Stoic Venture Capital

🇦🇺 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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Dementia biotech Kinoxis raises $6.75 million with a $2.5m grant as cherry on top

Melbourne dementia drug developer Kinoxis secured $6.75 million equity led by Main Sequence plus a $2.5 million Medical Research Future Fund grant via CUREator+, funding trials of its agitation and pain drug candidates.

ENA Respiratory Begins Part B Dosing

Melbourne biotech ENA Respiratory has begun dosing participants in the second part of its Phase IIa trial of INNA-051; its investor lineup, past government funding awards and BLUE KNIGHT alumni status are recapped.

ENA Respiratory Receives USPTO Notice of Allowance for Two Patents Covering TLR2 Agonists and Rhinovirus-Mediated COPD Exacerbations

Melbourne-based ENA Respiratory announced US patent allowances covering its TLR2 agonist platform and a COPD treatment method, strengthening IP protection for its INNA-051 nasal spray candidate now in Phase II testing.

ENA Respiratory Appoints Melissa Faris to Board

ENA Respiratory Announces Dosing of First Participants in Phase II Study of INNA-051 Nasal Spray Designed to Protect Against Symptomatic Viral Respiratory Infections

Melbourne biotech ENA Respiratory has begun dosing volunteers in a mid-stage trial of its INNA-051 antiviral spray, aimed at limiting common viral illnesses in at-risk groups.

Ferronova raises another $6 million to advance image-guided cancer surgery

Adelaide medtech Ferronova has banked another $6 million from returning backers to advance its surgical tracer for cancer, lifting Series A funding to $17.5 million; backer parent UltraGreen.ai floated in Singapore this month.

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Cheque-in: 8 startups raised $113 million this week to end October

Weekly funding roundup covering eight raises totalling over $113 million across aerospace, biotech, materials, health and software, plus a pharmacy firm's acquisition out of administration.

Eight ANZ startups that raised $113 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight trans-Tasman startup raises worth a combined $113 million-plus, alongside Joe Zhou's buyout of StrongRoom AI from administrators.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Uniseed boss Peter Devine calls time on 20 years leading Australia's OG VC

Uniseed chief executive Peter Devine departs after two decades; Monash's Alistair Hick takes over in 2026. The piece recounts Uniseed's fund history and recent stakes in ENA Respiratory and Morse Micro rounds.

Five ANZ startups that raised $38.5 million this week

Weekly roundup detailing five raises across Australian and New Zealand startups — Hapana, Kinoxis Therapeutics, Appetise, Bike Matrix and Aglow — worth a combined $38.5 million, naming lead investors and planned expansion for each.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

Kinoxis secures $14.5m in funding and announces expansion of clinical programs to target agitation and aggression in dementia patients

Australian biotech Kinoxis Therapeutics raised $14.5 million in Series B backing from Uniseed, UniSuper and others to fund Phase 2 trials of KNX100 for dementia-related agitation, including a new Australian study.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Welcoming Harikesh to the Partnership

Stoic Venture Capital has promoted Harikesh Pushpapathan into its partnership, with co-founder Guy Hedley crediting two years of work helping university researchers commercialise their science.

The Art of the Startup – Stoic

Interview with Stoic Venture Capital's Guy Hedley, Craig Swanger and Geoff Waring on backing university science startups, their Uniseed partnership, a planned 2024 All Stars Fund II, and new analyst Safaa Nasrallah.

Six Australian startups that secured $94 million in capital this week

Roundup of six Australian startup raises totalling $94 million: Q-CTRL, Hnry, FoodByUs, F4S, STRAAND and Lenexa Medical, backed by investors including Salesforce Ventures, AirTree, Base Capital, Investible, Unilever Ventures and Stoic VC.

Also stoicam.com.au

Australian biomedical imaging startup in $3.5 million Series A

Biotech startup Ferronova closed a $3.5 million Series A led by Stoic Venture Capital to commercialise iron nanoparticle technology for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily