Me&U

Skalata named Australia's most active investor for H1 2024

Australian startup capital climbed 30% in early 2024 even as deal counts fell; Skalata Ventures topped investor activity with 13 participations, ahead of Blackbird and Investible.

Also TechCrunch Venture·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Australian FinTech·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia

Me&u takes on American Express and DoorDash as it eyes first profitable year

Me&u launches a new AI-powered reservations platform to compete with Resy and SevenRooms, targeting profitability in 2026 after merging with Mr Yum.

Leigh Jasper leads a new $50 million fund backed by Australian unicorn founders

Glitch Capital, a new $50m vehicle led by Leigh Jasper and backed by exited unicorn founders, has completed its first deal, backing Melbourne edtech firm Cadmus.

Six Aussie startups that recently raised $62.2 million

Funding roundup covering six Australian-linked startups: Superpower's US$30m Series A, WeMoney's $12m Series A plus debt facility, InsightWise's $1m pre-seed, and Bupa's first venture investments in three health startups.

Also SmartCompany·Forbes Australia

AI consulting platform banks $1 million pre-Seed round

InsightWise, an AI platform for consultants, raised a $1 million pre-seed round led by Aliavia Ventures and No Brand Holdings, with Wollemi Capital and FB10x taking part, to fund product development and US expansion.

Also SmartCompany

H1 2024 in Review: $100m invested

TEN13's investor letter celebrates passing $100 million deployed, plus fresh backing for iion and Switchboard, team promotions, AutoGrab's overseas growth and NZ-arm sale, and the Mr Yum–Me&U merger.

Also Startup Daily·thetimes.com.au·SmartCompany

Anzac spirit: hospitality ordering platform HungryHungry merges with New Zealand’s Mobi

Melbourne payments platform HungryHungry and New Zealand's MOBI have merged, with HungryHungry now running the Wellington business; terms undisclosed. The article recalls earlier angel and seed raises and the founders' sale of OrderMate.

2023 in Review 💫

Ten13's year-end post recaps nine new portfolio additions, follow-on support for existing holdings, the Mr Yum and Me&U merger, Go1's Blinkist acquisition, Smileyscope's FDA clearance, and community events.

Also OIF Ventures portfolio·Ten13 portfolio·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia·TechCrunch Venture

Revealed: Top 20 startups in Australia

LinkedIn's seventh annual ranking of Australia's top startups puts Immutable first and Harrison.ai second; the piece also notes me&u's recent merger with Mr Yum and the Tran brothers' three-year fundraising tally.

Also Startup Daily

QR-code rivals Mr Yum and me&u to merge in major shakeup to Australian restaurant-tech sector

Table-ordering rivals Mr Yum and me&u will combine in a stock deal, with Mr Yum's chief executive leading the merged business; earlier raises by both are recapped.

$810 million in three months: The biggest VC deals revealed

A quarterly Cut Through Venture survey reports Australian startups raised $810 million across 90 deals in Q2 2023, listing the largest rounds and noting improved investor sentiment despite a sluggish first half.

Also SmartCompany

FUNDED April 2023

Techboard's monthly roundup counts 40 Australian startup raises worth $498m in April 2023, headlined by Saluda Medical and Eucalyptus, plus smaller rounds and fund closes by Purpose Ventures and Proto Axiom.

The Week in AgriFoodTech: Restaurant order app me&u bagged $30m, Remilk approved for Israeli markets, biomaterials bonanza

Weekly roundup reporting me&u's Series C, several agrifoodtech fundraises across Europe, Danone's stake in Imagindairy, Remilk's Israeli approval, plus partnerships, launches and layoffs.

Also Forbes Australia·SmartCompany

Ignition Lane's Great Big Annual Wrap

Ignition Lane's year-end review of 2022 tech news: shifting VC sentiment, record Australian fund raises, grocery delivery failures and shutdowns, local M&A, crypto fallout, awards, and global stories from Twitter to ChatGPT.

Also AgFunderNews

Asia became the ‘world’s factory’ for manufacturing. It’ll do the same for alt-protein, says Better Bite VC

Better Bite Ventures reaches the first close of its debut $15 million fund for Asia-Pacific alt-protein startups, and outlines its portfolio, seed-stage focus, and case for Asia becoming a global alt-protein manufacturing hub.

Barcats bags $2.4 million to tackle the hospitality talent gap, as COVID-19 continues to change the sector

Hospitality staffing platform Barcats has raised $2.4 million to connect workers with venues, while a me&u report highlights pandemic-driven changes including greater tech adoption, later trading hours and premium drinks orders.

Also Startup Daily·Techboard·SmartCompany

Switched off over Christmas? Here’s the startup news you might have missed

A holiday roundup of startup headlines: several Australian funding rounds, Airwallex's funds frozen amid a fraud probe, Fintech Australia's policy submission, and Travis Kalanick selling his remaining Uber stake.

UberEats in reverse: Dining-out platform me&u bags $8 million from laundry list of high-profile investors

Dining-tech firm me&u has closed an $8 million series B to fund a countrywide rollout, with Merivale's Justin Hemmes and Tyro's Robbie Cooke among new backers; founder Stevan Premutico earlier sold Dimmi to TripAdvisor.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany

Stevan Premutico Founder of 'Dimmi' & new startup 'me&u'

Podcast profile of entrepreneur Stevan Premutico, covering his restaurant reservations startup Dimmi and its 2015 acquisition by TripAdvisor, plus his new venture me&u.

Also Dynamic Business·SmartCompany