Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Renewable Metals raises $12M Series A - Luan Atkinson, round details and contact

Profile of Australian battery-recycling company Renewable Metals, reporting its oversubscribed $12 million Series A with CEFC and Virescent Ventures leading, founder and CEO Luan Atkinson, and chair Peter Beaven.

Powering the battery revolution

The CEFC recounts a decade of project financing behind Australia's landmark grid batteries — DeGrussa, Hornsdale, Victorian Big Battery and Capital Battery — showing how early public capital helped storage reach mainstream markets.

The spark behind the charge: how Tim Washington built Australia's EV infrastructure giant

Profile of JET Charge co-founder Tim Washington, tracing the EV charging firm's growth and recalling its 2020 institutional round and $72 million Series C led by Mirova.

The little big battery using local smarts and deeper storage to help fill gap in most renewable grid

South Australian startups Lunio Energy and OptiGrid launch a 5 MW Strathalbyn battery into market trading; the piece recalls OptiGrid's seed round backed by CEFC, IP Group, Hostplus, universities and EnergyLab.

The little big battery using local smarts and deeper storage to help fill gap in most renewable grid

A 5 MW South Australian battery has started trading, the first project for developer Lunio Energy and the first four-hour site run on OptiGrid's optimisation platform, whose seed backers are recapped.

Expat Startmate startup Gridcog powers up on $14 million Series A

Gridcog, an Australian-founded energy modelling platform now headquartered in London, has landed a US$10 million ABB-led Series A, with Axpo, DNV Ventures, VERBUND X Ventures, AlbionVC and CEFC joining.

Also pv-magazine-australia.com·gridcog.com·Cut Through Venture

Examining the challenges and opportunities in electrifying heavy transport

CEFC insight piece on growing electric truck use in Australia, outlining its financing for Team Global Express, Zenobē and Volvo Group, from fleet finance to charging and resale-value support.

Growth Capital: backing the businesses scaling Australia’s net zero transition

Recap of CEFC’s Sydney forum on climate tech investing, revisiting its 2025 co-investment with Five V Capital in Agile Energy and the PATF’s growth capital approach.

Growth Capital: backing the businesses scaling Australia's net zero transition

CEFC's write-up of its Growth Capital Forum sets out its PATF investment approach and revisits its late-2025 co-investment with Five V Capital in Agile Energy, plus Australian Ethical's view on transition investing.

Three ANZ startups that raised $61.4 million this week

Weekly roundup of three Series A raises: chipmaker Syenta (US$26m), insights platform Ideally and battery recycler Renewable Metals, detailing leads, amounts and each company's earlier funding.

Also Startup Daily

Battery recycling startup Renewable Metals charges up on $12 million Series A

Battery recycler Renewable Metals has banked a $12 million Series A, led by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, to build a Kewdale demonstration plant; its seed round totalled $16.1 million across two tranches.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Renewable Metals raises $12 million Series A to scale next-generation lithium-ion battery recycling technology

Australia's clean energy finance agency led an oversubscribed $12 million Series A in a Western Australian battery recycling startup, joining existing and new investors to fund prototype operations and first commercial plant design.

Also @AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·renewable-metals.com·esgwise.org·esgtoday.com·nationaltribune.com.au·Dealroom·evmagz.com·battery-tech.net·fundedstartupsdaily.com

NRF bets big on driverless cars as Applied EV raises $57 million

The National Reconstruction Fund has put $30.7 million into Melbourne autonomous vehicle maker Applied EV, forming most of its $57 million Series B alongside Barrenjoey and Japan Post Capital.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Australian sovereign climate fund backs QIC infrastructure strategy

Net Zero Investor brief: Australia's CEFC commits $70m to QIC's Global Infrastructure Fund II, having previously allocated $72m to its predecessor and $50m to a QIC property decarbonisation fund.

CEFC commits $70M to new QIC infrastructure fund

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is putting $70 million into QIC's Global Infrastructure Fund II, which targets infrastructure that cuts emissions across Australia's energy and transport sectors.

CEFC injects $70m into QIC's new global infrastructure fund

Australia's green bank CEFC has committed $70 million to QIC's Fund 2, a global infrastructure vehicle holding assets such as Tilt Renewables and Hobart Airport, targeting decarbonisation of high-emitting sectors.

Climate tech now employs 7000+ people and is driving Australia's economic growth, Climate Salad's annual analysis finds

Climate Salad's report says Australia's climate tech sector has passed 7,000 workers across 730 startups and drew $680 million in venture capital; Sea Forest's ASX debut and fund commitments point to investor appetite.

CEFC invests $50 million to help kick gas out from student digs

The CEFC has put $50 million into student housing operator Scape Australia to electrify up to 20 buildings, strip out gas, and trial behind-the-meter energy technology across its national portfolio.

Also RenewEconomy

Cheque-in: 8 startups gobbled up $572.12 million in funding this week

Weekly roundup of eight raises totalling $572.12 million, led by Firmus's $500 million round; RAGE Biotech, SunDrive, Number 8 Bio, Fabra, Keeyu, MyGig and Drone-Hand also funded, plus two RAGE Biotech executive appointments.

