Investment NSW

🇦🇺 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.

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Inside the sublease structure behind Fishburners’ move to Tech Central

Fishburners operated as Stone & Chalk's subsidised sub-tenant at Tech Central before entering administration; KPMG is running a fast EOI process to find buyers or investors.

Techstars Sydney is the latest victim of the NSW government’s ongoing startup purge

Techstars' Sydney accelerator will close after three years and 36 startups backed, its NSW government funding having ended; the program's chief and team are departing, while a state diversity pre-accelerator awaits a delivery partner.

$6 million, 36 startups, zero future: NSW cuts funding for Techstars Sydney

The NSW government has ended funding for Techstars Sydney, which closes after three cohorts; its managing director, Christie Jenkins, and her team are departing, and the $4 million diversity pre-accelerator has no operator yet.

Equity Clear is building national standard for investment diversity reporting

Equity Clear, an initiative of Scale Investors, Giant Leap and Alberts, wins Investment NSW sponsorship and UNSW academic partnership to build a national investor-diversity reporting standard, led by Noga Edelstein.

Cheque-in: 19 ANZ startups that raised $69 million this week

Weekly roundup covering 19 Australian and New Zealand raises, headlined by Andromeda Robotics' $23m Series A, plus Freckle, Marloo, X-Hemp, Harvest B, Wable, Starboard and Techstars Sydney's 12-startup cohort.

Also SmartCompany

19 ANZ startups that raised $66.7 million this week

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Techstars Sydney reveals the 12 startups it just backed with $2.2 million

Techstars Sydney's 2025 accelerator class holds 12 startups, with US$120,000 invested in each; seven are first-time funded. Supported by Investment NSW, the three-month Sydney program ends with a December Demo Day.

Alex Bank to give Keynote at 10th Annual FinTech Summit

Alex Bank founder Simon Beitz will deliver the opening keynote at October's FinTech Summit in Sydney; the piece recaps the neobank's licence, products and growth since launch.

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.

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Cicada Innovations to launch new health-focused hub in Westmead Health Precinct alongside Brandon BioCatalyst

Cicada Innovations is opening a health-tech incubator at Sydney's Westmead precinct with NSW government grant backing, working with Brandon Capital and Brandon BioCatalyst to help researchers commercialise medical discoveries.

Cicada Innovations to launch new health-focused hub in Westmead Health Precinct alongside Brandon BioCatalyst

Deep tech incubator Cicada Innovations is opening a health-focused facility at Sydney's Westmead precinct with Investment NSW backing, working with Brandon Capital and Brandon BioCatalyst to help early medical startups commercialise.

Eight Aussie startups that secured $30.2 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian startups raising a combined $30.2 million, spanning SME lending, quantum computing grants, proptech, consumer apps and recycling, plus Stylerunner's earlier sale to Accent Group.

Also Startup Daily

Diraq awarded $3 million NSW Quantum Computing Commercialisation Fund grant

Quantum computing startup Diraq has received a $3 million grant from NSW's Quantum Computing Commercialisation Fund, following federal support last month through CRC-Projects round 14.

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Supporting female entrepreneurs and international startups to develop and grow

NSW Government expands its Female Founders Program via Tech Ready Women and plans a Sydney landing pad for global startups; program alumna Zondii's earlier seed raise is recalled.

Also iTnews

How the new NSW government kicked the startup sector in the guts over MVP grants

Waave's co-founder criticises the NSW Government's abrupt pause of the MVP Ventures grant program, arguing it will cripple startups, and mentions his company's recent seed raise and allocated grant.

IoT pioneer Morse Micro wins big from NSW government support for Tech Central

NSW government backing for Morse Micro's HaLow Wi-Fi expansion in Tech Central is still subject to a formal agreement, UTS plans a defence-compliant vault, and five scaleups are named as first recipients of accommodation rebates.

Brandon Capital news

Index of the venture firm's portfolio updates: financing rounds for AdvanCell and ENA Respiratory, grant awards via incubator programs, two closes of Fund Six, board hires, and Myricx Bio's completed sale to Novartis.

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