Australian venture funding, tracked

Australian gift card disruptor Karta partners with VISA in the USA

Australian gift card startup Karta has signed a multi-year deal with Visa, making it the first non-bank private label issuer able to transact over Visa's US network.

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, May 6 – May 10, 2024

Roundup of the week's top stories: Hysata's Series B with bp Ventures and Templewater, grants for Tasmanian makers Xanderware and Jayben Group, an ASC pay dispute, and chemistry sector awards.

Tritium receivers confident of selling the business

Receivers of collapsed Australian EV charger maker Tritium say the business is stabilised and attracting buyer interest; creditor claims include CBA and shareholder Trevor St Baker.

Australian home battery maker out of administration and “here to stay” under new owners

Brisbane battery and inverter maker Redback Technologies has left voluntary administration under new owner Ebon Group, an Australian fintech firm, with warranties intact and a next-generation hybrid battery system planned.

Nine Aussie startups that raised $233.5 million this week

Weekly roundup of nine Australian startups that together raised over $233 million, led by Hysata's $172 million Series B, with rounds also for V2 Digital, AgriWebb, Disco, Genero, Brainfish, Kite Therapy, Nucanon and Maslow.

Also Startup Daily·Business News Australia·Startup Daily

Neural Notes: The Australian legaltech going after the billable hour

Weekly AI column profiles Melbourne legaltech Deeligence, which raised $1 million with Alice Anderson Fund backing to automate due diligence and challenge billable hours; also DocuSign acquiring Lexion and a Microsoft-OpenAI deepfake fund.

The Startmate Demo Day Asks: Here’s what the 10 startups are seeking, from investment to referrals

Startup Daily's Ask column profiles the ten Startmate Summer 2024 Demo Day startups and their funding asks, noting Kite Therapy's completed raise and Carbonaught's government grant.

Data transformation consultancy startup V2 Digital lands $30 million

Melbourne consultancy V2 Digital raised $30 million from Columbia Capital about a year after launch, aiming to expand its consulting team; it earlier received initial backing from Ox Ventures founder Matt Farmer.

Also SmartCompany·Business News Australia·ARN (ARNnet)

Fireside Chat: Hysata – Defying hydrogen's hype cycle

Virescent Ventures partner Blair Pritchard reflects on Hysata, the Wollongong electrolyser spinout whose $172 million Series B he led, covering its technology, culture, customers and the green hydrogen market outlook.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·Forbes Australia·RenewEconomy·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·@AuManufacturing·commbank.com.au·australianmanufacturing.com.au·Crunchbase News

Product development startup SupplyScope lands $300,000 pre-Seed from Skalata

SupplyScope, which helps product sellers clear regulatory hurdles, has collected a $300,000 pre-seed round from Skalata, an early-stage backer betting on the next wave of tools for online sellers.

Grants up to $50,000 awarded to 13 Tasmanian manufacturers

Tasmania's government has awarded roughly $450,000 in matched grants to 13 manufacturers in round five of its Advanced Manufacturing Accelerating Growth Program, lifting cumulative program funding to $3.5 million.

Also @AuManufacturing

Victoria backs IDT Australia to make anti-cancer drugs

Melbourne pharmaceutical maker IDT Australia has won Victorian Government backing to manufacture antibody drug conjugates at a new Boronia plant, adding 25 jobs; the funding amount was not disclosed.

Startmate Demo Day: Telemattica is transforming rail safety with real-time analysis

Startup Daily profiles Telemattica, a rail-diagnostics startup presenting at Startmate's Demo Day, covering its pantograph sensor product, deployments with Australian rail operators, and the seed round it has opened.

Autism startup Kite Therapy secures $750,000 to help more children and their parents

Melbourne autism therapy startup Kite Therapy has raised $750,000 in a pre-seed round from Flying Fox Ventures, LaunchVic's Alice Anderson Fund, Startmate and an angel, while LaunchVic secured a $40 million budget refunding.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·LaunchVic

Avani Prabhakar appointed as Chief People Officer at Atlassian

Atlassian has named long-serving HR executive Avani Prabhakar its next Chief People Officer, with her remit spanning HR, talent and diversity as headcount growth continues.

Expat Google engineering exec Claire Southey heads home to join ecommerce marketer Rokt

Rokt hires former Google and Amazon engineering executive Claire Southey for its Sydney engineering leadership, with other senior hires, as the ecommerce marketing firm eyes a future public listing.

Also Startup Daily

Funding Australia’s Future Economy: CUREator Deploys $7.21 Million to Propel local Life Sciences Potential

CUREator, Brandon BioCatalyst's government-backed grant program, has awarded $7.21 million across eight Australian biotech firms in its newest round, split between clinical-stage and preclinical recipients.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Startup Daily·ausceleratesa.org

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Matrak closes a Series A, Queensland Pacific Metals receives an R&D tax refund, ARENA funds a household energy trial, Ampcontrol appoints a transformation chief, plus policy and launch briefs.

Also @AuManufacturing

NetComm Wireless saved from administration with $10.6 million buyout

Texas-based DZS has taken Sydney telco equipment maker NetComm Wireless out of administration for US$7 million, with a further conditional payment; Casa Systems had bought the business in 2019.

Scalare Invests in Brauz

Scalare Partners announces its investment in Brauz, an omnichannel retail platform, and that chief executive Carolyn Breeze will take a non-executive board seat at Brauz.

15 digital health ventures selected to fuel Victoria’s health startup sector

ANDHealth and LaunchVic announced the 2024 ACTIVATE accelerator cohort, selecting fifteen Victorian digital health startups for a six-month program focused on commercialisation and investment readiness.

Jason Calacanis-backed Stori rebrands as Nucanon after $500,000 raise

Stori is now Nucanon following a $500,000 pre-seed round led by Skalata with Antler, Outlier Ventures, Paperclip Partners and Sydney FC's chief executive aboard, on top of 2023 backing from Antler and Jason Calacanis.

Also SmartCompany

Airbnb management platform banks another $10 million for acquisition ambitions

Hometime, a Sydney platform managing Airbnb properties, has banked $10m from Fifth Estate Asset Management to fund acquisitions, adding two directors; earlier raises and rival takeovers are also recalled.

Brainfish nets $3.85 million to tackle customer support challenges

Sydney AI customer-support startup Brainfish has raised $3.85 million in a round led by Peak XV Partners' Surge, with Macdoch Ventures, Black Sheep Capital and angels taking part, bringing its total capital to $5 million.

Also Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, April 29 – May 3, 2024

Weekly roundup of the outlet's most-read stories: grants for industry bodies, Space Machines' India mission funding, a plastics recycler's Melbourne factory, an Austal ownership debate, and a quantum growth centre.

South Australia leading the way with energy-smart homes

ARENA puts $6.2 million toward SA Power Networks' Energy Masters trial, equipping 500 South Australian homes with smart devices and energy management tech, alongside state government, research, retail and finance partners.

Also ARENA·ARENA·@AuManufacturing

Canva has a new $500 million shareholder – a Sydney private equity firm that previously made a fortune from pet food

Sydney PE firm Quadrant bought a $500 million Canva stake from existing holders including Blackbird, at a US$25 billion valuation — the first deal for Quadrant's ninth fund.

Arena backs trials to help households and businesses flex their demand response muscle

ARENA grants nearly $1 million to Birdwood Energy's flexible demand report card project with ANU and the Energy Efficiency Council, plus $3.54 million to United Energy for grid flexibility trials.

Envato founders exit in $373 million Shutterstock deal

Shutterstock is buying creative marketplace Envato for US$245 million (A$373m), with completion expected in the third quarter, closing out an 18-year run for its three cofounders.

Also Startup Daily

Flexible demand software to give power back to customers

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has awarded Birdwood Energy a $942,944 grant to build a platform helping commercial and industrial businesses spot flexible demand opportunities, working with ANU and the Energy Efficiency Council.

Western Australian Startup Funding in Review 2023 (With March 2024 update)

Techboard's first state-level review analyses Western Australia's 2023 startup raises and the March 2024 quarter, highlighting Rumin8, Vitruvian and RealtyAssist deals alongside gender-diversity and per-capita findings.

Seven ANZ startups that raised $27.4 million this week

Weekly roundup of seven trans-Tasman raises totalling $27.4 million, headlined by Xefco's $10.5 million round, plus Hometime board appointments and Matrak's China expansion.

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

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Pure Foods Tasmania announces a rights issue, Traffic Technologies banks a shareholder raise, Austal USA appoints a president, and Hanwha's Australian defence chief steps down.

