Ledger.

Startup · $12k raised

Adore Beauty

Coverage

Stories naming Adore Beauty. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.

Funding announcement

From 0 to 4.5 billion: how the Startmate pay-it-forward mentorship model built a startup powerhouse

Startmate reflects on a decade of backing founders, profiling breakout alumni across its cohorts and describing how its mentors reinvest in newer startups, alongside its fund model and returns.

3 deals

After Tbh Skincare and Boost Lab merger, York St Brands raises $2 million to launch Bouf

York Street Brands raised $2 million from iPartners and took a $4 million NAB trade facility to launch its third brand Bouf, having formed through the 2023 merger of tbh Skincare and Boost Lab.

Also SmartCompany

3 deals

Private equity firm Quadrant takes a $50-100 million slice of startup veteran LegalVision

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.

Funding announcement

Smart50 alumni Cashrewards acquires Little Birdie

Cashrewards has bought Little Birdie, the deals startup backed by Commonwealth Bank that went quiet in May; the piece also recalls Cashrewards' 2017 Smart50 nod, 2020 ASX float, and later takeover by 1835i Ventures.

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

Fund close $200k

Startmate’s top 20 most valuable investments

A profile of Startmate ranking the twenty most valuable companies it has backed, noting their valuations, past raises and founders, plus Bugcrowd's newly announced purchase of Informer and its climate focus.

Unnamed stage $250k

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.

7 deals

Chipper Cash Becomes A Unicorn & Mr Yum raises US$65m Series A led by Tiger Global

TEN13 newsletter reporting Chipper Cash's US$150m unicorn round, Mr Yum's Tiger Global-led Series A, and new investments in Payhippo, Preezie, Pushas and Heaps Normal, plus portfolio updates.

Also Skalata Ventures·Skalata Ventures·Archangel Ventures portfolio·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Tech Funding News - Australia·Australian FinTech·AgFunderNews·Women's Agenda·Beef Central / Grain Central·Forbes Australia·TechCrunch Venture·SmartCompany·LaunchVic

Pre-seed $2m

Australian scalp care brand Straand secures $2 million pre-seed investment from Unilever Ventures

Australian microbiome-focused haircare brand Straand has secured a $2 million pre-seed investment from Unilever Ventures to fund expansion into the US, UK, Europe and China, with advisory support from Lempriere Wells.

Also SmartCompany·Forbes Australia

Pre-seed $600k

Business digitisation and consulting startup FORMM raises $600,000 pre-Seed

Digital consulting startup FORMM has raised a $600,000 pre-seed round from individual investors who also take on leadership, board and advisory roles, to help mid-sized businesses digitise.

Also SmartCompany

9 deals

HIVERY, mx51, Refundid, and more: Local startups raise over $100 million in recent weeks despite market fearmongering

A roundup of Australian startups that raised funds in recent weeks: mx51, Refundid, Storipress, HIVERY, InternMatch, upcover, Pearler and Loopit together secured over $100 million despite a cooling venture market.

Also Cut Through Venture

17 deals

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: Super-fast unicorn, VC funding boom, put another founder on a Barbie

Ignition Lane's weekly roundup: Zip's deal for Sezzle, Zeller's unicorn raise, several Australian funding rounds, Startmate backing Provvy, a space manufacturing grant, NZVC's first close, and tech's response to Russia.

2 deals

Two startups bag $100 million deals, as Aussie ecosystem hits a new level of maturity

SmartCompany reports Mable and SiteMinder have each landed nine-figure cheques, from General Atlantic and Fidelity International respectively, with a Right Click Capital partner tipping more big deals as the local ecosystem matures.

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

Unnamed stage $14.5m

Mike Cannon-Brookes backs $41.5 million raise for social impact startup Who Gives a Crap

Melbourne social impact startup Who Gives A Crap has raised its first outside capital in nine years, led by Verlinvest, with Grok Ventures, other funds and several angel investors also taking part.

Also SmartCompany·Business News Australia·SmartCompany·privateequitywire.co.uk·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·onimpact.com.au

News

Australian founders are backing a local chapter of US angel VC The Fund as it launches locally

US angel VC The Fund launches an Australia and New Zealand chapter, backed by local founder limited partners, with a four-person investment committee intending to back around 40 early-stage startups over two years.

News

Kate Morris and Alex Zaccaria among Aussie entrepreneurs clubbing together to invest in early-stage startups

Australian founders and operators including Kate Morris and Alex Zaccaria have launched the local arm of angel group The Fund, targeting seed and pre-seed deals, with an aim to raise about US$3.5 million.

9 deals

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: Intersekt highlights, $100m Kiwi exit, tech sucker trade, the week in raises

A weekly technology roundup reporting a New Zealand booking software firm's sale, an Australian beauty retailer's acquisition, several venture raises, executive share sales at an e-commerce firm, and a new government fund committee.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

6 deals

The startup funding round: Athena’s record-breaking raise, $1.5 million for biotech, and Turnbull backs forensics startup

A weekly roundup reporting raises by Athena, Comestri, Mass Dynamics and CircleSource, plus Malcolm Turnbull investing through Turnbull & Partners in UK cloud forensics startup Cado Security.

2 deals

Micro-influencer startup Tribe raises $5.5 million in pre-IPO capital, amid tech frenzy on the ASX

Australian micro-influencer marketplace Tribe has secured $5.5 million in pre-IPO funding from Saville Capital, Cyan Capital and SG Hiscock, with chief executive Anthony Svirskis weighing an IPO amid strong public-market appetite for tech stocks.

Also Startup Daily·Cut Through Venture

8 deals

From AI sewer tech to lab-grown meat: SmartCompany's 10 startups to watch in 2021

A roundup profiling ten Australian startups expected to grow in 2021, reporting raises by VAPAR, HealthMatch, Ovira, Heaps Normal, Vop and Outland Denim, plus grants, accelerator alumni and founders' plans.

Unnamed stage $1.3m

“Australia is playing catch up”: Heaps Normal bags $1.3 million, as investors get ahead of the booze-free beer trend

Non-alcoholic beer startup Heaps Normal has raised $1.3 million from angel investors including founders of Adore Beauty, Culture Amp and Linktree, while its co-founders were completing the Startmate accelerator.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany

Unnamed stage $540k+

Whole Kids smashes $500,000 equity crowdfunding goal, securing the likes of Kate Morris and Casey Ellis as backers

Organic kids' snack maker Whole Kids has exceeded its half-million-dollar Birchal equity crowdfunding target, drawing backers including several well-known founder-investors, with one campaign day remaining.

Also Women's Agenda·SmartCompany

7 deals

Ignition Lane's Weekly Wrap: MyDeal and Adore hit the ASX, the Future Fund takes a hit on Quibi

Ignition Lane's weekly roundup reports MyDeal and Adore Beauty listing on the ASX, Rokt's US$80 million Series D, several trans-Tasman raises, Quibi shutting down, Westpac trimming its Zip stake, and local executive appointments.

Also Crunchbase News·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·ARN (ARNnet)

Venture debt $12k

Adore Beauty joins the ASX: How Kate Morris built an e-commerce empire

The online beauty retailer founded by Kate Morris two decades ago has debuted on the ASX, with the float raising $269.5 million and founders selling down shares, alongside a look back at its growth.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Women's Agenda

Accelerator $75k

How Adelaide startup Good Thnx facilitated $1 million in charity donations, and built a Slack integration for speedy sales

Profile of Adelaide charity-donations startup Good Thnx after Startmate's demo day, covering its Slack integration, fast enterprise sales, mentor network, a $75,000 investment and $1 million in donations facilitated.

3 deals

SEO startup Longtail UX bags $2.25 million from Woolworths and Lew family as e-commerce surges

SmartCompany reports SEO startup Longtail UX raised $2.25 million from Woolworths' W23 and Global Retail Brands, recalling earlier raises led by Investec and backed by Andrew Bassat and Sean Larcombe amid surging e-commerce demand.

Also Startup Daily

Exit / M&A

Sydney-based private equity firm invests in hat-trick of female-led businesses

Private equity firm Quadrant has taken majority stakes this month in three female-led companies: Love to Dream, Modibodi and Adore Beauty, after earlier in 2019 acquiring tourism operator Journey Beyond.

Also SmartCompany

Something wrong? Tell us