Company
Every published round Mars 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.
Everyone Mars 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.
Companies Mars has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio companies recorded yet. | ||||
Fund closes reported for Mars, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Mars has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Mars did.
| Company | Bought by | Kind | Announced | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio company of Mars is recorded as having been acquired. | ||||
Companies Mars acquired or merged with, per published coverage. Buying a company is not investing in one: nothing here counts in the deals column.
| Company | Kind | Announced | Price | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foodspring | Acquisition | 2019 | - | Forbes Australia, Startup Daily |
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Hazell | R&D Exec (former) | AgFunderNews, SmartCompany |
| Hamish Thompsion | Vice President (former) | Women's Agenda |
Stories naming Mars. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
South Australian soft plastics recycler Recycling Plastics Australia, recipient of a $20m federal grant, has entered voluntary administration with KPMG appointed, after a major supplier's collapse derailed its plan to fill REDcycle's gap.
The surplus-food marketplace has entered liquidation with its assets for sale; the piece recalls its 2024 seed raise led by Investible vehicles and its founder's next steps.
Also Startup Daily
Indigenous-founded snack brand Cooee lands a deal putting its cookies on Qantas domestic flights, with Ochre Ventures having invested $1.5 million to support its growth.
Also Dealroom
Melbourne longevity startup Everlab raised $15 million in a seed round with Left Lane Capital leading and AfterWork Ventures returning; the piece also recalls its 2023 pre-seed and Hermann's prior venture sold to Mars.
Also Forbes Australia
Australian algae startup Algenie raises A$1.1 million from University of Technology Sydney and Better Bite Ventures while unveiling a thin-layer photobioreactor designed to make algae production dramatically cheaper for fuels, plastics and feed.
Also SmartCompany
Blackbird's interview with MoreGoodDays co-founder Helena Ngo covers her corporate brand career, meeting co-founder Neala Fulia in Startmate's 2021 Founder Fellowship, and how the chronic-pain healthtech startup wins customers.
SafetyCulture makes its first acquisition, buying training startup EdApp in a deal valuing it at $40 million, after previously investing $9 million including a convertible note.
Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Crunchbase News
Fast food billionaire Jack Cowin has launched v2food, a plant-based meat joint venture with CSIRO's innovation fund Main Sequence Ventures, seeded by his Competitive Foods Australia and led by ex-PepsiCo research director Nick Hazell.
Profile of plant-based meat startup v2food, created through CSIRO and Main Sequence Ventures, with seed backing from Jack Cowin's Competitive Foods Australia. Founder Nick Hazell discusses launch plans and the alternative protein market.
Mars picked six Australian food startups for its first Seeds of Change accelerator, each receiving a $40,000 grant, spanning fermented foods, native ingredients, edible insects, prepared meals and plant-based cheese and meat.
Mars is opening its Seeds of Change food accelerator in Australia with FIAL, offering six selected startups grants and mentoring, with applications open until July.