Australian venture funding, tracked

Building the Systems of Work Era

Tidal Ventures argues AI is shifting software from assisting to doing work, and explains how its fourth fund will back early-stage companies that own critical workflows.

AgriWebb snapped up by one of the world's largest bovine genetics companies

URUS Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire livestock data platform AgriWebb. Terms undisclosed; completion expected in the third quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

Also AgFunderNews

Our investment in Aigentsphere: Unlocking agent adoption in the enterprise

Main Sequence's post sets out why the fund backed Aigentsphere, which builds governance tooling for enterprise AI agents, citing the founders' banking backgrounds and a $4 million seed raise.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

“It’s absolutely critical”: How BlueRoom Simulations is saving lives through mixed reality

Sponsored profile of BlueRoom Simulations, a Melbourne startup using mixed reality to prepare medics and military personnel for dangerous situations, and how nbn full fibre underpins its globally deployed training platform.

From competition to capital: Christie Jenkins’ journey into startups and VC

Interview with athlete-turned-investor Christie Jenkins on her path from elite sport to venture capital and her new accelerator venture, ahead of the Growth Summit.

Electro Optic Systems (ASX: EOS) capital raising announcement and supportive trading update

Edison's note covers Electro Optic Systems' newly launched equity raise worth up to A$175 million via placement plus share plan, earmarked largely for the pending MARSS purchase, and a supportive trading outlook.

Also noah-news.com

ANDHealth names 15 Victorian startups for ACTIVATE 2026 accelerator cohort

ANDHealth selected 15 Victorian digital health startups for its ACTIVATE 2026 scale-up program, backed by LaunchVic and the Victorian Government, spanning aged care to cancer support.

Startmate hauls 19 ANZ founders to San Fran for first time since the pandemic

Startmate brought its 2026 intake to San Francisco for investor meetings and a Demo Day hosted by Stripe; Melbourne alumnus Fluency's Accel-led US$6 million seed round is recalled.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #161, 17th May 2026

Weekly roundup: two acquisitions — Humankind buys management trainer The Mintable, NAB buys payments firm Banked — alongside a large government innovation spend, investor tax changes and a new AI accelerator.

Also Dealroom

Construction starts at state’s first “end-to-end” hydrogen and ammonia production plant

Construction has begun near Moree on a plant that will make hydrogen and ammonia for green fertiliser, with $45.2 million from two NSW government funding programs.

Also RenewEconomy

Arkeus Featured in the Wall Street Journal Following A$25 Million Series A Raise

The defence sensing company says its Series A backing from QIC Ventures and Folklore Ventures drew Wall Street Journal coverage of planned United States manufacturing, at a $72 million valuation.

5.15.2026 Arkeus featured on 7NEWS as Series A fuels manufacturing expansion across Australia, the U.S. and Europe

Defence sensing startup Arkeus says its A$25 million Series A, which will fund manufacturing growth in Australia and the US, was covered by 7NEWS in a segment filmed at Insitu Pacific's facilities.

5.15.2026 Tectonic Defense covers Arkeus' Series A and the technology giving autonomous systems a sixth sense

Arkeus' post points readers to Tectonic Defense's write-up of its A$25 million Series A, describing the hyperspectral sensing technology, its defence customers and platform partners, and coming production expansion in Queensland and America.

Beaten Zone Venture Partners Congratulates Arkeus on A$25M Series A as Portfolio Company Reaches Inflection Point

Arkeus has closed a A$25 million Series A with QIC Ventures leading, as early backer Beaten Zone Venture Partners returns alongside other existing backers; proceeds fund Queensland manufacturing and a doubled team.

Also Startup Daily·Defence Connect·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Forbes Australia·@AuManufacturing

EOS announces details of MARSS acquisition

Defence firm Electro Optic Systems is buying European counter-drone software maker MARSS, taking ownership of its battle-tested NiDAR platform as it shifts toward fully integrated drone-defence systems.

Also edisongroup.com·grafa.com

Innovation Victoria | LaunchVic

LaunchVic announces Innovation Victoria, a new body combining its work with Breakthrough Victoria's, with Rod Bristow installed as chief executive and long-time chairs Leigh Jasper and John Brumby departing.

Atisama Therapeutics advances RB042 into multiple ascending dose cohorts of Phase 1 Trial and appoints Bernard Coulie as Chair of the Board

Atisama Therapeutics reports its Phase 1 trial of RB042 advancing into multiple ascending dose cohorts, and appoints experienced biopharma executive Bernard Coulie as chair of its board.

Our investment in Arkeus

Folklore Ventures announces it has joined Arkeus' A$25 million Series A with QIC Ventures, R+ VC and returning backers, describing the Melbourne defence-sensing startup's technology and growth plans.

Also Beaten Zone Venture Partners portfolio·Beaten Zone Venture Partners portfolio·arkeus.com·Forbes Australia·Cut Through Venture·SmartCompany·Dealroom

Former Up Bank team raises $4 million for AI finance startup

Ex-Up Bank executives have secured pre-seed backing for a Melbourne venture developing AI-driven consumer finance tools, with Airtree Ventures and Triple Bubble co-leading the investment ahead of a planned local launch.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Evergreen's Pine Services expands to Australia with Stratus buy

US holding group Pine Services acquires ERP consultancy Stratus Consulting, entering Australia; the article also recalls Evergreen affiliates buying Blackbird IT and REDD.

Spiral Blue, Arlula partner on next-gen space-based LiDAR capabilities

Space firm Spiral Blue teams with Arlula, whose Sales Engine platform will distribute data from its planned Teal LiDAR satellite constellation; the article recalls a $3 million CRC-P grant the company secured earlier this year.

Inside the sublease structure behind Fishburners’ move to Tech Central

Fishburners operated as Stone & Chalk's subsidised sub-tenant at Tech Central before entering administration; KPMG is running a fast EOI process to find buyers or investors.

GSFM woos investors with two new private markets funds | Financial Newswire

GSFM has launched two private markets funds in partnership with CI Global Asset Management, offering Australian investors diversified access to private markets, with executives from both firms commenting on the launch.

GSFM unveils private markets fund duo | Money Management

Funds manager GSFM is entering private markets with a pair of global vehicles giving Australian investors diversified access to top-tier managers, with chief executive Damien McIntyre spruiking access usually beyond reach.

GSFM launches two global private markets funds | Financial Standard

Introducing Australian FinTech's newest Member – Pepperstone

Australian FinTech welcomes broker Pepperstone as a new member, describing its forex and CFD trading services and its freshly launched Australian digital-asset exchange, Pepperstone Crypto.

Orbweaver Acquires Budde Marketing to Expand End-to-End Data Intelligence and Supply Chain Orchestration Capabilities for the Electronics Supply Chain

Orbweaver has bought POS-data analytics firm Budde Marketing Systems to broaden its electronics supply-chain platform; growth equity backer Sundance Growth supported the deal, having closed its debut $125m fund in 2025.

Also theretaildata.com·guardhousehq.com·sundancegrowth.com

Zucchetti deepens strategic partnership with SiteMinder, unlocking new revenue potential for the world’s hotels

Italian hotel-tech firm Zucchetti is widening its integration with ASX-listed SiteMinder, connecting more of its hospitality products to the Sydney company's platform so mutual hotel clients can capture extra booking revenue.

Kiwi startups HR firm Humankind acquires Blackbird-backed management training platform The Mintable

Wellington HR consultancy Humankind has bought The Mintable, a Blackbird-backed platform that trains new managers, adding structured training to its consulting services.

Also This Week in Australian Startups

OpenAI's $122B Raise at $852B Valuation: IPO Rehearsal [2026]

Analysis of OpenAI's record Series F close, its investor lineup, revenue climb, valuation scepticism, earlier rounds, employee share sales, and its path toward a possible public listing.

LA500 2026: Dana Settle - Los Angeles Business Journal

Profile of Greycroft co-founder Dana Settle covering the venture firm's assets, portfolio and AI focus, including its lead role in ConductorOne's $79 million Series B.

Mayday raises £3m / AU$6m Seed Round

Month-end automation firm Mayday announced a seed round of £3 million, led by 24Haymarket alongside AirTree Ventures and several angels, to fund product development, APAC hiring and its Xero partnership.

