Australian venture funding, tracked

STEEL YOURSELF: The World Economic Forum asked Sydney climate tech hub, Greenhouse, to run a net zero plan for the planet's biggest energy users

QR-code rivals Mr Yum and me&u to merge in major shakeup to Australian restaurant-tech sector

Table-ordering rivals Mr Yum and me&u will combine in a stock deal, with Mr Yum's chief executive leading the merged business; earlier raises by both are recapped.

Weel's new card blocking feature increases expense report completion by 37% within 24 hours

Spend management firm Weel has launched Express Expense Completion, which restricts card use until overdue expense reports are completed, lifting receipt collection by 37% within a day, per customers quoted.

US Navy parts to be made using AML3D printer

AML3D has won an order to lease its ARCEMY 2600 metal 3D printer to Laser Welding Solutions, a Texas manufacturer of submarine parts for the US Navy.

Loop Refine, the Startup Transforming Water Treatment for the Better

Startupbootcamp Australia profiles Loop Refine, an EnergyNext 2023 cohort member developing filtration membranes and software to cut energy use in wastewater treatment; fundraising is named only as a future goal.

Startup West podcast 105: Simon Anderson, Notis and Swayz

Simon Anderson discusses building school engagement platform Notis over a decade with overseas funding, and his newer social video app Swayz, on Perth's Startup West podcast.

Follow the funds: Australian VC deals

Hospitality tech firm Ordermentum bought marketplace Foodbomb and closed a $16m round with existing and new backers, valuing the combined group above $100m.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Sabri's Shark Tank roundup: AI fails to wow and Catchy catches two sharks

In his column, shark Sabri Suby reviews the week's Shark Tank Australia pitches: a highchair accessory, a fashion label and a children's music group secure deals; a teaching AI tool leaves empty-handed.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Women's Agenda

Take a peak at whose in our EnergyNext 2023 Accelerator Program

Startupbootcamp Australia presents the nine ventures in its EnergyNext 2023 accelerator cohort, outlining each one's focus and the program's remaining weeks before an October Demo Day at SXSW Sydney.

BioticsAI wants to improve prenatal ultrasound scans with AI

Profile of BioticsAI, launching AI software that spots missed fetal abnormalities in pregnancy ultrasounds and auto-generates reports, presenting at Startup Battlefield; it has raised pre-seed money from Techstars Boston, Blackbird and Startmate.

Telstra Purple hires Luke Barker to lead new security practice

Telstra Purple, Telstra's services arm, appoints ex-BT security executive Luke Barker to lead its newly formed security division, shortly after the telco announced a cyber security technology alliance with Palo Alto Networks.

Zip appoints Gordon Bell as Chief Financial Officer

Zip Co has named Gordon Bell, a financial services veteran with stints at Westpac and Barclays, as its next Group CFO from 2 October, replacing Martin Brooke who departs after nearly seven years.

Aussie climate startup fires up with $8m from Google

Melbourne climate startup Climasens and its ClimateIQ partners have received a Google.org Impact Challenge grant, reported at $8 million, funding expansion of the hazard-mapping platform to cities including New York, Phoenix, Berlin and Barcelona.

Startmate reveals the 13 new startups it's backed ahead of SXSW Demo Day

Startup Daily covers Startmate's Winter 2023 accelerator intake of 13 startups, the accelerator's reported fund performance, its backer returns, and an upcoming Demo Day alongside SXSW Sydney.

'First of its kind': Sydney retail software goes global after $8 million boost

Style Arcade, which builds analytics tools for retailers, has expanded overseas after an $8m Series A led by Acadian Software, a US firm; co-founder Michaela Wessels has moved to New York.

Melbourne startup Climasens bags $5 million Google.org grant for AI-driven climate risk tool

Melbourne climate-risk startup Climasens has received a $5 million Google.org award to develop its ClimateIQ tool with New York's Urban Systems Lab, supporting expansion into the US and EU.

Atturra increases Cirrus acquisition price by 19%

Atturra has lifted its bid for Cirrus Networks to $0.063 a share, an equity value of $58.6 million, with the target's board and biggest holders backing the revised deal.

Taryn Williams and Samantha Martin-Williams join Fishburners board

Startup hub Fishburners appoints two new directors, replacing a departing member now leading a screen agency and another whose term ended, amid funding uncertainty around its Sydney premises.

EnergyTech scaleup JET Charge powers towards Unicorn status

LaunchVic profiles EV charging firm JET Charge, covering its 2022 Series B raise backed by RACV and other investors and its place in the second 30X30 scaleup intake.

Inside Greystar's $60B Fund Pitch: Value-Add Strategy and Market Challenges

CRE Analyst examines Greystar's pitchbook for its Equity Partners XI vehicle, noting $1.2 billion committed toward a $3 billion goal, plus the strategy, track record and proposed terms.

Two new WA investment syndicates announce first target deals

Two new Western Australian syndicates, West Tech Investor Network and VentureX Capital, have unveiled debut deals via the Aussie Angels platform, eyeing Procuracon and HeyLady; an earlier $100,000 outlay across three startups is recalled.

Also Startup News (WA)

Scriibed founder Melanie Greblo lands NSW government and Paul Ramsay Foundation backing to help women upskill after escaping family violence

Sydney social enterprise Scriibed wins NSW government backing to upskill domestic violence survivors, while its not-for-profit Banksia Academy receives $250,000 from the Paul Ramsay Foundation; four other social enterprises also funded.

Grown Not Flown cofounder Nikki Davey wins the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award

Flower-farming platform Grown Not Flown's cofounder has taken out AgriFutures' 2023 Rural Women's Award and its grant money, with the national runner-up and other finalists named and 2024 applications now open.

How Sydney-based startup BindiMaps is helping people navigate the great indoors

Profile of BindiMaps, a Sydney accessibility wayfinding app founded in 2017, covering its SheStarts grant origins, early funding, customers across Australia and overseas, and expansion plans.

3 agtech startups bringing financial inclusion to farmers in Asia Pacific

AgFunder's GROW accelerator picked ten companies for its fourth cohort; the three profiled — AgriFi, Invest Inya Farmer and DHF Platforms — connect farmers in Asia Pacific with new sources of finance.

Shark Tank Australia recap: Ice innovators land $375,000, as a bushfire protection system also secures investment

Recap of a Shark Tank Australia episode: ice-mould maker Contour Cube and bushfire device Fire Halo struck investment deals with the Sharks, while two other pitches left without backing.

Also SmartCompany

Tesserent boosts Academy arm with ex-training CEO Andrew Shea

Tesserent appoints Andrew Shea, long-time head of a construction training provider, to lead its Academy training division, and recalls the division's $5.8 million January purchase of ALC Group.

Investment Notes: tikpay

AfterWork Ventures explains why it co-led transport ticketing and payments startup tikpay's pre-seed round with Black Nova Ventures, Investible, Func Ventures and Metagrove Ventures, citing the founders' deep sector expertise.

Also Afterwork Ventures portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Afterpay cofounder backs his brother’s retail data startup in $2 million Seed round

Flagship, whose software helps retailers optimise in-store merchandising, has raised a $2 million seed round led by Tidal Ventures, with Afterpay cofounder Nick Molnar, brother of founder Simon, among the backers.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Indigenous Shark Tank pitch lands Yaala Sparkling $125,000 from ethical investor Dr Catriona Wallace

Shark Tank investor Dr Catriona Wallace has put $125,000 into Yaala Sparkling, an Indigenous-owned maker of non-alcoholic native-ingredient drinks, after Tara Croker's television pitch; the funds will boost production and distribution.

Also Women's Agenda·SmartCompany

Antler-backed shares-for-shopping fintech Upstreet is winding down

Sydney app Upstreet, which gave shoppers fractional shares for their spending, is closing; the founders gave no reason, 18 months after a Wattle Hill-led seed round and a lifetime raise near $5 million.

Also Startup Daily

Pioneering Australian fintech Joust navigates current market conditions with restructure and sale process

Home loan marketplace Joust has cut sales staff and launched a process to find a buyer or partner, aiming to steady the business and fund future growth amid tough conditions.

Investment Notes: Flagship

Tidal Ventures reflects on leading Flagship's seed round, describing retail market tailwinds, the visual merchandising product, founder Simon Molnar's background, and its earlier investments in Shippit, Search.io, Carted and Drive Yello.

Mike Cannon-Brookes gets his hands on the $30 billion SunCable project

Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, via a Grok-linked joint venture with Quinbrook, has completed the buyout of SunCable out of administration; the article also recalls earlier raises and names an interim CEO.

Also RenewEconomy·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing

Pitch VC joins VentureCrowd to democratise startup fund management

VentureCrowd and Pitch VC are launching a white-label platform that lets newcomers run their own startup funds; Pitch VC's two founders join VentureCrowd's leadership to build it.

Techstars selects 12 companies for its fall space accelerator

Twelve startups, eleven American and one Australian, will join the newest cohort of Techstars' thirteen-week aerospace program, run alongside two US space bodies.

WA gov to kickstart medical start-ups

Western Australia's government named nine health and medical start-ups, among them EarFlo, as recipients of seed funding totalling $4.3 million from its FHRI Fund Innovation Seed Fund.

Also Startup News (WA)

Investment Notes: Azaneo

Tenacious Ventures explains why it led a pre-seed round for weed-control startup Azaneo, with Agfunder and IP Group investing, and describes the company's chemical-free pulsed electric field technology.

Also AgFunderNews

Learn how to raise money over dinner

WA venture fund Purpose Ventures stages a discounted founders' dinner on preparing for investment, backed by a state industry fund program and featuring WA founders; the event has since sold out.

A new VC fund backing early-stage medical and healthtech startups is on the hunt for investors

MedTech Actuator alumni are behind Synthesis Capital, a new venture fund courting investors for up to $100m to back young health technology companies across Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

Advanced Navigation, Quantx Labs among seven defence grant recipients

Seven Australian manufacturers, including Advanced Navigation and Quantx Labs, have received federal grants under two Defence capability programs, with individual awards from $150,000 to $830,665 supporting projects across four states.

Also Defence Connect

Learn who is in our EnergyTech Hub 2023 Cohort!

Startupbootcamp Australia unveils the 22 scale-ups joining its EnergyTech Hub 2023 program, describing each company's energy and sustainability focus, and thanks LaunchVic as program partner.

$412,000 awarded through Low Carbon Manufacturing Grants Program

Ten Victorian manufacturers collect grants worth up to $50,000 apiece — $412,000 in all — from the state government's Low Carbon Manufacturing Grants Program to help them enter low-emission and renewable supply chains.

Shark Tank Australia recap: 13-year-old entrepreneur bags $75,000 deal by beating Sharks at their own game

SmartCompany recaps a Shark Tank Australia episode in which 13-year-old Lucas Lane and his mother Breanna won $75,000 for their men's nail polish venture Glossy Boys from three of the show's investor-panellists.

Also Startup News (WA)·Women's Agenda

Shift appoints Stephanie Olliver as General Counsel

Credit and payments platform Shift has hired Stephanie Olliver into a newly created General Counsel role, bringing legal experience from PayPal, Nano Digital Home Loans, Macquarie Group and Morgan Stanley.

Wollongong fintech Scalapay launches $10,000 scholarship, with brewery software startup Abbl as the first recipient

Wollongong BNPL unicorn Scalapay has created a founders' scholarship, granting $10,000 plus an incubator residency; first recipient is Abbl, a brewery software venture started by the couple behind Five Barrel Brewing.

“Remarkable:” Australian wave energy pioneer wins major tender to build first unit in Spain

Carnegie Clean Energy has secured European funding through a tender win for a CETO wave unit off Spain's Basque coast; the article also recalls earlier MoorPower demonstrator support.

Also RenewEconomy

Nourish Foods is up for sale after being placed in voluntary administration

Voluntary administrators now control Nourish Foods, the business behind Whole Kids, after a funding attempt fell short, and interested backers or buyers must come forward by mid-September.

CBA's venture arm, X15, takes invoice lending fintech Waddle off Xero's hands

Commonwealth Bank's venture arm is buying invoice lender Waddle from Xero for an undisclosed sum, undoing Xero's 2020 purchase, to boost the bank's working-capital offering.

CBA's x15ventures to acquire cloud-based invoice lending platform Waddle

Commonwealth Bank's venture arm is buying invoice-financing platform Waddle, folding the technology into the bank to grow its Stream Working Capital offering for business customers.