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🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #180, 4th October 2026

Weekly roundup reporting Australian startup funding rounds and government grants, a venture fund close, agreed acquisitions, an IPO pricing, a collapse, plus executive hires and AI policy developments.

Role call: new people at allt, SQC, RedBelly Network, Neara & Indebted

Weekly people-moves column: new executives at allt, SQC, Redbelly Network, InDebted and Neara, including Clive Dickens joining allt's board and Chris McNamara becoming InDebted's CEO.

Canva wipes $11 billion from its valuation, putting IPO plans in doubt

Blackbird and Airtree mark Canva's worth down sharply, the employee share price falls too, and commentators question whether a 2027 sharemarket float remains realistic amid sliding confidence in AI-era software.

Dylan Field: How Figma Became the Future of Design Collaboration

Startupik profile of Dylan Field tracing Figma's path from browser-based experiment to mainstream design-collaboration tool, its venture funding history, bottom-up adoption, and the Adobe acquisition that collapsed.

Google Cloud launches US$750M agentic AI partner fund at Cloud Next

Google Cloud has committed US$750 million to a new partner fund for agentic AI resources and incentives, unveiled at Cloud Next; the piece also recalls Google's March acquisition of security firm Wiz.

The race is on

Blackbird partner Niki Scevak argues SaaS is not dead; winners will be companies that reinvent for AI, citing Canva's AI pivot and Kaleido acquisition, plus Heidi Health's new software category for doctors.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·TechCrunch Venture·TechCrunch Venture

Metigy founder pleads guilty to misleading investors as ASIC case progresses

Metigy co-founder David Fairfull has admitted in court to deceiving investors and misusing his director role, after the marketing software startup's raises were built on fabricated figures before its 2022 collapse.

Metigy founder David Faithful pleads guilty to misleading investors and dishonesty over his AI adtech startup

The co-founder and ex-CEO of collapsed marketing software firm Metigy has admitted to deceiving investors and misusing his director role in a corporate regulator prosecution.

Also SmartCompany

Why Canva may be undervalued at $65 billion

Opinion column argues Canva's fresh $65 billion valuation from a recent raise looks cheap against Figma's listing multiples, with looming competition from Microsoft, Adobe and Google shaping the design software market.

Also Tech Funding News - Australia

Aussie Salesforce specialist Skie swooped up by Bluprintx

UK-based consultancy Bluprintx has bought Australian Salesforce partner Skie, with lender ThinCats funding the deal; Skie co-founder Adam Troughear moves into a Bluprintx executive role.

Also ARN (ARNnet)·lbndaily.co.uk

How Catapult built a $1 billion sports tech business

Terem Capital's founder analyses Catapult: origins, acquisitions, capital raises, the 2014 listing, market size, rivals and financial performance.

Ten leading entrepreneurs to know this Women's Entrepreneurship Day

Profiles ten Australian women founders across prosthetics, sustainable materials, wellness, mental health and AI, including three recipients of a Xero award program and a Cartier fellowship.

Also SmartCompany

Generative AI startup Typeface acquires two companies, Treat and Narrato, to bolster its portfolio

Typeface has bought Treat and Narrato, its third and fourth acquisitions. The article recalls Treat's $8.5m-plus raise, Narrato's $1m-plus raise, and Typeface's $165m round at a $1bn valuation.

Also TechCrunch Venture

Canva snaps up Leonardo.AI in blockbuster acquisition

Canva is set to buy Sydney AI startup Leonardo.Ai for an undisclosed sum; the piece also recalls Leonardo's $47 million 2023 raise with Blackbird and Canva's earlier $1 billion Serif purchase.

C-rap: the most talked about part of Canva Create isn’t the product (but it totally is) because of a song

Opinion piece on the buzz around a musical number promoting Canva's enterprise offering at its Los Angeles event, noting cofounder Cliff Obrecht's approval, huge viewership and the company's US listing ambitions.

Canva acquires software platform Affinity in $500 million deal

Canva has bought creative software maker Affinity, once Serif, for a reported US$380 million (A$582 million), gaining about three million users and a 90-person team and sharpening its position against Adobe.

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

Eight Aussie startups that raised $433 million this week

Roundup of eight Australian startup raises totalling $433m, topped by Employment Hero's $263m Series F and Skykraft's $120m round; Darwinium, Konvoy Kegs, The Martec and three Birchal crowdfunds complete the week.

Also AgFunderNews

Recruitment marketing startup The Martec bags $8 million

The Martec, a Sydney talent-marketing platform, has secured an $8 million round led by family office AS1 with Airtree backing, to grow its offshore presence; its customers include Telstra, Coles and Adobe.

Also SmartCompany

Canva just mic-dropped 10 new AI tools, and they don't cost extra

Canva launched Magic Studio, ten generative AI tools bundled into existing subscriptions at no extra cost, alongside a royalty program for creators and an enterprise security platform.

Startup funding dropped massively in 2023, but AI and climate tech are still winners

KPMG data shows Australian startup funding fell sharply in early 2023, though AI and climate tech stayed strong, with several large raises listed and a new Main Sequence fund announced.

Also Startup Daily

Lessons from the Field: Lee Hackett's entrepreneurial journey

Podcast interview in which Bluprintx Group CEO Lee Hackett recounts moving from professional football into business, building a company he sold to a UK plc, then scaling Bluprintx internationally.

Ellerston JAADE New Investment: Nitro

Ellerston's JAADE fund says it invested in Nitro Software alongside Potentia Capital, part of the takeover that delisted the document productivity software company from the ASX.

The Ignition Lane Wrap: Life in the fast lane. And calling road service

Ignition Lane's weekly wrap: Tiger Global's losses and past Australian bets, MilkRun and TradeSquare closures, Cyara's Spearline acquisition, a Co Ventures pre-seed fund, Square Peg's partner promotion and LaunchVic's 30×30 picks.

A temporary dancefloor and no plans for layoffs: Canva celebrates new Melbourne office through tech sector downturn

Canva has opened a converted Collingwood warehouse as its new Melbourne office and says it has no layoff plans, citing six consecutive profitable years while hiring continues despite widespread tech sector job cuts.

Accel, Square Peg back Chronicle's tool for presentations that won't put you to sleep

Presentation startup Chronicle, based in Sydney and San Francisco, announced a $7.5 million seed round led by Accel and Square Peg, with angels from several major tech companies participating.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Lyka raises $30 million in monster Series B round as more Australians serve up premium chow for furry friends

Pet food subscription startup Lyka closed a $30 million Series B led by Israeli investor Itai Tsiddon, with Craig Blair and Paul Wilson returning; the article also recalls its 2018 raise and Adobe's Frame.io acquisition.

Also SmartCompany·Techboard·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Business News Australia

Ignition Lane's Great Big Wrap: VCs court cash, an M&A bash & Canva makes a splash

Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup covering fresh Australian startup raises, new venture funds and closes, a wave of acquisitions, delistings and a liquidation, executive moves, and Canva's product launch.

Also Centerstone Capital portfolio·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·6clicks.com·ARN (ARNnet)·Centerstone Capital portfolio·Techboard·Startup Daily

Even Before Figma Deal, Design Startup Funding Looked Good

Roundup of design-sector startup funding covering recent raises by Picsart, LottieFiles, Gravity Sketch and Superside, plus Canva's standing, alongside Adobe's agreed multibillion-dollar purchase of Figma.

Also Startup Daily·frederick.ai

Adam Schwab: Nitro rejects $400 million Potentia offer despite rising costs and recorded losses

Potentia's $400 million takeover approach for ASX-listed software firm Nitro was rejected, with the column examining Nitro's widening losses, executive pay, and Potentia's separate pursuit of payments company Tyro.

Investment Notes: Voyantis $19m Seed

Square Peg's investment note explains why it co-led predictive growth platform Voyantis' $19 million seed round with Target Global, covering the founders' backgrounds and the market shift toward predicting customer lifetime value.

Investment Notes: LottieFiles $37m Series B

Square Peg led a thirty-seven million dollar Series B in animation platform LottieFiles, with XYZ Venture Capital, GreatPoint Ventures, Automattic and returning backers 500 Startups, M12 and Adobe also taking part.

Also Crunchbase News

The Experience Exchange – cashing in on the global boom in upskilling.

Profile of The Experience Exchange, an employee upskilling platform piloted by PwC, Deloitte, Apple and Cisco. Co-founders Darren Scott and Shane Grove lead it; a safe-note is open and a VC-led equity round is being sought, but nothing has closed.

BLAST OIF | Edition II

OIF Ventures' newsletter rounds up portfolio achievements: award wins and list placements for several companies, new product launches, and partnerships including Go1 with Employment Hero and Adobe, plus community masterclasses and webinars.

Hybrid work culture building startup Remote Social raises $1 million seed round

Workplace culture platform Remote Social has secured $1 million in seed funding from Black Nova VC, NeuroPower, Antler Australia and five angel investors to grow its Culture-as-a-Service offering for distributed teams.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Social media marketing startup Vamp names Gabriele Famous as its new CEO

Influencer marketing platform Vamp appoints Gabriele Famous as CEO, with former chief Gill Findlay joining the board alongside founders Ben McGrath and Aaron Brooks; the article also recalls an $8.5 million raise last year.

Leading e-Learning Platform with PWC and Cisco as Anchor Clients | Founders from Executive Positions at Cisco, Adobe, HP, and Vodafone

Wholesale Investor profiles TEX.inc, a B2B e-learning marketplace founded by former big-tech executives, detailing an open million-dollar convertible note offering ahead of a planned Series A.

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: Netflix comparisons, ScoMo's digital epiphany, Bitcoin's face-off

Weekly technology roundup covering Australia's digital economy budget, multiple startup raises including SafetyCulture's unicorn round, Data Republic's administration, TikTok's new permanent CEO, and Bill.com's purchase of Divvy.

Also Startup Daily

Atlassian buys Slack-based helpdesk startup Halp

Atlassian has acquired Colorado-based Slack helpdesk startup Halp for an undisclosed sum. Halp previously raised US$2 million in April 2019 from Matchstick Ventures, Slack and Techstars at a US$9.5 million post-money valuation.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Crunchbase News·TechCrunch Venture

Canva splashes $30m on Melbourne advertising start-up

Design software company Canva has acquired Melbourne adtech firm Doohly for $30 million, a deal that hands windfalls to the startup's founders and shareholders Skalata Ventures and Archangel Ventures.

Also Blackbird Ventures portfolio·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·quadrantpe.com.au·Tech Funding News - Australia·Forbes Australia·Crikey·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Women's Agenda·This Week in Australian Startups·techtimes.com·TechCrunch Venture·TechCrunch Venture·TechCrunch Venture