Every round, fund close and exit we can source, with the article it was reported in and what it actually said.
The federal government, via ARENA, has granted Vast Energy $180 million toward its concentrated solar plant at Port Augusta, replacing a smaller 2023 commitment, with construction still dependent on closing the remaining project financing.
US Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec has taken an undisclosed personal stake in Melbourne data platform Zetaris and joined it to lead global strategy; existing backers include Exto Partners and In-Q-Tel.
Diageo is withdrawing from the Distill Ventures accelerator it backed since 2013, after a strategic review of its early-stage venture approach, leaving a smaller team to manage existing investments.
Also globalventuring.com
Shippit has reportedly tripled in value after raising a $65 million round led by Tiger Global and Tidal, per the title of this SecondQuarter post.
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Aura Group's promotional piece showcases portfolio company Shippit's capital-efficient logistics growth and announces that Aura Venture Fund III is opening to investors; no amounts, closings or new company raises are stated.
Investor post profiling Earthodic, whose bio-based coating Biobarc keeps paper packaging recyclable, and describing Significant Ventures' participation in the raise and its board-observer support role.
Solar panel recycler Elecsome has secured a patent for its dismantling and glass recovery methods; the piece also recaps its accelerator participation, a feasibility study with AGL and an Enel Green Power agreement.
Sydney PE firm Quadrant's new $660m growth fund backs LegalVision for an undisclosed stake; the article also recaps Quadrant's earlier deals and exits, including Canva, Modibodi and Canberra Data Centres.
JellyC announces the Bluebottle Multi-Strategy Fund has invested in Redbelly Network, a layer-one blockchain built for tokenising real-world assets, citing transaction speeds far exceeding major payment networks.
JellyC announces the launch of its Bluebottle Digital Infrastructure Fund for staking yield, built on Fireblocks custody and off-exchange technology, with executives from both firms commenting on the partnership.
Australia Post has acquired a quarter of Melbourne logistics startup Shiperoo, price undisclosed, backing its AI-powered fulfilment and returns platform as the founders plan overseas expansion.
Bessemer Venture Partners has wrapped up a $350 million fund for Indian startups, planning $5-40 million cheques; the piece also notes recent closes by Accel India and Stellaris.
Scalare Partners announces it has acquired Inhouse Ventures, an Australian platform linking tech founders with investors, after taking a minority stake in 2023; the deal is the accelerator's third purchase.
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Accelerator Remarkable has invested in Hayylo, whose software helps disability and community care providers communicate with clients, marking a Series A-stage deal through its Scaler co-investment program.
Podcast profile of Lisa Vincent, co-founder of online learning businesses Savv-e and HowToo, covering her career path and noting the founders have raised over $2 million for HowToo.
Birchal appoints Future Super founder and former Techstars Sydney managing director Kirstin Hunter as CEO after co-founder Matt Vitale stepped down in January; the crowdfunding platform recently banked $2m from retail investors.
An academic review concludes cultured meat's environmental and nutrition promises are unproven, citing energy intensity and scaling costs; Australia's food regulator is tipped to clear Vow Group's quail-cell product by July.
E-commerce software firm AMP raised $20 million from Openspace Ventures and OneVentures and bought Back in Stock, a Shopify restocking app, adding its 25,000 customers; its 2023 Series A was $29.5 million.
AI cybersecurity startup Harmony Intelligence has raised a US$3 million seed round with Airtree Ventures leading and strategic backers including First Row Partners, to grow its team across Australia and the US.
Also SmartCompany
Brisbane-based EcoJoule Energy has brought in $15 million from investors Ellerston Capital and Fifth Estate Asset Management, its first institutional money, to fund manufacturing expansion and international growth.
Sonder, a workplace health and wellbeing provider, closed a 40 million dollar round with Blackbird and Seek leading, Hostplus newly investing, and funds aimed at growth across Australia, New Zealand, Britain and AI features.
Sonder has wrapped up a $40m round backed by Blackbird Ventures, Seek and Hostplus; the Sydney staff-wellness firm says its app has passed one million members and will push overseas.
Profile of Australian biotech startup Proxima Bio, covering its founding, an early MRFF grant through the CUREator program, Brandon Capital's guidance, and a later larger investment that grew the team.
Weekly roundup detailing six Australian startup raises announced this week, covering Heidi Health, Instant, Esper, Trusst AI, Flowing Bee and GonGlobal, with investors, founders, valuations and earlier rounds.
