Co-founder and CEO, Employment Hero · angel in 2 deals
Every published round Ben Thompson 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.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle In | Unnamed stage | Apr 2023 | $2m | Participant | Alberts Impact Ventures (Tue 19 Dec 2023), SmartCompany, Women's Agenda, Startup Daily, Alberts Impact Ventures (Thu 13 Apr 2023), Our Innovation Fund, Alberts portfolio | |
| Askable | Series A | 2023 | $22m | Participant | SmartCompany, Startup Daily, AirTree Ventures portfolio |
Companies Ben Thompson has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
Fund closes reported for Ben Thompson, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Ben Thompson has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Ben Thompson did.
Stories naming Ben Thompson. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Seek's venture arm has begun selling its remaining stake in Employment Hero, a year after a $95 million partial sale to KKR, following the recent resolution of their Federal Court dispute over API access.
SEEK's venture arm has begun a sale process for its remaining Employment Hero stake, following a $95 million partial sale to KKR and a resolved Federal Court dispute over API access.
Employment Hero has begun Federal Court action against backer Seek to halt its job-listing API shutdown; the piece recalls Seek's 2018 investment and KKR's $95 million stake purchase.
Employment Hero acquires Canada's Humi for $112m and, filings show, paid $43.4m for Ben Thompson's Employment Innovations; the story also recalls its 2023 Series F and investor clash.
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
Roundup of the week's funding news: nine companies across Australia and New Zealand secured investment spanning clean energy, construction logistics, legal tech, coaching, research tools, creator media, medtech and marketing software.
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Employment Hero has rolled out SmartMatch, an AI job-matching feature for small businesses; chief executive Ben Thompson defends its bias safeguards as the piece weighs fears the technology could entrench workplace sameness.
A year-end SmartCompany roundup counting down 2023's ten largest Australian startup raises, headed by Employment Hero's $263m Series F, with investor details and commentary on fewer mega-rounds and continued under-representation of women co-founders.
Blog announcement of Employment Hero's 263 million Australian dollar Series F, with TCV leading and Insight Partners, AirTree, Seek and OneVentures also participating; the post also unveils the Hero Foundation.
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Press release announcing Employment Hero's A$263 million Series F led by TCV, with earlier backers participating, a valuation just under $2 billion, AI-focused global expansion plans, and a look back at the KeyPay acquisition.
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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.
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Employment Hero raised a $263 million Series F led by TCV, reaching a $2 billion valuation, with existing backers reinvesting; Skykraft announced a $120 million raise.
Australian HR software firm Employment Hero has banked a large Series F led by US investor TCV, lifting its valuation towards $2 billion, with several existing backers also taking part.
Sydney HR-and-payroll firm Employment Hero announced a TCV-led Series F reaching unicorn valuation; the profile covers its products, remote workforce and global ambitions, citing rival raises.
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Employment Hero has landed a $263 million Series F with TCV at the helm, pending foreign investment sign-off, valuing the HR software firm at $2bn.
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HR platform Employment Hero announced a Series F of $263 million with TCV leading, valuing the company at $2 billion, pending foreign investment approval, to speed global expansion.
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HR and payroll platform Employment Hero has launched Swag, an app adding an AI-powered jobs board, auto-generated job descriptions and employee benefits to its existing small-business tools.
Employment Hero has launched Swag, an AI-powered hiring superapp for small businesses offering job drafting, candidate matching and employee benefits, putting it in competition with its own backer SEEK.
Melbourne family-care benefits platform Circle In has closed a $2m round, adding Alberts Impact Ventures to existing private backers and LaunchVic's Alice Anderson Fund, while research highlights shrinking venture money for women-only founding teams.
Also Alberts Impact Ventures portfolio·Alberts Impact Ventures portfolio·Women's Agenda·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Women's Agenda
Employment Hero raised £96 million led by SEEK Investments, reaching unicorn valuation, and acquired payroll firm KeyPay, whose founders stay on as the combined business targets UK growth.
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Folklore investor Dan Fleming argues cohort-based learning platforms and the creator economy are transforming education, noting his firm's investment in Australian online learning platform ScholarSite.
The Sydney-based HR and payroll software maker has banked A$140 million in fresh Series E capital from Insight Partners, doubling its worth to A$800 million within six months of its SEEK-backed Series D.
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HR and payroll platform Employment Hero has raised a $22 million Series C led by Seek, with OneVentures and AirTree participating, valuing the company above $100 million as it pushes international expansion.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·employmenthero.com
Blackbird's note explains its backing of Incodocs' fresh seed funding supported by Maersk, covering the founders' trading background, the team's origins, and the market for digitising export paperwork.
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