HEO

Cut Through Quarterly 3Q 2026

Cut Through Venture's quarterly report records a record $4.2 billion raised across 78 Australian venture rounds in Q3 2026, dominated by Firmus's $2.85 billion data centre raise, with sector trends, valuations and investor sentiment.

Also Startup Daily

🇦🇺 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

Space monitoring startup scores NRF backing in $37 million Series B

Beaten Zone Venture Partners led a US$25 million Series B in HEO Robotics, which images other spacecraft, with the NRFC contributing $10 million; the piece also recalls earlier Series A and seed rounds.

Also Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Cut Through Venture·Startup Daily·Space Connect·This Week in Australian Startups·Dynamic Business

He's quietly invested in Australia's biggest space tech startups. Now he's moving to launch a $150m fund

Profiles space investor Will Scully-Power, whose Pine Gap firm backs Australian space startups and plans a larger US fund with partners; defence VC Beaten Zone has also wrapped up a $26 million fund.

HEO releases first images captured in Rendezvous, Proximity Operations mission

HEO has released early imagery from its first close-range orbital inspection mission, with Continuum-1 imaging a rocket body alongside partners Satellogic and UNSW Canberra Space under Defence Trailblazer funding.

🇦🇺 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.

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #163, 31st May 2026

Weekly roundup tallies five completed raises totalling $26.6m, plus Airwallex releasing a billing product, HEO approaching a Series B, Tanda hunting a private-equity backer, Firmus's ASX listing timeline slipping, and a DroneShield shareholder protest.

Australia conducts first sovereign satellite rendezvous manoeuvre in major leap for space security

HEO and UNSW Canberra Space have performed Australia's first propelled satellite rendezvous manoeuvre with the Continuum-1 spacecraft, a Defence Trailblazer-funded effort advancing sovereign space domain awareness skills.

The final frontier is proving to be rich with opportunity. Commercialising space has unleashed the power of creative capitalism… ⬇️

Beaten Zone's blog touts Australia's space sector, citing CEO Steve Baxter and reporting Gilmour Space Technologies' $217 million Series E from National Reconstruction Fund Corporation and Hostplus, plus its investments in HEO and Zendir.

Also Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·AFR Technology·Dealroom·australianmanufacturing.com.au·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Business News Australia

Steve Baxter's new defence-focused VC fund locks and loads $10 million in first close on $60m target

Brisbane defence-tech VC Beaten Zone Venture Partners has reached a first close of over $10 million toward a $60 million target, with early investments in three startups and a new general manager.

Beaten Zone Venture Partners Announces First Capital Call Following Successful Fund Close

Brisbane defence-tech fund manager BZV says Fund I has drawn over A$10 million in commitments, meeting its ESVCLP condition, with A$60 million targeted and a final close expected inside 18 months.

Also Startup Daily

Biosecurity threats software startup plants $5.3 million Seed round

ExoFlare, cofounded by ex-Data61 chief Adrian Turner, has banked $5.3 million in seed funding led by Salus Ventures to help food producers manage biosecurity risks.

Also SmartCompany

Spacetech startups score $9 million in latest Moon to Mars grants

Twelve Australian spacetech companies received Moon to Mars Supply Chain Capability grants totalling over $9m for NASA's Artemis, with NextAero, Neumann Space, Metakosmos, Valiant Space, Gilmour Space Technologies and HEO Robotics among those funded.

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

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of manufacturing briefs: Latrobe Magnesium's share placement, DroneShield and Cyclopharm results, Graphene Manufacturing Group's US OTCQX listing, an Electro Optic Systems dispute settlement, HEO London recruitment, and a green steel partnership.

Four Aussie startups that raised $38.4 million this week

Weekly roundup covering fresh raises by four Australian startups: Ignition's banking facility, HEO Robotics' Series A, Laronix's seed round and Haast's pre-seed, plus a past ACT grant.

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

Satellite inspection startup raises $12 million Series A

Sydney spacetech firm HEO Robotics has closed a $12m Series A led by AirTree Ventures, with Salus, In-Q-Tel, Y Combinator and angels also in, as federal cutbacks hit Australian space programs.

Also Business News Australia·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

World-first non-Earth imaging camera “manufactured entirely in Australia” gets launched

HEO Robotics' Holmes Imager, described as the first commercial camera for non-Earth imaging built entirely in Australia, launched on a SpaceX rocket, with several local manufacturing and research partners credited.

Portfolio Spotlight: HEO Robotics - UNSW Founders

UNSW Founders profiles its alumnus HEO Robotics, a Sydney company that inspects satellites from orbit, recounting its founding, accelerator history, and founders' backgrounds.

HEO Robotics attracts seed funding to support satellite inspection service

Sydney satellite monitoring firm HEO Robotics completed an undisclosed seed round led by Winton Group's David Harding to launch its in-orbit inspection product, with several investors participating and an existing backer increasing its stake.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Interview: Dr William Crowe, HEO Robotics | Aussie Space Cast

Podcast interview with HEO Robotics chief executive Dr William Crowe about his space startup, plus Australian space news: a discovery centre opening, a rocket motor test, and a first space commander.

How HEO Robotics Are Using Nanosatellites To Monitor Space Debris And Asteroids

Space Bandits interview with HEO Robotics founder Dr William Crowe covering the company's asteroid-mining origins, pivot to satellite imaging, early Kickstarter and friends-and-family backing, grants, and a paid Australian Air Force trial.