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🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #179, 26th September 2026

Weekly roundup recording a dozen raises and acquisitions, Firmus's scheduled float, a new $50m venture fund, a founder share sale, grant winners, an accelerator intake, and an AI agent's government breach.

Also DealStreetAsia·Dealroom·This Week in Australian Startups·AFR Technology·AFR Technology·Startup Daily·AFR Technology·AFR Technology·ABC News Technology·iTnews

Afterpay-backed Touch Ventures chips into billionaire Paul Little's early-stage VC

Touch Ventures' investment lifts commitments in Skalata's second fund beyond $25 million, with Afterpay co-founder Anthony Eisen investing personally; Touch also recently headed a $5.5 million raise for portfolio company Preezie.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Two ANZ startups that raised $21 million this week

Two raises reported: Superhero has banked $20m of a hoped $30m round led by Salter Brothers at a $176m valuation, while New Zealand crime-intelligence startup Azonic took NZ$1m in a Blackbird-led pre-seed.

RBA Governance Board Member Elana Rubin to Chair Airwallex Australia

Payments company Airwallex has brought in a new independent chair for its Australian board and added a former New Zealand prime minister as a director; he already leads its NZ board.

Airwallex strengthens Australian leadership appointing Elana Rubin AM and Sir Bill English to its Australian board

Airwallex has appointed Elana Rubin AM to chair its Australian board and former New Zealand prime minister Sir Bill English as a director there, with both roles starting immediately; their other board roles are listed.

Firmus Welcomes Lee Hatton, Christine Bartlett and Julie Shuttleworth to the Board

Firmus announces three new non-executive directors joining its grid board from March 2026, each bringing finance, governance or resources and energy delivery experience.

Zepto Appoints Mariana Paun as Chief Business Resilience Officer

Payments firm Zepto has elevated long-serving security lead Mariana Paun to a newly created Chief Business Resilience Officer role, pulling information security, operations, risk and compliance together as Australian scam and payment rules tighten.

Zepto appoints Mariana Paun as Chief Business Resilience Officer

Payments company Zepto has promoted its first security hire, Mariana Paun, into a newly created executive role, Chief Business Resilience Officer, uniting security, operations, risk and compliance under one leader.

Free feminine hygiene startup raises $1.7 million Seed round

On the House, a Brisbane startup founded by a Startmate alumna, has secured $1.7 million in a Purpose Ventures-led seed round to expand its ad-funded dispensers offering free period products nationally.

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

Pay.com.au hits $633 million valuation after $25 million raise

Melbourne fintech pay.com.au has banked $25 million for a US push, Morgans Corporate leading, with Wilson Asset Management, Thorney Group and Ophir participating, at a pre-money valuation of $633 million.

Smart50 success Pay.com.au raises $25 million, valuation soars to $633 million

Payment rewards platform Pay.com.au has raised $25 million led by Morgans Corporate, with $28 million of existing shares also sold, valuing the company at $633 million as it pushes into America.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Dealroom·Fintech News Australia

Australia’s Top 5 Most Well-Funded Fintech Startups in 2025

Ranking of Australia’s five best-funded fintechs — Airwallex, Athena, Zeller, InDebted and Brighte — profiling each one’s total raised, most recent raise, backers, valuation and growth moves.

Butter: The anti-establishment app working to get you offline and breaking bread IRL

Forbes Australia profiles Butter, a year-old Melbourne app fighting loneliness through in-person gatherings, now at 10,000 users with $260,000 from backer Antler at a roughly $2.2 million valuation.

Fintech Superhero's valuation jumps nearly 20% in 3 months after $11 million raise

Share trading and super platform Superhero has raised $11 million from existing backers, lifting its post-money value to $150 million, with plans to build tools that give investment advice.

Also SmartCompany

Two Aussie startups that raised $26 million this week

Roundup of two Australian raises: a quantum security company's government-led $20m round and a retail analytics startup's US seed round backing its American push.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany

Business channel ausbiz launches 'intel' service for investors in equity deal with shares platform Marketech

Sydney business channel ausbiz has taken equity in Perth share-investing platform company Marketech, embedding its analyst video content in Marketech's Focus platform, and is seeking crowdfunding for its AI venture ausbiz LABS.

Couple's start-up clinches $25m valuation with Blackbird backing

Melbourne developer-tools startup Factor House closed its first external round — $5 million, led by Blackbird, valuing it at $25 million — with OIF Ventures, Flying Fox Ventures, the Alice Anderson Fund and two angels joining.

Commercial insurance broking startup lands UpCover $11 million Series A

Insurance broking platform UpCover secured a $19 million Series A — $11 million equity led by RealVC plus $8 million debt from Marshall Investments — with Antler Elevate, Betterlabs, Gandel Invest and individual investors taking part.

