiz, we asked her to name the best pitch deck she’d seen. She only half-jokingly replied “Fyre Festival”. You can read what she had to say about… Read more »

Funding

Techboard’s annual funding report finds Australian startup investment bucked the global downward trend

- October 2, 2020 3 MIN READ

FY20 startup funding nearly $7 billion Private investment almost doubled to $4.48bn Blackbird led Australian VC investors with 14 deals worth $490m More than 700 Australian startups have received nearly 900 rounds of funding from around 400 investors during the 2020 financial year according to the latest annual funding report by data analysis company Techboard.… Read more »

Funding

The government wants feedback on the R&D Tax Incentive – and you have just 10 days left to give it

- October 2, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

The Research and Development Tax Incentive (R&DTI) program is one of the most crucial yet fraught programs supporting the growth of Australian startups. The R&DTI helps offset some of the costs that businesses invest into eligible R&D and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources is looking at reforms to improve how companies engage… Read more »

Funding

SalesPreso rebrands as LivePreso following $5 million raise

- September 30, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

Presentation platform SalesPreso has raised $5 million, and has also rebranded as LivePreso as it ramps up its offering for business. Shearwater Growth Ventures, the $50 million Sydney VC fund co-founded by former WiseTech directors Charles Gibbon and Mike Gregg, with managing partner Zac Zavos, led the round. Melbourne investor and MedAdvisor chair Chris Ridd… Read more »

Airwallex
Funding

Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar’s family fund joins $57 million Airwallex raise

- September 29, 2020 < 1 MIN READ

  Airwallex has topped up its US$160 million (AU$254m) series D raise from April with an extra US$40 million ($57m) with Skip Capital, the family investment fund run by Kim Jackson with her husband, Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar. Regular backer Square Peg Capital also returned for the latest cash injection, which continues to value the… Read more »

Funding

Non-alcoholic spirits brand Lyre’s raises $16 million in seed round

- September 25, 2020 2 MIN READ

Sydney-based non-alcoholic spirits company, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirit Co. has $16 million in seed round funding 18 months after launching as the startup’s growth continues to grow exponentially worldwide. The backers include VRD Investment, Doehler Ventures, DLF Venture and Maropost Ventures, with family funds in Europe, America and Australia tipping in. Lyre’s CEO and co-founder Mark… Read more »

Funding

Steve Baxter’s seed fund TEN13 joins $1.8 million round into US audio platform Vurbl

- September 22, 2020 2 MIN READ

Steve Baxter’s investment syndicate TEN13 and LA-based angel investor Kate Vale, Google Australia’s first employee, are part of a US$1.3 million (AU$1.8m) seed round for audio platform Vurbl, which hopes to become the YouTube of audio. The startup, which is in beta and will launch before the end of the year also attracted support from LA… Read more »

Funding

Swedish fintech Klarna is now the world’s 4th most valuable fintech after US$650 million raise

- September 15, 2020 2 MIN READ

Swedish buy now pay later (BNPL) fintech Klarna is now Europe’s most valuable fintech – the 4th most valuable globally – following a US$650 million equity raise that values the business at US$10.65 billion (AU$14.54bn). The latest valuation nearly doubles the US$5.5 billion valuation following a US$460 million raise in August 2019. The round was… Read more »

Funding

Impact Investment Group launches $70 million ‘alternatives’ fund 

- September 15, 2020 2 MIN READ

Impact Investment Group (IIG) is on the hunt for $70 million from wholesale investors for a new fund targeting sustainable and socially conscious startup investments.  IIG CEO and co-fund manager Daniel Madhavan said the Impact Alternatives Fund will be a mix of investments, including renewable energy infrastructure such as solar farms, impact private equity, venture… Read more »