Also Tech Funding News - Australia·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Retailer that set out on a mission to disrupt legacy energy giants is being bought out by one

Origin Energy is buying Energy Locals, the membership-based power retailer founded to disrupt Australia's major gentailers. Its current owners, a consortium led by Palisade Impact, purchased it from Quinbrook about a year ago.

Also RenewEconomy·Forbes Australia

CEFC backs Brighte with $40 million for cheaper home battery installation

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is putting up to $40m into Brighte through a federal program, letting the home-energy fintech offer cheaper green loans for solar, batteries and other household upgrades.

Breakthrough Victoria is slinging another $75 million at local VC funds

Victoria's Breakthrough Victoria has committed $75m to five specialist VC funds covering climate tech, life sciences, female founders and healthcare, each pledging a quarter of its capital to local startups.

BREAKTHROUGH VICTORIA INVESTS $75 MILLION IN VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS TO BUILD VICTORIA'S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Breakthrough Victoria is putting $75 million into five venture capital funds, including Virescent, SYNthesis BioVentures, Scale and Galileo, each of which has pledged a quarter of its capital to Victorian startups.

Breakthrough Victoria commits $75 million across five VC funds

Breakthrough Victoria makes cornerstone investments totalling $75 million into five venture capital funds spanning climate-tech, biotech, diversity-focused and health sciences investing.

Cheque-in: 8 ANZ startups banked $53.46 million in funding this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian and New Zealand funding rounds totalling about $53.5 million, led by SwarmFarm Robotics' $30 million Series B for its farm robots.

Eight ANZ startups that raised $53.56 million this week

Funding roundup: eight trans-Tasman startups together secured $53.56 million, topped by SwarmFarm Robotics' Series B, with Amber, Javln, Enhance Labs, Indi, Wych, Lift Women and Ambra Spirits also raising capital.

Clean Energy Finance Corporation ploughs $7 million into Queensland robotics agtech's $30m Series B

Agtech robotics firm SwarmFarm raised a $30m Series B led by Edaphon, with CEFC, QIC and Artesian taking part, to boost production and push into North America.

SwarmFarm Robotics harvests $30 million for its farm bot fleet

Queensland agricultural robotics firm SwarmFarm has raised a Series B led by a European backer, with several local investors taking part, to expand robot production and enter the North American market.

Also @AuManufacturing·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews

Dutch pension investor to invest over $1 billion in Octopus Australia

RenewEconomy reports APG Asset Management has announced plans to put over $1 billion into Octopus Australia's OASIS renewables fund, joining existing backers including Rest, Hostplus and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Corporate giant that has already reached 100 pct renewables gets $100m from CEFC to add more solar

RenewEconomy questions why Wesfarmers, whose Bunnings chain already runs on fully renewable power, is receiving $100 million in concessional government finance for more solar, batteries and EV charging.

Series A-focused climate tech VC hits $50 million for fund’s 1st close

Climate Tech Partners has reached a $50 million first close on its debut climate tech fund, backed by Australian Ethical, the CEFC, Qantas, Airbus and Daniel Besen's family office.

Investing in a Cleaner Future: Reflections from the Frontlines of Climate Innovation

The fund's authors recap two climate-investment events, weighing the massive global capital needs, mixed public-private funding models, and its clean-economy portfolio activity in Victoria.

Seven Aussie startups that raised $155.5 million this week

Weekly roundup covering seven Australian companies' fresh capital: EV charging, satellite IoT, sovereign cloud, wearables, workplace messaging, plus two crowdfunding raises on Birchal.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing

Veteran EV charging scaleup powers up on $72 million raise

Jet Charge, an Australian electric-vehicle charging company, has secured $72 million with Mirova leading and earlier backers returning, to develop charging technology and its subscription model.

Also SmartCompany

“Time to come back:” Sunman unveils plans to make flexible solar panels in Australia

Solar pioneer Zhengrong Shi intends a Newcastle factory for frameless lightweight panels via Sunman's Energus subsidiary, eyeing federal programs; CEFC, Southern Cross Venture Partners and Softbank China are recalled as backers.

Queensland Investment Corporation backs Virescent Ventures' new climate technology fund

Virescent Ventures says QIC has joined Westpac and the CEFC backing its second climate tech fund, with new commitments lifting the initial close to roughly $125 million toward a $200 million goal.

Also @AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy

Industry and science minister Ed Husic wants you to know something is going to happen, soon

Industry minister Ed Husic told a Tech Council summit the National Reconstruction Fund is close to its first investments after asking for a $300m drawdown; the piece recaps federal tech funding moves including PsiQuantum's.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

A news roundup covering a government-backed hydrogen project for Telstra, a climate tech fund's first close, new appointments at a South Australian agency and a feed company, plus export approvals and science prizes.

Also @AuManufacturing

Seven Aussie startups that raised $45.6 million this fortnight

Roundup covering seven Australian companies' recent raises — Splend, Rich Data Co, Slice, InvestorHub, Eyeonic, Graceview and Monty Compost Co — from fleet electrification finance to AI compliance and compost-monitoring seed rounds.

e-waste recycler Sircel pockets $5 million raise amidst acquisitive mood

Kilara Capital has injected $5 million into Sircel, a Sydney-based electronic-waste processor that recently bought collapsed Victorian rival Scipher Technologies, with a Kilara portfolio manager joining the board.

Also RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy