Athletic Ventures

🇦🇺 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

Cheque-in: 10 ANZ startups raised nearly $193 million this week

Weekly roundup of ten Australian and New Zealand startup raises totalling nearly $194 million, topped by Neara's $90 million round at a $1.1 billion valuation, with Splose, Operata, HAMR Energy and Adora also covered.

AI allied health platform Splose raises $46 million Series A

Splose, an Adelaide maker of practice software for allied-health clinicians, has landed a $46 million Series A from Spectrum Equity and Athletic Ventures to speed product development and push into the UK.

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

AI customer support startup Lorikeet has now raised $75 million in just 10 months

Sydney AI customer-support startup Lorikeet has closed US$35 million in a Series A led by QED Investors, its third round in under a year, lifting total funding beyond $75 million.

Also SmartCompany·Cut Through Venture·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Applications open for Techstars Sydney, as a champion takes charge

Christie Jenkins, an elite athlete and Blackbird investor, is the new managing director of Techstars Sydney, which has opened applications for its 13-week accelerator program running September to December.

Athletes' venture firm raises first fund | Private Equity Media

Athletic Ventures, started by former athletes, has closed its debut fund at $25 million, with about 100 sports stars and several veteran venture figures backing it as limited partners.

Runway May 24: The 7 startups revealing venture raises this week

Weekly roundup covering seven ANZ startup raises — Bare Funerals, Humii, WeMoney, CLT Toolbox, Clean Slate Clinic, SpatialGPT and Great Wrap — plus LaunchVic's $900,000 into Paul Little's Skalata fund.

Also Startup Daily

Hawke's Brewing and Bare Funerals toast $1 million media-for-equity deals

Scaleup Mediafund's $15 million third fund has made its first two investments, backing Hawke's Brewing and Bare with roughly $1 million in advertising apiece; oOh!media joined as an investor.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

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

Six Australian startups that secured $94 million in capital this week

Roundup of six Australian startup raises totalling $94 million: Q-CTRL, Hnry, FoodByUs, F4S, STRAAND and Lenexa Medical, backed by investors including Salesforce Ventures, AirTree, Base Capital, Investible, Unilever Ventures and Stoic VC.

Also stoicam.com.au

US$6bn year for Australian VC investment in 2022

KPMG data shows Australian startup funding hit a record in 2022 despite a global downturn, while accountancy fintech Hnry closed a $35 million Series B led by AirTree to double headcount and expand overseas.

Self-employed bookkeeping platform Hnry books $35 million Series B

Accounting fintech Hnry raised a Series B led by AirTree, with Left Lane, Akshay Kothari and Athletic Ventures participating, to fund hiring, international expansion and product development.

Also Australian FinTech·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Funeral disruptor defies deadly market conditions to bank $10m

Republished AFR report on funeral startup Bare banking a ten-million-dollar round from Perennial and Ord Minnett, plus rival Willed's June raise from Thorney, Ellerston and a Bell Potter investor.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·Archangel Ventures portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Techboard·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany

The Super Seven: Meet Blackbird's Seven New Associates

Blackbird presents its seven new investment associates, profiling their varied backgrounds across elite sport, science, banking, consulting and startups, plus prior roles at firms including Sprint Ventures, NZ Growth Capital Partners and AustralianSuper.

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

Hospitality wholesaler Foodbomb raises $4.5 million series A

Produce marketplace Foodbomb has raised a A$4.5 million Series A from EVP, Athletic Ventures, Aura Ventures, Tahmedia and Platform Advisory Partners, funding expansion into Brisbane and a doubling of staff.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany