Company
Every published round Wesfarmers took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
Companies Wesfarmers has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio companies recorded yet. | ||||
Fund closes reported for Wesfarmers, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Wesfarmers has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Wesfarmers did.
| Company | Bought by | Kind | Announced | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio company of Wesfarmers is recorded as having been acquired. | ||||
Companies Wesfarmers acquired or merged with, per published coverage. Buying a company is not investing in one: nothing here counts in the deals column.
| Company | Kind | Announced | Price | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InstantScripts | Acquisition | 2023 | $135m | Startup Daily, SmartCompany |
| The Catch Group | Acquisition | 13 Jun 2019 | $230m | Startup Daily, SmartCompany (Thu 30 Jan 2025), SmartCompany (Thu 13 Jun 2019) |
| Catch | Acquisition | 2019 | $230m | Startup Daily (Mon 4 May 2026), Startup Daily (Tue 21 Jan 2025) |
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Bill English | Non-executive Director | Fintech News Australia, Australian FinTech |
| Rob Scott | Managing Director | SmartCompany (Thu 30 Jan 2025), Startup Daily, SmartCompany (Thu 13 Jun 2019) |
Stories naming Wesfarmers. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Weekly roundup: Blackbird confirms a record fund close and Galileo reaches a first close, Genesis merges with Proudi, IREN secures massive debt, and several startups report raises, grants and program wins.
The federal NRFC has lent $120 million to prefab apartment maker Built Living, which has also drawn $100 million equity from Wesfarmers and a $20 million WA government grant.
Payments company Airwallex has brought in a new independent chair for its Australian board and added a former New Zealand prime minister as a director; he already leads its NZ board.
Airwallex has appointed Elana Rubin AM to chair its Australian board and former New Zealand prime minister Sir Bill English as a director there, with both roles starting immediately; their other board roles are listed.
Linktree has bought Melbourne rival Fingertip and will shut it down in 2026, with its cofounders joining; the piece also recaps Linktree's earlier acquisitions and the Leibovich brothers' failed ventures.
Also Dealroom·Forbes Australia
Roundup of five Australian raises totalling $85 million: National Renewable Network's Series A, plus Syenta, Cuttable, SprintSuite and Bitwise Agronomy, with lead investors and expansion plans for each.
Melbourne adtech firm Cuttable has added $4.5 million to its seed round with Square Peg leading, taking total backing to $10 million and valuing the business at $44.5 million ahead of its US push.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily
RenewEconomy questions why Wesfarmers, whose Bunnings chain already runs on fully renewable power, is receiving $100 million in concessional government finance for more solar, batteries and EV charging.
Retrospective timeline of Catch's journey from its 2006 launch through Tiger Global's investment, the Menulog and Luxury Escapes deals and Wesfarmers' $230 million acquisition, to Wesfarmers' announced wind-down.
Wesfarmers is closing Catch, the online retailer it bought for $230 million in 2019, citing local ecommerce competition; the story also recalls Catch's venture backers and Little Birdie's $30m stake, pause and rescue.
Also Startup Daily
Profile of Updoc co-founder Dylan Coyne, whose telehealth firm has passed 200,000 patients and banked a $20 million Bailador-led round; the article also recalls Bailador's InstaScripts sale to Wesfarmers.
Square Peg announces its participation in Cuttable's AU$5.5 million seed round. The AI-powered advertising platform was founded by Jack White, Ed Ring and Sam Kroonenburg, and already works with major Australian brands.
Also Square Peg Capital portfolio·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·LaunchVic
SmartCompany reports digital health platform Updoc raised $20 million from ASX-listed investor Bailador, its first external capital, and notes the telehealth sector's recent funding activity, including InstantScripts' earlier sale to Wesfarmers.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia·Forbes Australia
Fremantle Seaweed, Vanable, FLK it over, Bae Juice, Nullify, Recce Pharmaceuticals, Broad Radio, VaultEscrow, Esper, Anni, CSF Enterprises, and Jupiter Ionics secured funding through various rounds including crowdfunding, seed, and grants.
Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany
FundWA has backed Perth medtech VitalTrace as the second deal from its debut fund. The biosensor startup's co-founders took out a 2021 WA Innovator of the Year award.
Telehealth firm InstantScripts, a 2021 Smart50 winner, faces a proposed roughly $135 million takeover by Wesfarmers through API; backer Bailador will exit its whole stake, realising $52 million.
A manufacturing roundup covering Hazer's R&D tax refund, Atomo's South African test supply deal, Acrow's asset purchase, PureFoods' product revenue, a solar farm completion, BlueScope's accelerator applications, and a drone modem launch.
Australian tyre-recycling firm Green Distillation Technologies has received $10.2 million in federal grants and R&D incentives within $39.1 million raised to date, and is currently offering shares and convertible notes to fund plant expansion.
E-commerce startup Little Birdie raised $30 million pre-launch from Commonwealth Bank, which took a 23% stake at a $130 million valuation. The article also recalls Catch.com.au's earlier $230 million sale to Wesfarmers.
Roundup covering Zip's new chair, 6clicks' $5 million raise, a Koala data exposure, Andrew Forrest's criticism of Elon Musk, and Melvin Capital's bailout.
Wesfarmers has agreed to acquire e-commerce company Catch Group for $230 million, pending regulator approval, to strengthen Kmart and Target's online and fulfilment capabilities.