Smart50 star Mad Paws secures $62 million buyout deal
Pet-sitting marketplace Mad Paws has recommended a proposed $62 million takeover by US company Rover, with its Pet Chemist arm earmarked for VetPartners, while earlier raises are recalled.
Angel investor · Managing Director, Sellable
Every published round Justus Hammer 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.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brainfish | Unnamed stage | 6 May 2024 | $3.8m | Participant | SmartCompany (Thu 10 Jul 2025), Startup Daily (Wed 9 Jul 2025), SmartCompany (Wed 18 Dec 2024), SmartCompany (Fri 28 Jun 2024), SmartCompany (Fri 10 May 2024), Forbes Australia, Startup Daily (Mon 6 May 2024), SmartCompany (Mon 6 May 2024) | |
| Upstreet | Seed | 22 Mar 2022 | $3m | Participant | Startup Daily (Tue 12 Sep 2023), Techboard, Australian FinTech, Startup Daily (Tue 22 Mar 2022) | |
| Book An Artist | Unnamed stage | 10 Mar 2022 | $1m | Participant | SmartCompany, Startup Daily | |
| Hudled | Seed | 15 Mar 2021 | $640k | Participant | SmartCompany (Wed 13 Apr 2022), Startup Daily (Wed 29 Sep 2021), Cut Through Venture, SmartCompany (Wed 17 Mar 2021), Startup Daily (Mon 15 Mar 2021), Black Nova Venture Capital portfolio |
Companies Justus Hammer has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upstreet | 22 Mar 2022, Seed | 1 | 0 | |
| Hudled | 15 Mar 2021, Seed | 1 | 0 | |
| Brainfish | 6 May 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Book An Artist | 10 Mar 2022 | 1 | 0 |
Fund closes reported for Justus Hammer, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Justus Hammer has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Justus Hammer did.
Stories naming Justus Hammer. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Pet-sitting marketplace Mad Paws has recommended a proposed $62 million takeover by US company Rover, with its Pet Chemist arm earmarked for VetPartners, while earlier raises are recalled.
Wescover, an American marketplace for custom-made creations, has been bought by Melbourne-headquartered Book An Artist, which plans to merge the platforms; the piece also recalls Book An Artist's 2022 raise.
Weekly roundup of nine Australian startups that together raised over $233 million, led by Hysata's $172 million Series B, with rounds also for V2 Digital, AgriWebb, Disco, Genero, Brainfish, Kite Therapy, Nucanon and Maslow.
Sydney AI customer-support startup Brainfish has raised $3.85 million in a round led by Peak XV Partners' Surge, with Macdoch Ventures, Black Sheep Capital and angels taking part, bringing its total capital to $5 million.
Also Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany
Sydney app Upstreet, which gave shoppers fractional shares for their spending, is closing; the founders gave no reason, 18 months after a Wattle Hill-led seed round and a lifetime raise near $5 million.
Also Startup Daily
Upstreet, which gives shoppers fractional share rewards, has raised a $3 million seed-plus round led by Wattle Hill Capital, with funds earmarked for retail partnerships and platform upgrades.
Weekly roundup reporting QBiotics' $50 million raise, LAB Group's $4 million from Costa Asset Management, Hudled's $640,000 backing, and Stripe's US$600 million round at a US$95 billion valuation.
Also Cut Through Venture
SaaS tracking startup Hudled has raised a $640,000 seed round from Black Nova Group, Antler, Sydney Angels and three angels, after an earlier $155,000 Antler pre-seed, ahead of its product launch and possible US expansion.
Also SmartCompany·Cut Through Venture·Startup Daily·SmartCompany
Profile of pet-sitting platform Mad Paws, recalling its $5 million raise and Qantas partnership, and how chief Alexis Soulopoulos built growth by connecting with pet owners.