Yesterday
Ex Goldman, Rothschild MD leads raise for logistics tech start-up
Sources said David Acton’s Yarra Private Capital Discovery Fund led the round alongside existing investors King River Capital and Jungle Ventures.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
This Month
WA works to overcome its venture capital drought
The mining state has found itself “underweight” when it comes to venture capital, with scores of start-ups forced to look interstate or overseas for early investment.
- Updated
- Tom Rabe
- Exclusive
- Start-ups
Start-up to sell ‘unapproved’ replica Ozempic, upending market
Eucalyptus is challenging the monopoly over the diabetes and weight-loss drug, sparking a sharp rebuke from the $505 billion drugmaker Novo Nordisk.
- Nick Bonyhady
Potentia promises cash before Christmas to up pressure on Whispir deal
Rival suitor Pendula is expected to reveal its binding offer within days as the private equity firm offers shareholders a speedy deal.
- Nick Bonyhady
Aussie start-up banks $15m to build AI workers
The Funded blog is the home for news on the tech deals that are done in Australia, as soon as we hear about them.
- Updated
- Paul Smith
- Exclusive
- Start-ups
How a Sydney VC made 13 times its money on one start-up investment
OneVentures has turned an $8.8 million investment in Employment Hero into a $116 million return, as new ways of selling out of private companies pick up popularity.
- Paul Smith
- Exclusive
- Funding
New fund targets companies battered by market doubts
Record low biotech valuations have prompted a new VC investor to start shopping with a planned $200 million fund.
- Jessica Sier
North American crypto fund scours Australia looking for bargain buys
Animoca Brands, a blockchain-based gaming business, is being targeted by the $760 million fund with a mandate to soak up secondary shares at big discounts.
- Jessica Sier
- Opinion
- Tech Observed
Recreating dead actors with AI does not make for a wonderful life
It may seem harmless to recreate Jimmy Stewart’s voice for a wellness app, but it is the start of a slippery slope that doesn’t end well for humanity.
- Paul Smith
- Exclusive
- AI
Australian AI image champion raises $47m
Leonardo Ai is staring down doubts about whether its business is truly unique, or just a layer atop open-source tools, as it races to stay ahead of US rivals.
- Nick Bonyhady
Blackbird and the problem of investing in women
Australia’s most prominent VC firm self-reported data that shows funding female-led start-ups is a no-growth sector.
- Mark Di Stefano
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Can Kim Kardashian’s Skims break the IPO traffic jam?
The year-end rally has sparked hopes that the window will open for IPOs to start flowing again. But plunging venture capital activity tells a different story.
- James Thomson
Sydney VC start-up enters takeover battle for Whispir
VC-backed Pendula has emerged as a rival bidder for embattled software stock Whispir, which is the target of a takeover offer.
- Tess Bennett
Forrest family leads Rich List plunge on packaging disrupter
Andrew and Nicola Forrest have led a star-studded fundraising for the start-up that hopes to replace polystyrene with a more sustainable insulation material.
- Peter Ker
- Exclusive
- Funding
This is the $4b reality of Australia’s ‘tech winter’
New data reveals VCs have invested significantly less in local tech start-ups this year compared with 2022, as a downturn in funding chills the sector.
- Tess Bennett
- Exclusive
- Start-ups
‘Australian Tiger Global’: VCs firms split over investment strategy
Blackbird Ventures is using its size to pay more for stakes in early-stage start-ups than many of its rivals, who say it could eventually hurt founders.
- Nick Bonyhady
- Exclusive
- Funding
VC pitching platform helps founders find investors
It can be a nightmare for entrepreneurs to access backers for their start-ups, but some of the biggest investors in the industry are jumping on a new online marketplace.
- Updated
- Tess Bennett
- Exclusive
- Funding
Millions for Australian start-up using AI to change how we see
Arkeus, an ambitious Melbourne start-up that has secured early contracts with the Defence Department for its automated optical technology, has also caught investors’ eyes.
- Paul Smith
Merger crackdown risks VC funding going overseas
The tech industry has warned that the federal government’s proposed tougher merger laws would make it harder for founders to sell their businesses, stymying start-up returns.
- Ronald Mizen and Hannah Wootton
November
VC firm Antler doubles down on insto money with new partner
Street Talk can reveal the early-stage VC has appointed investment and super industry exec Graeme Mather as a global partner.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
