University of Wollongong

“We’re building an era-defining business for Australia”: The startups building global tech powerhouses from Wollongong

A partner feature profiling Wollongong-based companies Hysata and Scalapay, recalling Hysata's record Australian cleantech Series B and arguing the region can host globally ambitious startups.

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Hysata to scale UOW clean energy innovation with $49M ARENA funding

Hysata has received an ARENA grant of up to $49 million to build a commercial-scale electrolyser manufacturing line at Port Kembla, with UOW and TAFE NSW Illawarra supporting workforce training around the project.

Australian green hydrogen hopeful launches AI-backed electrolyser production line

Hysata has started production on the first line of its AI-monitored electrolyser factory at Port Kembla, within a project worth nearly $100 million, and plans to expand capacity to 200 megawatts.

$1.26M Boost Propels UOW Cancer Imaging to Trials

University of Wollongong researchers won government funding for a quantum photon-counting cancer imaging system and partnered with radiotherapy maker Elekta, moving the technology toward clinical trials.

Hysata Named National Finalist for Research Award

A Wollongong hydrogen spin-out is shortlisted for a national award recognising research commercialisation; the profile recaps its electrolyser technology, Port Kembla headquarters, jobs and backing.

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Federal government slips $12.7 million to 8 quantum projects tackling energy, minerals and health

Eight university- and company-led Australian quantum projects share $12.7 million in stage-two Critical Technologies Challenge Program grants, funding prototypes for data-centre cooling, medical imaging and rare-earth detection.

Wollongong battery startup charges up with $15 million from Indian investor

Wollongong battery materials maker Sicona has secured AU$15 million from existing backer Himadri Speciality Chemical, which will license its silicon-carbon anode technology and fund an Indian production plant.

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Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Manufacturing roundup: Nourish Ingredients' precision fermentation milestone, MyNu Energy's investment from Melt Ventures, a refused Veolia licence, AusBiotech committee applications, UOW community batteries, a Gold Coast rail contract, and Premcar's South African launch.

Fireside Chat: Hysata – Defying hydrogen's hype cycle

Virescent Ventures partner Blair Pritchard reflects on Hysata, the Wollongong electrolyser spinout whose $172 million Series B he led, covering its technology, culture, customers and the green hydrogen market outlook.

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iAccelerate says its startups achieved $75.3 million in revenues last year

A Wollongong university accelerator's impact report tallies its startups' 2023 sales and jobs, and recalls welding-software maker Verbotics attracting seed backing and a six-figure federal grant.

ARENA awards $59.1 million to hydrogen, steel-related R&D projects

Australia's renewable energy agency handed out $59.1 million in grants across two rounds, backing 21 university, CRC and startup projects in green hydrogen and cleaner iron and steel production.

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ARENA boosts funding and names winners for green hydrogen, iron and steel projects

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has expanded its hydrogen and green metals research funding to $59.1 million across 21 projects, with recipients including Hysata, Curtin University and Fortescue subsidiary MIH2.

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Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

AuManufacturing briefs: Envirostream's LG recycling deal, Birdon's new harbour vessels, Vitrolife orders for Memphasys, Hazer's oversubscribed share plan, Cyclopharm's first US scans, an MGA job opening, Moderna fellowships and a UOW rover entry.

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Gaia EnviroTech's post-investment board meeting with RFC Ambrian, Arafura's chief executive change, Adbri's maintenance shutdown, BioCarbon's relocation, and a federal grants round opening.

Virtual reality doctor training startup backed by Epic Games raises $7 million in pre-Series A

Vantari VR, which trains doctors in virtual reality, has closed a $7 million pre-Series A led by Co:Act Capital; the article recalls earlier grants, an Epic Games award and a Slingshot accelerator cohort.

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Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup: ClearVue gets a $935,000 research tax credit; UNSW and Northrop Grumman Australia team up on quantum communications; Sentinel Boats shows an autonomous vessel; UOW leads national research rankings; LETA welcomes CCS progress.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of manufacturing briefs: biotech Imugene's share plan added A$18.2 million, EVOS shifted its Brisbane head office, ANSTO won federal backing for nuclear medicine, CSIRO endowed Wollongong scholarships, plus two chief executive appointments.

Wollongong fintech Scalapay launches $10,000 scholarship, with brewery software startup Abbl as the first recipient

Wollongong BNPL unicorn Scalapay has created a founders' scholarship, granting $10,000 plus an incubator residency; first recipient is Abbl, a brewery software venture started by the couple behind Five Barrel Brewing.

Next steps for pioneering renewable hydrogen technology

ARENA announces a $20.9 million grant to Wollongong hydrogen electrolyser startup Hysata for a commercial-scale demonstration, with Stanwell contributing $3 million and a site; earlier HyGATE funding is recalled.

