🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #128, 7th September 2025
$8.5m raised across 2 rounds, Seek accuses Employment Hero of misusing data, Atlassian acquires The Browser Company for US $610m, Airwallex acquires OpenPay to launch global billing platform
Top News
Canva co-founder says IPO ‘more appealing’ as valuations rise (AFR)
New startup, SME streams proposed for RDTI (InnovationAus)
NSW govt tips funding into new health robotics centre (InnovationAus)
Property Hutly has acquired Intellia for $2m as it looks to expand into AI agents (AFR)
Back-office automation startup Collabra.ai has announced former Finder boss Chris Ellis as its CEO (Startup Daily)
OIF Ventures takes CBA-backed Payble off ASX-listed Identitii’s hands for $1.6 million (Startup Daily)
Seek accuses Employment Hero of misusing data to lure new customers (AFR)
Square Peg principal Lucy Tan calls time on venture capital (AFR)
The Browser Company, maker of Arc and Dia, is being acquired by Atlassian for US$610m (The Verge)
Used car dealer Carma taps advisory duo for IPO (AFR)
Advent International to acquire Automic Group in $725m deal (AFR)
Airwallex acquires OpenPay to launch global billing platform (Capital Brief)
Fleet Space backs teen F1 Academy driver Joanne Ciconte in STEM-focused brand deal (Startup Daily)
Ireland’s Aryza grows its Australian base with acquisition of collections software group Bravure (BNA)
NSW government sets up centralised AI office (InnovationAus)
Samsara Eco opens its first enzymatic recycling plant (Capital Brief)
The female founder funnel myth and what it means for investing in women (Startup Daily)
ASX listed tech firm Audinate buys beta-stage AI camera-control startup Iris Studio in A$42.7m deal (SmartCompany)
Blackbird says it’s hard to find women founders to back, as it misses own gender investment target (SmartCompany)
EVP, Misha Saul part ways after StrongRoom AI debacle (AFR)
South Australian startup Airspeeder, which is attempting to establish a Formula 1-style competition for flying cars, has received approval from the air safety regulator to test a new electric racing aircraft piloted by humans. (AFR)
Birchal changes its fee structure, cuts staff by a third (SmartCompany)
Blackbird, Airtree miss their targets for investing in women founders (AFR)
IPO hopeful Rokt’s valuation surges to $7.2b (AFR)
Funding Rounds
Kasu, a next-generation credit infrastructure platform that connects DeFi capital to vetted real-world credit opportunities, has raised $1m from XDC Ventures (Direct)
Nutromics, developing a wearable “lab-on-a-patch” device that uses DNA biosensors and microneedles to capture continuous real-time molecular data, has raised $7.5m (Startup Daily)