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Girl Geek Academy's FemTech project secured a $4.9 million federal grant under the Building Women's Careers Program, among ten projects sharing $45 million, to grow women's participation in tech.
Blackstone has closed a record $8 billion fund lending against commercial property, buying and originating loans as banks pull back; its BREIT vehicle also resumed honoring investor redemptions.
Australian Catholic University signs on as the seventh university in Breakthrough Victoria's co-investment platform, with matched funding pledged; the article also recaps four earlier startup investments via Melbourne's Genesis Pre-Seed fund.
Crypto exchange OKX Australia has appointed Kate Cooper, previously of Zodia Custody, NAB and Westpac, as its chief executive, with responsibility for operations, product and sales.
International Women's Day interview with Showpo's founder on bootstrapping the fashion retailer, her Shark Tank role, planned investment strategy changes, and her women's networking and microfinance charity work.
Defence technology firm SightLine Applications has bought Athena AI, an Australian computer vision specialist, aiming to grow its American presence; Athena founder Stephen Bornstein takes a product role at the combined business.
The federal government has awarded US shipbuilder HII's Australian subsidiary $9.6 million for a two-year pilot that will qualify local SMEs to supply submarine programs, delivered via H&B Defence, HII's venture with Babcock.
Delorean Corporation has locked in a $6 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to upgrade its South Australian bioenergy plant, enabling production of grid-quality biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide.
Airwallex has agreed to acquire Vietnamese payments company CTIN Pay and hired ex-Grab executive Ershad Ahamed as Head of Southeast Asia, following its completed purchase of Mexico's MexPago.
Flowing Bee, which applies psychology and AI to marketing decisions, has picked up $1.6 million in pre-seed money from Archangel Ventures and several other backers.
Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany
Heidi Health, whose AI tool drafts doctors' clinical notes, has added $26.8 million to its Series A in a round led by Headline, with Local Globe and Anthology also taking part.
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Scalare Partners' first results since its ASX debut show an EBITDA loss with revenue up 115%; its November listing raised $4.3 million and its 27 startups are worth $10.7 million.
Esper, a Melbourne maker of mineral-scanning satellites, has banked a $5 million seed round co-led by Paspalis Capital and Hejaz; its 2023 pre-seed drew US investors.
Molecule to Medicine announces Curlew Bio as the second venture in its Brisbane Pod, with Uniquest Expansion Fund backing, to develop immunological therapies for inflammatory disease.
UniQuest and Molecule to Medicine have formed Curlew Bio to develop anti-inflammatory drugs, backed by $1 million from UniQuest's Extension Fund; the article also recalls Novartis's 2015 purchase of Spinifex Pharmaceuticals.
Springboards, a Queensland AI platform for ad agencies founded by a married couple, has raised a $5m seed round led by Blackbird, after taking part in Google's inaugural AI First accelerator cohort in Sydney.
Breakthrough Victoria will give applicants to its Fellowship Program access to MIT's Orbit AI, an OpenAI-powered tool that helps researchers test commercial ideas before applying.
Sydney cart-recovery marketing platform Instant has landed an $18m Series A headed by Belgium's Hummingbird Ventures, lifting its valuation to $100m, with existing backers Blackbird, Ten13 and Reinventure also taking part.
Brisbane VC firm VentureOn Partners has invested in contech startup Deep Space, shortly after acquiring Story Bridge Ventures and PropTech BNE.
Firmus announces its chief technology officer's acceptance into the Forbes Technology Council, a vetted peer group for senior tech leaders, citing his cooling and computing-efficiency background.
Portfolio company Energy Decarb launched its battery storage project at the Brisbane Lions' Brighton Homes Arena, opened by Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen and Lions chief executive Greg Swann.
Australia's National Reconstruction Fund defended its $32m investment in health AI firm harrison.ai at Senate estimates, saying it stood by the decision but would not confirm whether a privacy probe was considered.
Breakthrough Victoria highlights recent achievements of portfolio companies including funding, awards, and expansions for firms like Liquid Instruments, Quantum Brilliance, and Samsara Eco.
An annual analysis of Victoria's startup funding landscape, reporting 2024 venture investment of $748 million over 130 deals, sector trends, gender milestones, and LaunchVic's ecosystem support.
Tasmanian underwater robot maker Southern Ocean Subsea has started shipping its salmon-net repair vehicle to Norway and recently won a $20,000 state grant.