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Investor · 9 deals

Gates Foundation

Coverage

Stories naming Gates Foundation. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.

12 deals

Brandon Capital's $60m taypayer-funded biotech bets

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

Funding announcement

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #175, 23rd August 2026

Weekly roundup: Constantinople raises $62.5m; Blackbird wraps fund six above $1b; Guardhouse buys Mobohubb; SCX.ai debuts on the ASX; plus seed rounds, exits and executive changes across the ecosystem.

Funding announcement

Seven ANZ startups that raised $111.5 million this week

Roundup of seven raises across the Tasman spanning fintech, marine tech, agtech, defence and AI, plus a first close for an ACT venture fund.

8 deals

Four Aussie startups that raised $2.86 billion this week (sort of)

Roundup of four Australian raises: Firmus Technologies' US$2 billion round at a $15 billion valuation, Eudaemon's $3.75 million, Zabidou's $3.5 million seed round, and Rampart's $2.3 million.

Also This Week in Australian Startups

News

ENA Respiratory Receives USPTO Notice of Allowance for Two Patents Covering TLR2 Agonists and Rhinovirus-Mediated COPD Exacerbations

Melbourne-based ENA Respiratory announced US patent allowances covering its TLR2 agonist platform and a COPD treatment method, strengthening IP protection for its INNA-051 nasal spray candidate now in Phase II testing.

Series A ~$30m

GrainCorp Ventures participates in Series A funding for PlasmaLeap fertiliser technology

GrainCorp's venture arm has joined a Series A backing PlasmaLeap Technologies, an Australian maker of modular on-farm fertiliser systems, which will use the funds for its first hubs in NSW and Tasmania.

Also GrainCorp Ventures·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

11 deals

Six Aussie startups that raised $123.2 million this week

A weekly roundup detailing new funding rounds for six Australian startups: Lyka, PlasmaLeap, Firmable, Veyor, Lumonus and Future Minds Network, with investors and round details.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Series A $28m

PlasmaLeap raises $28 million to scale green fertiliser tech

PlasmaLeap, a Sydney maker of emissions-free fertiliser technology, has closed a US$20m Series A backed by Gates Foundation, Investible, Yara Growth Ventures and other investors.

Also SmartCompany·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy

News

ENA Respiratory Announces Dosing of First Participants in Phase II Study of INNA-051 Nasal Spray Designed to Protect Against Symptomatic Viral Respiratory Infections

Melbourne biotech ENA Respiratory has begun dosing volunteers in a mid-stage trial of its INNA-051 antiviral spray, aimed at limiting common viral illnesses in at-risk groups.

9 deals

Eight Aussie startups that raised $108.6 million this week

Roundup of eight funding deals: Synchron's Series D, plus raises by Lumonus AI, Hullbot, Nbryo, Cytophenix, Giftbee, Understanding Zoe and Zeligate, spanning medtech, robotics, agtech and AI.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

2 deals

Queensland agtech Nbryo raises $10 million to rewrite the future of livestock breeding

Cattle genetics startup Nbryo has landed $10 million co-led by Tenacious Ventures and AgriZeroNZ, plus an $18 million research grant, to commercialise its embryo technology.

Also Beef Central / Grain Central·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·nbryo.com·nbryo.com

2 deals

Queensland agtech startup Nbryo nabs $10 million Seed round to breed better beef

Queensland cattle-breeding biotech Nbryo has secured $10m in seed backing co-led by Tenacious Ventures and AgriZeroNZ, alongside an $18m research grant from the Gates Foundation and Meat and Livestock Australia.

Also SmartCompany·Beef Central / Grain Central·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·nbryo.com

Funding announcement

Nbryo completes AUD $10 Million Capital Raising to Accelerate Genetic Improvement in Beef & Dairy

Nbryo closed a A$10 million round co-led by Tenacious Ventures with AgriZeroNZ, QIC, the Murdoch family and Mandalay, and has drawn over $18 million in grants from Gates Foundation and Meat and Livestock Australia.

11 deals

Cheque-in: 8 startups raised $113 million this week to end October

Weekly funding roundup covering eight raises totalling over $113 million across aerospace, biotech, materials, health and software, plus a pharmacy firm's acquisition out of administration.

10 deals

Eight ANZ startups that raised $113 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight trans-Tasman startup raises worth a combined $113 million-plus, alongside Joe Zhou's buyout of StrongRoom AI from administrators.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Series D+ ~$90m

Vaxxas secures ~A$90 million in funding to commercialise needle-free vaccination delivery technology

Vaxxas announced a roughly A$90m financing — Series D equity led by SPRIM Global Investments plus debt — to advance its needle-free vaccine patch, alongside leadership changes including a new chair.

Series B $16m

Drone delivery startup Swoop Aero stalls, lands in administration

Drone delivery company Swoop Aero has entered voluntary administration after its cofounder blamed investor pressure; administrators now seek a buyer or recapitalisation. The piece recalls its 2021 Series B and 2018 Startmate stint.

Also Startup Daily

20 deals

The top 20 agtech deals of 2023

A year-end countdown of 2023's twenty largest agtech funding rounds, from biofuels and carbon marketplaces to farm robotics, with EcoCeres' $400 million raise at the top.

Also AgFunderNews

Funding announcement

Vaxxas Announces and Publishes Successful Phase I Clinical Trial for Measles and Rubella Vaccine Delivered Using its Proprietary High-Density Microarray Skin Patch; Plan for Phase I/II Trial in The Gambia, Africa

Vaxxas reports positive Phase I results for its needle-free skin-patch delivery of a measles-rubella vaccine, with Gates Foundation grant funding and a planned PATH-sponsored Phase I/II trial in The Gambia.

14 deals

The Week in AgriFoodTech: Paine Schwartz launches $1.7bn agrifood fund, Cricket One unveils new plant, Infarm ‘declared bankrupt’

Weekly agrifoodtech roundup: Paine Schwartz closes its $1.7bn food-and-ag fund; several seed and Series A rounds; Tangelo acquires Diet ID; Infarm declared bankrupt; layoffs and partnerships across the sector.

19 deals

The Week in AgriFoodTech: Aphea.Bio scores $78m for biologicals, Do Good Foods files Ch. 11, Chipotle’s avocado robots

Weekly agrifoodtech roundup reporting numerous funding rounds including Aphea.Bio, Bobbie and Sensand, a Coca-Cola-backed venture fund close, Do Good Foods' bankruptcy filing, and The Andersons acquiring Bridge Agri Partners.

Also AgFunderNews

Funding announcement

Vaxxas Announces Interim Phase I Study Results for First Needle-Free HD-MAP COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaxxas reports encouraging interim Phase I results for its needle-free microarray-patch COVID-19 vaccine, with strong antibody responses and no serious adverse events, ahead of planned regulatory applications in Australia and the US.

Funding announcement

Vaxxas Appoints Dr. Rochelle Chaiken as Chief Medical Officer

Vaxxas hires former Pfizer medical executive Dr Rochelle Chaiken as its chief medical officer; the announcement also recounts the biotech's founding financing and later rounds.

Funding announcement

Vaxxas Appoints Dr. Rochelle Chaiken as Chief Medical Officer

Vaxxas has appointed 23-year Pfizer veteran Dr Rochelle Chaiken as chief medical officer; the announcement also recaps the vaccine-patch company's early backing by OneVentures, Brandon Capital and others.

Unnamed stage $34m

Vaxxas Raises US$23 million (A$34 million) to Clinically Advance Needle-Free Vaccines, Including a Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

Vaxxas completed a US$23 million (A$34 million) financing led by OneVentures and UniQuest to advance its needle-free vaccine clinical programs, including a COVID-19 candidate, with board members, management and individual investors also participating.

Also OneVentures portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·@AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·Techboard·@AuManufacturing

Funding announcement

First Aussies to get needle-free COVID-19 vaccine patch

Vaxxas has begun a phase one trial in Australia of its needle-free COVID-19 vaccine patch. The Brisbane company, backed by OneVentures, Brandon Capital and others, has hired Scott Fry from Ellume as COO.

News

First Aussies to get needle-free COVID-19 vaccine patch

Brisbane biotech Vaxxas has begun human testing of its microneedle patch for COVID-19 vaccination and plans a phase two study; the venture-backed company has raised over $66 million.

3 deals

Pharma giant Pfizer wins over telehealth startup ResApp Health with $179 million takeover

Pfizer has completed its takeover of ASX-listed telehealth diagnostics company ResApp Health for $179 million, with the article recalling the company's 2015 listing, earlier raises and a Gates Foundation grant.

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