Alpha HPA progresses battery metals precursor production

Battery materials producer Alpha HPA advances its Gladstone precursor plant into alumina production, appoints two manufacturing general managers, and collects a further payment under its MMI-C grant, a tenth of which goes to Orica.

Investment update: World View

Breakthrough Victoria has put $37 million into World View's Series D growth round, backing the stratospheric balloon firm's Victorian manufacturing and Indo-Pacific operations.

Also Breakthrough Victoria·Breakthrough Victoria·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Applications open for Industry Growth Program, $6.9 million announced for four not-for-profits to assist IGP

Four not-for-profit bodies will share $6.9 million in grants to advise growing small businesses, as the Industry Growth Program opens applications for matched grants of $100,000 to $5 million.

LMNTRIX expands into EMEA and UK with Oliver Chivers leading the charge

LMNTRIX has recruited Oliver Chivers away from eSentire to lead its UK and EMEA push, following growth across its home market, APAC and the US.

Go for gold: Sydney sailing brand Zhik named as official 2024 Olympics apparel supplier

Sydney sailing apparel maker Zhik will again outfit Australia's sailors at the Paris 2024 Games; the piece also recalls the company's 2023 crowdfunding raise.

We raised a $21m Series B! Now what do we do next? | Buildkite

Buildkite announces a US$21 million Series B with Airtree and OneVentures leading; founder Keith Pitt reflects on nine years building the company, its Test Analytics product, and plans for new developer tools.

ANDHealth Welcomes Plans for Cohesive Investment into Health and Medical Research under New National Strategy

ANDHealth supports the Australian government's new national health research strategy and funding commitments, highlighting the role of its accelerator in driving digital health innovation.

Startup lender Kashcade banks $1 million raise ahead of rolling out R&D tax incentive loans

Fintech lender Kashcade has picked up fresh capital from Prandium Capital and wealthy backers, plus a debt warehouse from Rixon Capital, to let startups borrow against forthcoming research and development tax refunds.

Also SmartCompany

Towards 3% R&D – Reach for the Moon to innovate by Xavier Orr

Opinion piece by Advanced Navigation's CEO in an @AuManufacturing series arguing for space R&D investment, citing the company's $5.2 million Australian Space Agency grant and Space Machines' satellite launch.

The Many Faces of Farm Security with John Hill

Tenacious Ventures interviews Land Watch Australia co-founder John Hill about the farm security space in Australia, covering remote monitoring for theft, bushfire detection and property marketing.

Pathios Therapeutics Raises $25M in First Close of Series B Financing to Advance First-in-Class Immunotherapy Approach into Clinic

Cancer immunotherapy biotech Pathios Therapeutics has completed the initial tranche of a Series B round, bringing in Bristol Myers Squibb as a new strategic backer alongside prior backers Canaan and Brandon Capital.

Textiles dyeing climate tech startup Xefco raises $10.5 million Seed extension

Sydney-based textile dyeing startup Xefco has raised a $10.5 million seed extension led by Main Sequence Ventures, including $2.5 million from Breakthrough Victoria, funding expansion of its water-free dyeing technology into Victoria.

Space Machines Company-led project awarded $8.5 million through International Space Investment India Projects

An Australian satellite servicing firm leads an India-Australia debris management mission backed by an $8.5 million government grant; two other companies also won awards under the bilateral space program.

Also Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing·Defence Connect·@AuManufacturing

Labor bets big on quantum with $1 billion deal for PsiQuantum and multimillion-dollar Sydney Uni hub

The Australian federal and Queensland governments are investing $940m in PsiQuantum, which will open a Brisbane regional headquarters; $18.4m will fund a national quantum centre at the University of Sydney.

Also Dealroom·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Crunchbase News

PsiQuantum to build $1bn fault tolerant quantum computer

The federal and Queensland governments say they will put nearly a billion dollars into PsiQuantum for a fault-tolerant quantum computer in Brisbane, anchoring the company's regional headquarters and creating 400 roles.

Meet the leader: Charles Miller, Emesent CEO

AusIMM Bulletin interview with Emesent chief executive Charles Miller covering his path from chief operating officer to CEO, the company's origins in Australia's science agency CSIRO, and technology adoption in mining.

Investment update: Xefco

Breakthrough Victoria announces a $2.5 million Series A investment in Xefco, a Victorian startup whose Ausora technology dyes and finishes textiles without water, helping it scale manufacturing and create local jobs.