Australian venture funding, tracked

Robyn Denholm joins Blackbird as Operating Partner

Blackbird announces Robyn Denholm has joined the firm as an Operating Partner, supporting late-stage portfolio companies, while retaining her role as Tesla's board chair.

Atlassian is totally committed to its employees working from home

Atlassian introduces a remote work policy letting staff work from anywhere, with salary set by region and limited office attendance, as co-chief executive Scott Farquhar explains the company's thinking.

Your 90-second guide to the day in tech

Daily tech roundup: Lyft sells its self-driving unit to Toyota, Sea Forest raises for Tasmanian seaweed farming, Kogan founders' past share sale resurfaces, plus Tesla results and a TikTok radio launch.

QLD govt funds 10 manufacturers’ pandemic pivot

Queensland's essential goods grant program has backed ten local manufacturers pivoting to COVID supplies, but applications are paused while Treasury reviews how the allocated money is spent.

Also @AuManufacturing

Investment Notes: Halter

Blackbird's investment note explains why it led Halter's NZD32 million Series B, profiling founder and CEO Craig Piggott, the smart cattle collar product, and its dairy farming potential.

Also Blackbird Ventures portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Tassie business bags $34 million for seaweed helping curb the environmental impact of flatulent farm animals

Tasmanian seaweed startup Sea Forest has raised an oversubscribed $34 million round from Macquarie's agricultural arm, PGA Investments and Rob Purves, to build a large farm and processing facility cutting livestock methane emissions.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Why furniture retailer Brosa is now offering 16 weeks’ paid leave to all new parents

Homewares retailer Brosa has launched a paid parental leave policy giving all new parents sixteen weeks, which its chief operating officer describes as a long-term investment in staff.

Fund 2 Announcement

Australia's Main Sequence has pulled in A$250 million for its second deep tech fund, with existing backers returning and a sharpened emphasis on decarbonisation investments.

Also SmartCompany·TechCrunch·TechCrunch·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·TechCrunch

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: Tiger is the new Softbank, Accel's 40x, more marketplaces, Zooming into VC

Ignition Lane's weekly column rounds up Australian raises including Octopus Deploy, Neara, Mr Yum and Archistar, ThinkTilt's sale to Atlassian, Latitude's ASX listing, and US moves by Tiger Global, UiPath and Squarespace.

Also Startup Daily

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: federal defence funding for a watercraft builder, a completed Tasmanian bus contract, diagnostics certification, cannabis sales growth, a biotech raise, an acquisition and positive Covid drug trial data.

Fibres and composites transforming industry: Helmets in a hurry

Profile of TST, an Australian-Singaporean composites company commercialising the D4 forming process for helmets, covering its defence research origins and an Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre grant backing its motorcycle helmet work.

Goldfund.io announces capital raising and issues Information Memorandum

Goldfund.io has lodged an Information Memorandum with VCEX, opening an offer of one hundred thousand dollars in shares at thirteen cents each, available to professional investors until the end of June 2021.

Alpha Impact Closes $3.1m Funding Round

Crypto copy-trading platform Alpha Impact announced a $3.1 million round led by LuneX Ventures and Genesis Block HK; a later update on the page says the startup has since shut down.

JBS buys Europe’s third biggest plant-based protein producer

Meat processor JBS has agreed to buy Dutch plant-based protein maker Vivera for the equivalent of A$532 million, gaining three Dutch factories, an R&D centre and a European retail footprint.

Elevation Digital have attracted a top – level team of executives amongst KPMG, Goldman Sachs and Deloitte to facilitate the digital transformation of the economy.

A promotional profile of Elevation Digital, highlighting its executive team drawn from major financial firms and marketing a convertible note offering to fund development ahead of a planned Series A.

Marketplacer secures millions in funding from Woolies, topping off 12 months of growth and the dawn of “e-commerce 2.0”

Melbourne marketplace platform Marketplacer has taken an undisclosed multimillion-dollar investment from Woolworths' venture arm W23, following recent raises from Salesforce Ventures and a November funding boost.

