Alex West resigns from Swoop following aggressive acquisitions and divestments
Swoop's chief executive is leaving the ASX-listed telco, with interim directors named, as its record of buyouts, divestments and fundraising draws sharp public criticism.
Company
Every investor coverage indicates participated in a round Swoop raised.
The transaction that ended Swoop's run as a startup, per published coverage. It closes the funding history too, where it is the ladder's last rung.
| Bought by | Kind | Announced | Price | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | IPO | 27 May 2021 | - | ARN (ARNnet) (Tue 7 Jul 2026), ARN (ARNnet) (Wed 26 May 2021) |
| Stemify | Acquisition | 18 Feb 2021 | $61.3m | ARN (ARNnet) (Wed 26 May 2021), Startup Daily, ARN (ARNnet) (Thu 18 Feb 2021) |
Companies Swoop 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Grist | Chairman | ARN (ARNnet) (Tue 7 Jul 2026), ARN (ARNnet) (Thu 18 Feb 2021), ARN (ARNnet) (Mon 11 May 2020) |
| Scott Weddle | Head of Commercial Operations Australia | SmartCompany |
| Jonathan Pearce | Interim Executive Director | ARN (ARNnet) |
| James Spenceley | Chairman | ARN (ARNnet) (Wed 26 May 2021), ARN (ARNnet) (Thu 18 Feb 2021) |
| James Spenceley | Executive Chairman | ARN (ARNnet) |
| Dr Eric Heyde | CTO | ARN (ARNnet) |
| Alex West | CEO | ARN (ARNnet) (Tue 7 Jul 2026), ARN (ARNnet) (Fri 26 Jun 2026), ARN (ARNnet) (Wed 26 May 2021), ARN (ARNnet) (Thu 18 Feb 2021), ARN (ARNnet) (Mon 11 May 2020) |
Stories naming Swoop. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Swoop's chief executive is leaving the ASX-listed telco, with interim directors named, as its record of buyouts, divestments and fundraising draws sharp public criticism.
Telco Swoop divests its incomplete Melbourne fibre network to Xenith's Australian arm for $11 million, proceeds going to debt repayment; the story also recalls Voicehub's 2024 sale to Pivotel for $9 million.
Also ARN (ARNnet)
Airtasker names Cass O’Connor as its next chair while James Spenceley departs the board after eight years to devote himself to Ukrainian relief efforts.
SME funding platform Swoop has raised a Series A round to grow its Australian and global operations, expand its team, and build out its advisor product for accountants.
Australian fixed wireless carrier Swoop Telecommunications debuts on the ASX under ticker SWP after a $20 million underwritten capital raising, having earlier completed a $61.3 million reverse takeover via Stemify.
Also ARN (ARNnet)
Roundup: Facebook blocks Australian news publishers including Startup Daily; Deliveroo loses a Dutch rider classification appeal; telco Swoop agrees a $61.3 million reverse takeover with Stemify to reach the ASX; NBN paid executives bonuses.
Also ARN (ARNnet)·ARN (ARNnet)
Swoop Telecommunications and NodeOne are to list on the ASX via a $61.3 million reverse takeover with Stemify, backed by Tattarang and founders James Spenceley and Tony Grist, plus a planned $20 million raise.
Also ARN (ARNnet)
Western Australian fixed wireless provider NodeOne received investment from Tattarang and CVC to expand its network and business offering; the Forrest family also previously took a stake in Swoop.
Network provider Swoop, formerly Cirrus Communications, has agreed to acquire Anycast Networks and ISP DCSI, gaining assets, staff and customers. Its earlier capital raising counted Minderoo, James Spenceley and Tony Grist as investors.