Startup · $6.2m raised
Every investor coverage indicates participated in a round SA Power Networks raised.
| Investor | Rounds | Invested |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) | Grant | $6,200,000 |
Companies SA Power Networks acquired or merged with, per published coverage. Buying a company is not investing in one: nothing here counts in the deals column.
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Bills | CEO | ARENA, RenewEconomy |
| Mark Vincent | General Manager Strategy and Transformation | ARENA |
Stories naming SA Power Networks. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Energy AI startup Gridsight, co-founded by NSW childhood friends, has raised a $36 million round led by New York's Insight Partners as it expands into the US; Endeavour Energy is among its customers.
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Zen Energy faces liquidation after administrators blamed its risky solar-heavy trading strategy; its Zen Futures infrastructure unit was sold for $45 million, and creditors look likely to recover little.
Administrators McGrathNicol say troubled renewable retailer Zen Energy must liquidate, blaming a risky trading strategy; creditors face heavy losses, its infrastructure arm was sold for $45 million, and a Gunvor retail deal collapsed.
A large South Australian battery has stood idle for weeks because part-owner Zen Energy entered voluntary administration, triggering its market suspension, while its hoped-for sale to commodities trader Gunvor collapsed.
South Australian startups Lunio Energy and OptiGrid launch a 5 MW Strathalbyn battery into market trading; the piece recalls OptiGrid's seed round backed by CEFC, IP Group, Hostplus, universities and EnergyLab.
A 5 MW South Australian battery has started trading, the first project for developer Lunio Energy and the first four-hour site run on OptiGrid's optimisation platform, whose seed backers are recapped.
Renewable utility Zen Energy has entered voluntary administration despite regulators clearing Gunvor to buy its retail business; McGrathNicol is administrator and customers moved to AGL.
Neara joins the unicorn club after a TCV-led $90 million Series D at a $1.1 billion valuation, with existing backers participating; funds will fuel global expansion and engineering hires.
ARENA commits $2.4 million to EVX for 250 kerbside EV chargers across three Australian states, funded through the Driving the Nation Program, with electricity distributors and a retailer supporting the rollout.
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ARENA recalls two community electrification grants, $6.2 million to SA Power Networks and $5.4 million to Electrify 2515, and says the minister has asked it to consider expanding such funding.
Round-up reporting Neara's $45 million Series C, Alimetry's US$18 million Series A2, Earthodic's US$4 million seed, and Antler's latest residency intake of startups each receiving $225,000 for 12% stakes.
Also Startup Daily
Neara, an Australian AI infrastructure startup, raised $45 million led by EQT, Partners Group and Square Peg Capital, with Skip Capital and Prosus Ventures returning; funds target North American and European expansion.
Australia's renewable energy agency conditionally allocates up to $143 million to twenty named recipients for a national rollout of as many as 370 community batteries, with a second grant round flagged.
Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Matrak closes a Series A, Queensland Pacific Metals receives an R&D tax refund, ARENA funds a household energy trial, Ampcontrol appoints a transformation chief, plus policy and launch briefs.
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ARENA puts $6.2 million toward SA Power Networks' Energy Masters trial, equipping 500 South Australian homes with smart devices and energy management tech, alongside state government, research, retail and finance partners.
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TechCrunch profiles Neara, an Australian startup whose AI models of electricity networks help utilities predict and manage extreme-weather risks, naming its investors and utility customers.
ARENA grants PLUS ES $2.72 million to build hot water demand-management capability, letting AGL Energy dynamically control up to 20,000 South Australian hot water systems as part of a $5.4 million project.
SA Power Networks has appointed CS Energy chief Andrew Bills as its next CEO, replacing the retiring Rob Stobbe, as the South Australian electricity distributor prepares for a fully renewable grid.
Fleet Space Technologies has received a government grant to upgrade its nanosatellite network, with a second award going to electronics manufacturer Crystalaid, both tied to a national space supply chain program.
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The Brisbane clean-tech firm behind the technology in Ikea's Adelaide microgrid has closed a A$6.55 million raise, mostly from Australian and UK investors, to open a London base for global expansion.
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ARENA grants SA Power Networks $2.09 million for a trial of flexible solar grid connections using smart inverters, with AusNet Services and inverter makers as partners.
ARENA grants Solcast $994,685 for a South Australian renewable generation nowcasting demonstration, with AEMO, Weatherzone, TESLA Asia Pacific and SA Power Networks involved in testing and sharing the forecasts.
Also RenewEconomy
ARENA is funding twelve distributed energy projects with $9.6 million: five grid-capacity pilots led by five companies, plus seven studies led by utilities, universities and CSIRO.
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