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Battery materials startup Sicona charges up with $22 million Series A

Wollongong silicon anode developer Sicona has closed a Series A backed by Himadri, Artesian and other investors, its second raise after a 2021 pre-Series A, with US expansion plans.

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Bluescope backs gravity storage start-up with funds and lab at Port Kembla

Steel maker BlueScope commits money and site space at Port Kembla for startup Green Gravity to build a gravity-based energy storage research lab, with construction beginning this month.

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Honour for green hydrogen leader Professor Gerry Swiegers

Wollongong electrochemist Gerhard Swiegers has won an ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship with $3.7 million in funding for electrolyser research that underpins green hydrogen startup Hysata.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Manufacturing roundup: Memphasys IVF birth and Japanese orders, FIAL chair change, DroneShield's DroneGun Mk4, Austeng's hydrogen burner grant, UNSW recycling hub launch, Symbio laboratory, apprentice award, and MathWorks joining Universal Robots' ecosystem.

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup covering an SME sentiment survey, Renewable Metals winning a Supercharge Australia award, a new Queensland trade commissioner, an FFI green hydrogen power deal, a Siemens emissions pilot, and a CDU drones grant.

EnergyLab is backing these 11 Australian lithium battery startups with plans to change the world

EnergyLab's Supercharge Australia initiative has selected eleven startups for its first Innovation Challenge, covering lithium batteries, EV conversion and recycling, with experts judging a Sydney pitch event in March.

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Manufacturing roundup covering Cyclopharm's tax incentive payment, Carbon Revolution's government grant payments, CEFC's wind farm debt commitment, Adbri's land sales, a Monash energy report and a Wollongong research showcase.

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Former Yancoal mine to be first test site for Australian gravity storage technology

Green Gravity will trial its gravity energy storage in a closed NSW coal mine under an MoU with Yancoal, with a pre-feasibility study due in 2023, after a May capital raise.

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Roundup of manufacturing items: a training milestone at Nova Systems, Gilmour Space rocket work, a Lockheed Martin STEM program, an ATSE infrastructure statement, a steel research hub launch, and Queensland's new startup fund.

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Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

A manufacturing roundup covering a university research grant, a clinker terminal groundbreaking, quantum chip progress, a share placement, a pumped hydro plan, and an autonomous vessel demonstration.

Spotlight On: Dr. Julio Ribeiro, co-founder & CEO of Inventia Life Sciences

Blackbird's founder profile interviews Inventia Life Sciences' CEO about his career, co-founders and the RASTRUM 3D bioprinting platform, recalling the firm's early investment in the Sydney biotech company.

Australian startup eyes disused mine shafts for gigascale gravity energy storage

Green Gravity, a new Australian venture developing gravity-based power storage inside abandoned mine shafts and led by Mark Swinnerton, formerly of BHP, has early private backing and is in talks with governments and VCs.

IoT startup Binary Tech, which started out tracking beer kegs, just raised a $1.8 million seed round

Wollongong IoT firm Binary Tech, born from beer-keg tracking, has closed a seed round led by Artesian with Beachhead and angels, following earlier iAccelerate Seed Fund backing, to expand supply-chain tracking devices.

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From Doctors to Students

Clinical VR startup Vantari has partnered with the University of Wollongong to pilot virtual reality training for medical students, starting with arterial blood gas collection, with university teams validating the software.

NSW Bouncing Back With R&D Commercialisation

NSW's second R&D Innovation Districts Challenge awarded $500,000 in seed grants to winners including Adiona, Arludo and Kleu Australia, while a closing profile introduces Hayley Saddington's medtech startup Peak Medical, now seeking strategic investors.

CEFC makes first hydrogen-related investment, alongside lead investor IP Group

Electrolyser developer Hysata has raised $5 million, led by IP Group with a $750,000 commitment from the CEFC through its Clean Energy Innovation Fund, to commercialise technology developed at the University of Wollongong.

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National Space Qualification Network launched

A new national network to certify space-bound hardware has launched with a $2.5m federal grant, with six organisations including Wollongong and Saber Astronautics contributing; Saber's control centre earlier received a similar grant.

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Sydney battery materials start-up raises $1m towards possible “EV game-changer”

Sicona, a Sydney battery materials startup, raised $1 million led by Artesian, its second round after a June Seed-1 raise also led by Artesian with Kemplant participating.

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Regional focus in government's latest Incubator Support funding round

The latest federal Incubator Support grants went to six regional recipients, among them AgriStart, Arc, ThincLab and UNE's AgTech Gateway; past rounds funded Bega Valley Shire and Bridge Hub.

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