Startup · $6.5m raised
Newcastle, QLD
Every published round CSIRO 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, and a place in one of its own programs is under Cohorts.
Everyone CSIRO has named to a program in published coverage. A place in a program is not a raise: the cheque is the figure recorded with the place, which is the program's standard terms where we hold them, and a blank is one we don't.
| Member | Program | Announced | Cheque | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DCeraFlex | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Ability Optics | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Amorfoil | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Elemental Therapeutics | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Enhanced Analgesics | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Epiblox | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Facet Amtech | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| I-VADE | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Proseek Bio | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Topicure | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Viortec | ON Accelerate 9 | 6 Jun 2025 | - | SmartCompany |
| Cytophenix | ON Accelerate | 2024 | - | Startup Daily (Fri 7 Nov 2025), Startup Daily (Thu 7 Dec 2023) |
| Rainstick | ON Accelerate | 15 Dec 2022 | - | Forbes Australia, @AuManufacturing |
| Contactile | ON Accelerate 5 | 2019 | - | Startup Daily, contactile.com |
Companies CSIRO has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DCeraFlex | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Ability Optics | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Amorfoil | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Baraja | 16 Jan 2019, Series A | 1 | 1 | |
| Cognitag | 15 Dec 2022, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| Contactile | 8 Aug 2026, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| Cytophenix | 2024, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| DHI | 15 Dec 2022, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| Eden Brew | 27 Jul 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| Elemental Therapeutics | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Endua | 9 Jun 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| Enhanced Analgesics | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Epiblox | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Facet Amtech | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Fivecast | 2 Jul 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| FPR Energy | 26 Nov 2024, Seed | 1 | 0 | |
| Future Feed | 21 Aug 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| Green Shield | 15 Dec 2022, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| I-VADE | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Iondrive | 2 Jun 2025, Grant | 1 | 0 | |
| MagnaTerra Technologies | 4 Jul 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mollongghip & District Enterprises Pty Ltd | 12 Jan 2021, Grant | 1 | 0 | |
| Morse Micro | 31 May 2019, Series A | 1 | 0 | |
| MRead | 2023, Seed | 1 | 0 | |
| Proseek Bio | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| Quasar Satellite Technologies | 4 May 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| Reduced Sugar Juice | 15 Dec 2022, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| Sparc Hydrogen | 14 Sep 2023, Grant | 1 | 0 | |
| Spritz-OM | 29 Feb 2024, Grant | 1 | 0 | |
| Thaum | 15 Dec 2022, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| Topicure | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 | |
| v2Algae | 15 Dec 2022, Accelerator | 1 | 0 | |
| v2food | 27 Nov 2019, Series A | 1 | 0 | |
| Viortec | 5 Jun 2025, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
This is a stake in the fund itself, money that the fund's manager invests, not a stake in the fund manager.
Companies CSIRO has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal CSIRO did.
Companies CSIRO acquired or merged with, per published coverage. Buying a company is not investing in one: nothing here counts in the deals column.
Every investor coverage indicates participated in a round CSIRO raised.
| Investor | Rounds | Invested |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator | Grant | - |
| ARENA | Grant | - |
| Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) | Grant · Grant | $2,600,000 |
| the federal government | Grant | - |
Stories naming CSIRO. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Profile of deep tech investor Main Sequence covering Elaine Stead's promotion to Partner, portfolio unicorns Gilmour Space and Advanced Navigation, CSIRO's expanded Atmosphere backing, and a fourth fund now being raised.
Main Sequence announces Elaine Stead's promotion to Partner while preparing its fourth fund; CSIRO has lifted its commitment to the firm's Atmosphere pre-seed program, and two portfolio companies have reached unicorn status.
Pacific Equity Partners has agreed to take a 30 percent stake in Australian on-site renewables firm Energy Bay, mainly via new shares; existing backers include Skip Capital, Grok Ventures and Soletto. Value undisclosed.
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
Dealroom reports CSIRO lifting its stake in Main Sequence's early-stage Atmosphere vehicle fourfold to US$12.9 million, money earmarked for a fourth fund the firm has yet to raise.
Deep-tech investor Main Sequence is seeking $400 million for a fourth fund, with $75 million already committed by the federal government, after two portfolio companies reached unicorn status this year.
Roundup of four trans-Tasman raises: First Table, Metacognition AI, Dela and GoTroppo secured a combined $21.5 million for restaurant discounting, robotics software, scam-safe payments and flexible internet plans.
Critical Resources reports its solid-state pouch cell ran over a month of continuous cycling while retaining most capacity, a de-risking milestone for its solvent-free battery process as it seeks licensees.
ASX-listed Critical Resources reports its solid-state pouch cell kept three-quarters of its capacity through a month-long cycling trial, further validating its solvent-free battery manufacturing approach.
Brandon Capital has put roughly $60 million of National Reconstruction Fund money into ten biotech companies and warns R&D tax changes would hurt deep tech; portfolio company Myricx Bio went to Novartis.
Also australiatimes.com
Brisbane drone mapping firm Emesent secures $15 million SAFE Note plus $10 million venture debt from federal government's National Reconstruction Fund.
Uniseed-backed Australian medtech Q-Sera's blood-clotting tube technology has debuted in Japan via Terumo's VenoJect II launch; the post also credits MRCF and UniQuest Extension Fund as backers.
The Sendle delivery brand, liquidated earlier in 2026 after a troubled merger, has been bought by logistics executive Andrew McKenna, who expects a September relaunch with Quantium Solutions handling deliveries.
Historical profile of the Fremantle craft brewery founded in 2000, covering its rise, its 2012 acquisition by Lion and 2023 sale to Asahi, and its lasting mark on Australian beer culture.
Also glassandnote.com
Brisbane drone-mapping firm Emesent has raised $15 million via a SAFE note plus $10 million in venture debt from the National Reconstruction Fund — the fund's first such deal — four years after its Series A.
Weekly roundup covering seven raises across the Tasman: Phonely's Series A, Pay.com.au's private placement, and rounds for Atomic Tessellator, Caruso, Deteqt, Clean Slate Clinic and Earthletica, worth roughly $72 million combined.
Also crane.vc
Virescent Ventures announces it co-led DryFlow Magnetics' $10m seed round with Orion Industrial Ventures and Taronga Group, funding a demonstrator for the startup's dry ore-beneficiation technology.
Weekly roundup detailing eight trans-Tasman raises totalling A$373.3 million, headlined by Halter's Series E, spanning quantum computing, biomanufacturing, robotics, adtech and agtech, plus a recalled $2 billion founder exit.
Also Startup Daily
Q-Sera's rapid-clotting blood tube technology has gone to market in Japan via Terumo's VenoJect II launch; the Melbourne startup's backers include MRCF, Uniseed and the UniQuest Extension Fund.
Interview with Terria founder Ana Belgun on the geospatial digital-twin company's CSIRO origins, government and infrastructure customers, 3D data challenges, and a planned Singapore hub.
Breakthrough Victoria's release marks Infleqtion's New York Stock Exchange listing, the investor's first portfolio listing, and notes further quantum backing of Quantum Brilliance plus Infleqtion's Victorian operations and partnerships.
Also Breakthrough Victoria·Breakthrough Victoria·Breakthrough Victoria·Breakthrough Victoria·Startup Daily·SmartCompany
Bot defence firm Kasada has secured $30 million from EQT plus earlier backers Turnbull & Partners, Reinventure, Main Sequence, OIF, StepStone and Ten Eleven, with founder Sam Crowther back in Sydney.
Six Australian startups, including Bodd, Hachiko and Cor, collectively secured about $24 million in fresh backing, while seaweed peer Sea Forest floated on the ASX and jumped in early trade.
Weekly funding roundup covering raises by Bodd, Hachiko, Fremantle Seaweed, Cor, Detail Earth and Recovr, plus seaweed peer Sea Forest's ASX float at a $112 million market capitalisation.
Also Startup Daily
Western Australia seaweed venture Fremantle Seaweed banked A$2.176 million from 676 crowd investors, with a larger sophisticated-investor tranche planned; Sea Forest's fresh ASX listing frames the story.
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
Sydney synthetic-biology venture Number 8 Bio has banked an $11m Series A with Icehouse Ventures leading, to advance cattle trials of its methane-cutting supplement; its 2024 seed and accelerator stint are recalled.
Perth medtech spin-out Cytophenix raised a pre-seed round above its target to advance trials and grow the team behind FloCAST, a rapid test identifying effective antibiotics, after earlier grants and accelerator programs.
Uniseed chief executive Peter Devine departs after two decades; Monash's Alistair Hick takes over in 2026. The piece recounts Uniseed's fund history and recent stakes in ENA Respiratory and Morse Micro rounds.
Profile of Melbourne-based biotech Neurala Biosciences, founded by two researchers turning DMT and harmala compounds into medicines, covering its origins, grant and investor backing totalling $4.5m, and planned first-in-human studies.
Eden Brew founder Jim Fader discusses the company's origins as a co-creation between CSIRO, Norco, Main Sequence Ventures, and its nutrition goals.
CSIRO has printed what is called a national-first dual-metal rocket thruster for Space Machines Company's Optimus Viper spacecraft under the iLAuNCH program; the founders appear on the publisher's podcast this week.
Breakthrough Victoria reflects on its 2022 investment in quantum company Infleqtion, part of a larger raise, detailing Victorian operations, university partnerships, workforce programs and a planned US listing via SPAC.
Defence's innovation accelerator has awarded three more contracts under its emerging and disruptive technologies program, funding quantum and information-warfare work at CSIRO, four universities and Silicon Quantum Computing, adding $9 million to the program.
Archangel Ventures reviews 2021: the Australian early-stage firm closed its first annual fund, made 24 investments, and recalls portfolio raises by Atelier, Bardee, Heaps Normal and Relevance AI.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Women's Agenda
Mirugen, a Melbourne biotech spun out of an eye research institute, has closed a A$4.5m seed round with three backers and hired Charlotte Casebourne Stock as chair and acting chief executive.
Also cera.org.au·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·insightnews.com.au
Iondrive has secured up to $3.9m from Canberra's Industry Growth Program for a battery-recycling pilot plant, with an earlier $100,000 award from Green Industries SA funding urban mining research.
Australian plant-protein maker v2food bought US plant-based chicken firm Daring Foods and struck a partnership with Japan's Ajinomoto, price undisclosed. The page also recalls v2food's $77 million Series B and local industry failures.
Gilmour Space's Eris rocket lifted off but exploded seconds later near Bowen; the founder hailed the short flight as a milestone, while its ElaraSat satellite bus flew successfully on a SpaceX rideshare mission.