Prof Shawn Kook and Goran Bozic
Climate Tech

Investible teams up with UNSW to back climate tech uni spin-offs

- December 4, 2024 2 MIN READ

Sydney early-stage VC Investible will partner with UNSW’s Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) program in a co-investment partnership to back climate tech startups emerging from the university. The Technology Commercialisation Venture Scheme will target Seed and Series A investments into UNSW climate-tech spin-offs and companies supported through TRaCE. The first-of-its-kind for an Australian… Read more »

People

Former science and innovation minister Arthur Sinodinos joins deep tech VC Salus Ventures

- December 4, 2024 2 MIN READ

Former spy boss Paul Symon, Australian Missile Corp CEO Rear Admiral Lee Goddard and former Senator Arthur Sinodinos have signed on with VC fund Salus Ventures as strategic advisors as the firm sharpens its focus on defence and national security. The Sydney-based $40 million fund, launched in 2023 and led by former Salesforce Ventures Australia… Read more »

Business strategy

Pre-Money vs Post-Money SAFE Notes: What Australian founders need to know

- November 26, 2024 5 MIN READ

Raising capital using SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) notes has become a go-to tool for Australian founders. SAFEs streamline the fundraising process by postponing valuation debates until a future funding round. However, understanding the distinction between pre-money and post-money SAFEs is critical, as it directly impacts founder dilution and investor ownership. In this article,… Read more »

Farm drone monitoring apple crop
Venture Capital

Hort Innovation and VC Artesian will plough $60 million into startups with a new agtech fund

- November 25, 2024 2 MIN READ

Not-for-profit research and development company Hort Innovation is teaming up with venture capital firm Artesian for a new $60 million VC fund to back early-stage startups tackling challenges for fruit, vegetable and nut farmers. Hort will chip in around $24 million to the Hort Innovation Venture Fund, leveraged by co-investments sourced by Artesian, for a… Read more »

Aona AI Co-founders Bastien Cabirou (right) and Salim Sebkhi (left)
Antler Australia

Antler Investor Memo Series: Aona AI gives corporates the power to implement secure, ethical AI

- November 20, 2024 5 MIN READ

Early stage investment company Antler Australia recently backed a new cohort of startups as part of its ongoing program to build great local tech companies. Startup Daily is sharing the details of each venture in the “Antler Investor Memos” series, which is designed to give you a quick, sharp understanding of the startups and people… Read more »

Ben Gust and Kristin Vaughan
Climate Tech

Queensland Investment Corporation tips $10 million into climate tech VC Virescent Ventures

- November 19, 2024 2 MIN READ

A recent change of government in the Sunshine State has not slowed the Queensland Investment Corporation’s (QIC) enthusiasm for backing venture capital firms eager to invest in local startups. QIC joined Westpac and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) as a cornerstone investor in Virescent’s new $200 million climate tech fund (Fund II), reportedly tipping… Read more »

Craig Blair
Business

‘If the founders we back are arseholes who behave badly, we’ve failed miserably’: Airtree’s Craig Blair clarifies ‘deeply flawed’ founders comments at Tech Council summit

- November 14, 2024 5 MIN READ

From artist Picasso to director Woody Allen, actor Kevin Spacey, athlete OJ Simpson, record producer Phil Spector and rapper Jay-Z, the idea of flawed genius is not new. But its prominence in the startup sector has been front of mind in recent months, most notably with WiseTech’s billionaire founder Richard White. Many have noted that… Read more »

Ariella Heffernan-Marks
Investing

Why the health data gap for women is a big opportunity for femtech founders

- November 7, 2024 6 MIN READ

This is the second edition of Giant Leap’s deep dive series, where its investment team explores the technologies and approaches addressing global problems of climate, health and people with commercial solutions (the 1st edition on the future of sustainable aviation here). In this deep dive into femtech, senior investment associate Katarina Throssell share her insights… Read more »

Tin Alley ventures
Politics

Breakthrough Victoria posts $3 million loss

- November 4, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Victorian government’s controversial $2 billion venture capital fund, Breakthrough Victoria, posted a $3 million loss in its third year of operation. The funding body, which saw several directors depart in 2024, with CEO Grant Dooley also heading to the exit after just three years, copped a $360 million haircut in the Victorian budget earlier… Read more »

Business

Raising in 2024: Why Australian startups are turning to Singapore for VC

- October 28, 2024 4 MIN READ

More and more Australian startups are chasing capital from VCs in Singapore—and for good reason. Unlike Australian VCs, who risk losing tax concessions if they invest too heavily outside Australia, Singapore-based investors face no such restrictions and are actively deploying capital across global markets. That’s why we decided to ask some of APAC’s most influential… Read more »

Antler Australia

Antler Investor Memo Series: Braiv makes multi-language videos simple, affordable & scalable

- October 14, 2024 4 MIN READ

Early stage investment company Antler Australia recently backed a new cohort of startups as part of its ongoing program to build great local tech companies. Startup Daily is sharing the details of each venture in the “Antler Investor Memos” series, which is designed to give you a quick, sharp understanding of the startups and people… Read more »

Dr Margaret Matanda & Tando Matanda
Business

Mother-daughter cofounders launch Musa to end traditional pitch decks for funding

- October 11, 2024 2 MIN READ

Mother-daughter duo Tandadzo (Tando) Matanda and Dr Margaret Matanda will step on stage founder at SXSW Sydney this Tuesday as the founders of fintech platform Musa.  Musa is the world’s first intelligent venture assessment platform, tackling the funding process for startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Musa Ventures equips founders with the digital tools… Read more »