Company · Financial services
Every published round American Express took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
Companies American Express has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio companies recorded yet. | ||||
Fund closes reported for American Express, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies American Express has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal American Express did.
| Company | Bought by | Kind | Announced | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio company of American Express is recorded as having been acquired. | ||||
Companies American Express acquired or merged with, per published coverage. Buying a company is not investing in one: nothing here counts in the deals column.
| Company | Kind | Announced | Price | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LoungeBuddy | Acquisition | 2019 | - | Business News Australia, Dealroom, Forbes Australia |
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Clare Kinsey | Product Marketing Executive (former) | Forbes Australia |
| David Chapman | Startup Daily, Australian FinTech | |
| Fady Daher | GM & VP Global Commercial (former) | Australian FinTech |
| Terry McMullen | Australian FinTech, Startup Daily | |
| Zac Altman | VP (former) | Dealroom, Forbes Australia |
Stories naming American Express. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Payments group Zenith Payments has named Anthony Drury its new CEO. Kevin Butler moves from the top job into a Chief Payments Officer role, while James Swan became CFO in July.
Zac Altman’s ADHD telehealth startup Kantoko has secured $3.5 million in a Side Stage Ventures-led seed round, with Andrew Forrest’s Tenmile and Go1’s founders investing; the article also recalls his earlier ventures’ sales.
Also Dealroom·Startup Daily·Business News Australia·SmartCompany·ontargetish.com
Me&u launches a new AI-powered reservations platform to compete with Resy and SevenRooms, targeting profitability in 2026 after merging with Mr Yum.
Three seasoned agribusiness and funds figures have launched a boutique fund to buy and turn around overlooked mid-market companies in staple industries, with capital raising under way and first acquisitions planned for early 2026.
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
Gift guide column recommends Light & Glo Designs, a Melbourne fragrance business, recounting its 2023 Shark Tank Australia pitch where Robert Herjavec's $175,000 investment offer was accepted, and its BrandScent arm serving corporate clients.
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.
Karta, an Australian gift-card platform, has struck a US deal with Visa, having earlier raised a pre-seed round above $21 million, most of it from Commonwealth Bank.
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
Banking SaaS firm Pismo has hired Simon Keys to lead business development across Oceania. The article also recalls the company's $108 million Series B, led by Amazon, SoftBank and Accel, in October 2021.
Cascade has landed a $40 million Series A led by Telescope Partners, with Five V and Carthona joining; proceeds follow a $5 million seed and target product and global growth.
Also Techboard
Cascade, a Sydney strategy-execution software company, has closed a $40 million Series A led by Telescope Partners with Five V and Carthona Capital, to fund product development and expansion into North America and Europe.
Also SmartCompany·Techboard
ASX-listed payments company Zip Co has announced plans to take full ownership of South African buy-now-pay-later provider Payflex, intending to grow the local business and expand into other African markets.
Brisbane lending and payments startup WLTH has opened a $5 million seed round to grow its platforms and launch new products, and has recently added a chief producer officer and a chief technology officer.
Also Startup Daily
Development finance platform Wefund launches, giving property developers streamlined access to non-bank lenders, wins a broker panel approval with MoneyQuest Australia, and receives a seed investment from Bravo Futura Capital.
Also Australian FinTech
Australian loyalty fintech OpenSparkz has secured $2.5 million as it scales its earn-and-burn platform for Asian consumers. The profile traces Terry McMullen's career through American Express and Pinpoint, which Mastercard later acquired.
Profile of Sydney card-linked offers startup OpenSparkz, its founding team, its seed backing from EFT Solutions, its place in Mastercard's Start Path program, and Mastercard's earlier acquisition of Pinpoint.