Also Startup Daily

Fintech Unhedged raised a $500,000 pre-seed round as it looks to reshape investment advice using AI

Robo-advisor Unhedged raised a $500,000 pre-seed round led by Canadian VC Loyal VC plus 18 individuals, ahead of launching its AI-driven algorithmic investing app, and hired Glenn Vanbavinckhove as CTO.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Australian FinTech

Carbon Revolution to rise $95 million, invest in mega production line

Carbon Revolution, a Geelong carbon fibre wheel maker, announced plans to raise $95 million for a new mega production line, reported Q3 FY21 growth, and disclosed OEM program agreements including electric vehicle work.

The startup funding round: Tech preventing heart failure, the Airbnb of street art, and digital ‘twins’ for infrastructure

A weekly roundup of Australian startup funding: Neara, Archistar, Urban Ethos, ESN Cleer and Book An Artist raise, alongside Mr Yum and Octopus Deploy raises.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Agtech accelerator Sparklabs Cultiv8 reveals the 10 startups it invested in for its new program

Lightning Flow world-first platform increases connectivity speeds by up to 7 times for end-users and organisations, signed strategic agreement with EY and PoC with ANZ

Profile of LightningFlow, an edge computing optimisation platform by The Migration Company, citing a prior seed raise, agreements with EY and ANZ, technology partnerships, and a current Series A offering seeking $2 million.

Afterpay mulls a US listing: Is this a loss to the Aussie ecosystem?

Afterpay is exploring options for a US listing after strong North American growth, but plans to stay headquartered in Australia, which the article argues could benefit the local ecosystem.

Companies awarded $8.4 m in commercialisation grants

Twelve Australian companies received federal Accelerating Commercialisation grants totalling $8.4 million, including Zip Diagnostics and Incisive Technologies, with industry minister Christian Porter praising the medical manufacturing projects.

Also Startup News (WA)

Hydrogen-powered space rockets are coming to Queensland

Queensland space firm Hypersonix partners with gas company BOC on green hydrogen for reusable rockets, with both companies having earlier won federal grant funding for the zero-emissions project.

Also ARENA·ARENA·RenewEconomy

CCS, but not as you know it: US prize targets cement's monster emissions

Two overseas companies won a carbon XPrize for technologies storing carbon dioxide in concrete, with the article examining cement emissions and carbon capture prospects.

After a decade of bootstrapping, Octopus Deploy raises $172.5M from Insight Partners

Deployment automation firm Octopus Deploy takes its first outside capital after ten years bootstrapped, selling a minority stake to Insight Partners. Linked coverage notes Insight's fund close and Buildkite's Series A.

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Investment notes: Neara $7.25m Series A

Square Peg's investment note explains it led Neara's Series A, describing the infrastructure digital-twin platform, its founding team's backgrounds, and its work modelling networks for energy utilities.

Also Square Peg Capital portfolio·OIF Ventures portfolio·Square Peg Capital portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Australian FinTech company profile #122 – Unhedged

Profile of Unhedged, a Melbourne and Sydney fintech using AI for algorithmic investing, recalling a fast $500,000 raise and flagging a fund launch and crowdfunding round ahead.

Fresh funding values Clubhouse at US$4 billion, even as Facebook and Reddit unveil rival platforms

Audio app Clubhouse has reportedly closed a Series C round valuing it at US$4 billion, just as Facebook and Reddit launch competing live-audio products and Twitter expands Spaces.

Also Startup Daily

‘A catalyst, not a blip’: Mr Yum secures $11 million in funding to serve up post-pandemic hospitality tech overseas

Melbourne QR-ordering startup Mr Yum has raised eleven million dollars in a round led by TEN13 with AirTree participating, funding international expansion into the US and UK after pandemic-driven growth.

Also SmartCompany·Lawyers Weekly·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Tech Funding News - Australia·Australian FinTech·TechCrunch

A New Blackbird in New Zealand

Blackbird announces Phoebe Harrop joining as a Principal to build its New Zealand presence, and recalls opening its NZ office in 2019 and raising a $60M fund for Kiwi startups.

Nicole Cook joins women-led business accelerator SBE Australia as its first CEO

SBE Australia appoints former Jobs for NSW chief Nicole Cook as its first CEO, with the piece recalling the accelerator's alumnae, funding totals and program expansion.

Here are the 18 startups from Startmate's Summer 2021 program

Startmate's Demo Day unveiled its largest cohort of 18 ANZ startups, and the accelerator also raised a $2 million fund through its mentor network to invest in this intake.

Atlassian acquires ThinkTilt

Atlassian has bought Brisbane form-builder firm ThinkTilt, maker of ProForma, to bolster Jira Service Management. Price undisclosed. Piece also recalls Atlassian's earlier purchases of Chartio, Halp and Mindville.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

World's only globally accredited solution for the unmet problem of solar panel fires, PVStop's clientele include leading fire departments London Fire Brigade, NY Fire Department

Wholesale Investor profile of PVStop International, whose spray deactivates solar panel power, highlighting fire department clients, patents and awards, as shareholders launch a process seeking two million dollars for equity.

Say hello to Bonjoro

A Tidal Ventures profile of portfolio company Bonjoro, recounting how founders Matt Barnett and Grant Dewar built the customer video platform and how Tidal invested at seed stage and supports its growth.

Founders Stories Podcast: Natali Tshuva on the new frontier of cybersecurity

Square Peg's podcast interviews Sternum co-founder and CEO Natali Tshuva about IoT cybersecurity, her background, and the company's $6.5 million seed round.

Space accelerator Moonshot just backed 11 startups shooting for the stars

Space incubator Moonshot backed 11 startups in 2021, nearly trebling its planned four, naming six cohort members including Sydney's Arlula, which also received a $50,000 investment. CEO Troy McCann now plans 2022 programs.

Also Startup Daily

South Australia’s “other” big battery repays ARENA grant after windfall returns

The startup funding round: $5 million for Marketplacer, tech tackling addiction, and a Tassie construction startup

Weekly roundup reporting fresh raises by Marketplacer, Arli, DiviPay, Payable, Flotespace and Varicon, plus references to completed campaigns by Coinstash and Superhero.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

World's First Leadless Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing Implant Utilizing EBR Systems' WiSE CRT System

A French cardiac specialist performed the first leadless left bundle branch area pacing implant using EBR Systems' wireless pacing device, with the announcement recalling the company's private equity backers.

Portant helps project managers put reporting on autopilot to free up their work day

Partner-content profile of Portant, an automated reporting platform built with and backed by Antler, covering its product, traction, co-founders James Fyfe and Blake, and the start of its fundraising efforts.

Solar storage tech company RayGen locks in new funding

Melbourne solar hydro storage firm RayGen received a $3 million equity investment from existing backer Photon Energy within a recent capital raise, supporting its large solar plus storage project plans.

Also ARENA·ARENA·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

Q-CTRL to demonstrate quantum control technology

Sydney quantum startup Q-CTRL will demo its control software at the Australian Army's Quantum Technologies Challenge, solving a resupply problem with unmanned ground vehicles.

Your 90-second guide to the day in tech

Daily tech roundup covering Epic Games' billion-dollar raise, Degreed reaching unicorn valuation with a Series D, Gryphon's carbon-neutral bitcoin mining funding, Apple's announced event, and DigitalX's share surge.

Also The Mandarin

Channel security veteran Joe McPhillips heads to SentinelOne

Channel executive Joe McPhillips leaves BlackBerry to become SentinelOne's APJ channel sales director, drawing on past roles at Symantec, Cylance and other vendors as the security vendor grows its Australian partner base.

Australia's first virtual card technology of its kind secures a further $1.7 million in Series A funding

DiviPay has raised another $1.7 million in its Series A, led by ANZi, lifting its total funding to $4 million after a 2019 first instalment and earlier H2 Ventures accelerator backing.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Superhero secures $25 million as share-trading trend gains momentum

Australian investing platform Superhero raised $25 million at a valuation above $100 million, with repeat angel backing from Nick Molnar and Larry Diamond plus Fred Schebesta, Regal Funds Management and Thorney Investment Group.

Also Australian FinTech·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

“You get your time in the sun”: AirTree founder Daniel Petre to step back from day-to-day operations at the firm

Veteran venture capitalist Daniel Petre will withdraw from daily duties at the firm he co-founded in 2014, moving toward a chair role, while discussing ecosystem maturity, a future fund and philanthropy among Australia's newly wealthy.

Li-S Energy raises cash before planned listing

Battery developer Li-S Energy collected $20 million from sophisticated investors ahead of a planned stock market float, valuing the business at $300 million, with PPK, Deakin University and BNNT Technology involved in development.

Also @AuManufacturing