ProcurePro raises $15 million to bring AI to construction procurement

Brisbane construction procurement software maker ProcurePro has raised a round led by QIC Ventures with Bouygues aboard, valuing it above $110 million, to fund AI development, hiring and a planned US office.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Six months in Austin: BuildPass says the US is already 20% of revenue

BuildPass, a Melbourne construction software maker, says its American business now exceeds a fifth of revenue half a year after opening in Austin, with growth credit from Mighty Partners funding the expansion.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #160, 10th May 2026

Roundup: three startups raised $5.71m combined; Canva's local revenue passed $4.1b with profit and IPO plans; Sweden's Legora bought Melbourne regulatory-tech firm Graceview; Fishburners went into administration.

Currus Biologics: a tale of perseverance, persistence and patience

Profile of a Peter Mac spinout advancing solid-tumour cell therapies; recounts its Series A backers, later investment, grant support, and chief executive Sam Cobb's earlier career building and listing AdAlta.

Curtin Accelerate's 2026 Cohort Lands Two Funding Deals And A Hospital Pilot In 12 Weeks

A university-run startup program in Western Australia finished its latest twelve-week intake, with participating ventures winning a hospital trial and taking products to market faster than any prior group.

Sydney Startup Hub rent bill owed to the NSW government pushes Fishburners into administration

Fishburners, the Sydney not-for-profit co-working community, has gone into voluntary administration over a long-running rent debt to the NSW government. KPMG administrators will keep it trading while pursuing a sale and recapitalisation.

Data centre water use startup swallows $2.8 million Seed round

Sydney climate tech startup Enaxiom has banked a seed round led by Epic Angels to commercialise its water-reusing cooling technology for data centres, funding deployment, hiring and a push into the US market.

Also Startup Daily

Expense management platform Weel achieves SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications, reinforcing commitment to trust

Weel announces it has earned SOC 2 and ISO 27001 security certifications and launched a Trust Centre, with its CFO and COO describing the milestone as underscoring its approach to protecting customer data.

TowerBrook secures $2.7bn at first close of latest flagship buyout fund

TowerBrook Capital Partners has reached an initial close of roughly $2.7bn on its latest buyout fund, targeting $4bn, with existing backers supplying most commitments; Investindustrial reportedly collected €1.5bn for a lower mid-market vehicle.

TowerBrook Raises $2.7B for Buyout Fund

Private equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners has held a first close of roughly $2.7 billion for its newest buyout fund, TowerBrook Investors VII, chasing a $4 billion target.

Also privateequitywire.co.uk

Peppermint Expands to the Philippines Following New AU$2.1 Million Funding

Peppermint Innovation has raised AU$2.1 million from local industry investors to fund its payments and wallet expansion into the Philippines, where usage of its platforms is climbing.

UNSW Founders launches 2026 accelerator with $100,000 founder-friendly startup deal

UNSW Founders marks a decade of its 10x Accelerator and opens 2026 applications across health, climate and all-industries streams; selected startups get $100,000 SAFE investments, and three alumni are profiled.

ARENA powers up apartments EV charging startup with $1.51 million

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has granted EV charging startup ReadySteadyPlug $1.51 million toward a $3.49 million project installing as many as 428 charge points for apartment and strata residents.

Bret Taylor's Sierra raises nearly $1 billion months after last capital push

Sierra, the enterprise AI agent firm started by Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor, has banked a $950 million Series E with Tiger Global and Google Ventures at the helm, plus Benchmark, Sequoia and Greenoaks.

Also TechCrunch Venture·aivy.com.au·cmswire.com·theaiworld.org·faq.com.tw·groundy.com

Condor Energy raises AU$2.25m for Peru oil and gas projects

Australian oil and gas explorer Condor Energy has locked in AU$2.25 million from institutional investors via a share placement, with proceeds earmarked for its offshore Peru licence conversion and gas development plans.

Also tipranks.com·Dealroom

Seidler nabs $2.3bn for three funds, including ninth flagship, in 90 days

Seidler Equity Partners closed its ninth flagship fund at a $1.6 billion hard-cap in April 2026, within a 90-day span that saw $2.3 billion gathered across three funds.

Liquid Instruments $50M Series C: Defense Tech 2026

Analysis of Liquid Instruments' $50m Series C, whose co-leads were Keysight and Australia's NRF, examining defense-tech capital trends alongside comparable 2026 hardware raises.

Clem Delangue: Open Source AI & the Future of Builders

Turing Post interviews Hugging Face's co-founder and CEO on open-source AI, arguing open models empower a far larger builder community, discussing robotics hardware sales, cybersecurity arguments, and lobbying against open source in the US.