Also Australian FinTech·Australian FinTech

A month after its IPO raised $4.3 million, a share price decline for accelerator Scalare Partners has trimmed $6.5m from its market cap

ASX-listed accelerator Scalare Partners has seen its shares fall 28% in the month since listing, cutting its market value, while listed peers Touch Ventures and Bailador back Tixel, Dash and Updoc.

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

Bootstrapped father & son AI startup banks $22 million Series A in 1st raise after 6 years

Brisbane market-research software firm Askable, self-funded since 2017 by a father-son duo, has announced a $22m Series A led by AirTree at a $100m valuation, with Skip Capital and founder angels backing it.

Also SmartCompany

Over $1 million pledged to Australian women-led businesses at Sister Pitch 2024

Global Sisters' Sister Pitch event with Dentsu steered $1m-plus to a dozen Australian ventures led by women; GTAB Parfum, Soni Health and Chocolate On Purpose were standouts, and Google.org funded a 2023 pilot.

Chicago to get PsiQuantum's second computer

PsiQuantum will build a second quantum computer in Chicago with US$500m in tax incentives, after Australian and Queensland government equity in April. Forbes Australia's 30 Under 30 nominations are open.

Also Startup Daily

Tech's 'sleeping giant': Inside the $100 billion industry ripe for disruption

Australian insurtech momentum examined: Honey Insurance's Series A and Cover Genius's raise led Q2 2024 funding, while an Airtree partner argues incumbents have left insurance open to technology-driven challengers.

Also SmartCompany

Zip Co raises $217 million to pay off debts

Zip raised fresh equity to repay its corporate borrowings, with quarterly results showing strong growth in its United States business.

‘Game changer’: Samsara Eco raises $100 million for infinite recycling of plastics

Australian plastics recycler Samsara Eco secured a Temasek-led Series A+ of $100 million to scale enzyme-based infinite recycling, with Southeast Asian facilities planned, adding to its 2022 Series A.

Also TechCrunch Venture·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Techboard·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing

Guzman y Gomez surges to $3 billion valuation on ASX debut

Fast-food chain Guzman y Gomez has completed its Australian sharemarket debut, with shares trading well above the offer price and valuing the Sydney-founded business at roughly three billion dollars.

The ASK: Fintech Maslow will offer financial services at cost, disrupting the traditional profit model

Startup Daily's The Ask column pitches Maslow, a Melbourne fintech whose founders are seeking crowdfunding on Birchal to build a subscription platform selling financial services without profit margins.

Marmalade raises $16 million to spread its SME invoice solution

SME invoicing startup Marmalade has banked $16 million in a round that Blue Stamp Company led, with existing backer Paloma Capital also taking part, taking lifetime capital past $32 million.

Also Australian FinTech·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany

Jonny Dawson

Dom Pym discusses his journey from engineering to founding Up Bank and now investing via Euphemia, focusing on social good and underrepresented founders.

ASX-listed VC Touch Ventures and its CEO part ways

ASX-listed venture fund Touch Ventures is parting with chief executive Hein Vogel; the piece recalls its 2021 $100 million listing, heavy write-offs on PlanPay and Till Payments, and Basiq's sale to Cuscal.

Small business fintech Prospa subject to $74 million takeover bid

Salter Brothers Tech Fund has proposed a roughly $74 million buyout that would delist Prospa from the ASX; directors back the offer, and the article recaps the lender's corporate history.

Square Peg Investor Letter Half Year Report 31 December 2023

Square Peg's latest letter to investors reviews 2023 performance, recalls early bets on Canva and Airwallex, and introduces three hires across fundraising, public-markets investing, and people functions.

Square Peg Investor Letter Half Year Report 31 December 2023

Square Peg's half-year letter to investors reviews 2023: fewer new bets, portfolio revenue milestones led by Canva, an AI investment thesis, conditions in Israel, and three new hires.

Australian B2B BNPL provider BizPay collapses into administration

Business-to-business buy-now-pay-later fintech BizPay has entered voluntary administration, appointing BRI Ferrier's Jonathon Keenan and Peter Krejci; about 15 staff affected, with a sale or restructure now being explored.

Also Startup Daily

Legal disputes startup Immediation placed in voluntary administration after raising $19 million in six years

Dispute resolution tech company Immediation entered voluntary administration, with FTI Consulting appointed and seeking recapitalisation or asset sale bids; the article recounts its funding history and leadership turmoil.

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

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.

Eight Aussie startups that secured $30.2 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian startups raising a combined $30.2 million, spanning SME lending, quantum computing grants, proptech, consumer apps and recycling, plus Stylerunner's earlier sale to Accent Group.

Also Startup Daily

‘Pay in advance’ fintech Paylab enters voluntary administration with trading future up in the air

Tattoo BNPL platform INKPAY collapses, claiming new credit regulations will cut too deep

Tattoo-focused buy-now-pay-later provider INKPAY has entered voluntary administration, blaming the cost of incoming rules treating BNPL like traditional credit, with an administrator appointed and a creditors meeting set for late June.