🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #109, 16th March 2025
Top News
Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes grapples with owning a private jet despite his climate advocacy (AFR)
CommBank invests in $97b AI lab Anthropic (Capital Brief)
Dress sharing platform Designerex appoints administrators after legal dispute with tech provider (BNA)
PM steers innovation fund to metals manufacturing (InnovationAus)
Robyn Denholm exits operating partner role at Blackbird (InnovationAus)
Wisr appoints Álvaro Carpio Colón as inaugural Chief Innovation Officer (Australian FinTech)
A $17m advanced manufacturing hub launches at Swinburne University to drive industrial R&D and innovation (InnovationAus)
Tech Council of Australia appoints Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar as new chair, succeeding Robyn Denholm (Startup Daily)
ASX-listed accelerator Scalare Partners buys VC marketplace Inhouse Ventures for $1.73 million (Startup Daily)
Disrupt Radio case dismissed while former workers await unpaid wages (SmartCompany)
Diversity, tenacity and the School of Hard Knocks: Lessons from Dom Pym after serial startup success (SmartCompany)
Investors hope for U-turn in Baraja fortunes after millions wiped out (AFR)
Point King, Skip Capital in $111m payday by selling down Factor Bikes (AFR)
Software test: How Mike Cannon-Brookes plans to give Williams an edge (The Australian)
Victorian government unveils new measures to strengthen the university startup pipeline and commercialisation pathways (InnovationAus)
Blackbird swoops in on universities’ deep tech turf with Foundry (Capital Brief)
Deep tech report shows growth in startup numbers but not local funding (Capital Brief)
Employment Hero confirms 'platform misuse' by scammers but denies breach (Capital Brief)
Google's latest quantum processor incorporates Australian-developed technologies (Startup Daily)
Kirstin Hunter, former Techstars managing director, is appointed CEO of equity crowdfunding platform Birchal (Capital Brief)
LaunchVic commits $4.1m to five startup accelerators and provides an additional $1 million grant for investor education at Wade Institute (InnovationAus)
Australia well placed to lure US clean tech investment (SmartCompany)
Mattress-in-a-box retailer Koala explores $500m-plus ASX listing (AFR)
Quantum Brilliance unveils Pawsey research integration (InnovationAus)
Goterra founder Olympia Yarger nears $10 million capital raise to scale her waste-to-feed startup (AFR)
Funding Rounds
Harmony Intelligence, which develops AI-powered cybersecurity solutions that autonomously identify system vulnerabilities, automate security updates, and assist IT operations, enhancing protection against advanced cyber threats, has raised $4.76m ($3m USD) in a Seed round from Airtree Ventures, Angel Investors, First Row Partners and Maxwell Capital (The Australian | Startup Daily)
EcoJoule, a battery storage operations platform, has raised $15m from Ellerston Capital and Fifth Estate Asset Management (SmartCompany | Startup Daily | AFR)
Avani Solutiuons, which makes building technology to automates environmental performance and reduces carbon emissions, has raised $4.4m from EG Funds (AFR)
LegalVision, a tech-driven commercial law which offers unlimited legal services via subscription model, has raised an undisclosed amount from Quadrant Private Equity (Startup Daily | AFR)
AMP, an AI-powered e-commerce growth platform, has raised $20m from Openspace Ventures and OneVentures (SmartCompany | Capital Brief)
Sonder, an employee wellbeing platform, has raised $40m from Blackbird, SEEK and HostPlus (BNA | Capital Brief | AFR)
Shiperoo, which provides automated multichannel fulfilment and returns management services, utilising robotics and software for efficient same-day shipping, has raised an undisclosed amount from Australia Post (Capital Brief | SmartCompany)
Thanks, a new ad network enabling businesses to monetise post-purchase interactions by offering customers curated rewards and exclusive offers, has raised $4.1m ($2.6m USD) in a Seed round from Peak XV Partners, Founder Collective and Side Stage Ventures (BNA)
StrongRoom AI, which makes software for pharmacies to help patients adhere to their medication regime, has raised $17m in a Series B round from EVP, Artesian Venture Partners and InterValley Ventures (AFR)
Breaker, develops advanced AI software that enabling robots to autonomously understand missions, make human-like decisions, and collaborate seamlessly with humans, has raised $2m in a Pre-Seed round from Main Sequence Ventures (Capital Brief | The Australian)
PHNXX, which makes modular microgrid systems that integrate solar energy and battery storage to deliver sustainable, reliable power solutions for remote and rural industries, has raised $1.8m in a Seed round from Synertec, ENGIE Factory, Pacific Channel and Angel Investors (Capital Brief)
Medigrowth, a medicinal cannabis biotech company which also owns Haiku.Health a telehealth platform, has raised $1.61m in a Equity Crowdfunding round on Birchal (SmartCompany)