🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #98, 15th December 2024

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Top News

• News publishers have successfully campaigned to have TikTok-owner ByteDance included in the government’s revised media bargaining rules. (AFR)

• The NSW government is evicting the Sydney Startup Hub from its CBD location, moving it to ‘somewhere’ in Tech Central in late 2025 (Startup Daily)

• ‘Transformational’: Apple Intelligence arrives in Australia (The Australian)

• Advanced Navigation enlisted by combat vehicle maker Rheinmetall for giant defence export deal (BNA)

• Crypto exchange Kraken cops $8m fine for unlawful credit with ‘margin extension’ that cost more than 1000 customers millions in losses (Startup Daily)

• How Australia’s Big Tech news ‘incentive’ will work (InnovationAus)

• IPO-candidate Pay.com.au launches raise to fund US expansion (AFR)

• LaunchVic announces strategy to accelerate Victoria's startups (Capital Brief)

• London-based Orbus Software has acquired Sydney-headquartered software vendor Capsifi to improve its enterprise transformation platform OrbusInfinity (ARN)

• Meta, Google and TikTok to receive tax offset to incentivise news deals (Capital Brief)

• Vinyl Group’s latest media play is acquiring Concrete Playground for $5 million (Startup Daily)

• WiseTech resumes M&A flurry with BSM Global purchase (Capital Brief)

• Airwallex reports strong momentum with 83% revenue increase across APAC (Australian FinTech)

• CDC Data Centres $16b sale off to the races; three big funds prep bids (AFR)

• Fat Zebra acquires Pin Payments from Checkout.com (Capital Brief)

• Gilmour Space Technologies has completed the final wet-test of its Eris orbital rocket and pending final documentation from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, expects to nominate a launch for mid- to late January (InnovationAus)

• Australia replaces Global Talent Visa with invitation-only National Innovation Visa (SmartCompany)

• Govt tackles First Nations digital inclusion with new roadmap (ARN)

• Lockyer Valley Foods targets $50m Series A to revive QLD fruit and veg processing (BNA)

• Samsara Eco has developed a new enzyme to break down a common type of nylon allowing it to be recycled indefinitely (The Australian)

• STARTUP MUSTER: R&D worries, funding and cozzie lives keep startup founders awake at night (Startup Daily)

• The WA government is sending 12 startups to the US under a new accelerator program (Startup Daily)

• $20m AI research centre set up in South Australia (InnovationAus)

• Tractor CEO Jodie Imam & Tiimley risk boss Jodi Ross join FinTech Australia board (Startup Daily)

• Luke Anear shares behind the scenes video of SafetyCulture’s recent funding round (Luke Anear)

• Esper Satellites and Loft Orbital are working together to launch our follow-up to the Over The Rainbow demonstrator missions. (Shoaib Iqbal)

• Beanstalk AgTech announces its 2nd cohort of Dough Venture Studio Innovators (Beanstalk Ventures)

• Tech Ready Women launches Australia-wide investment program (IT Brief)

Funding Rounds

• Fleet Space Technologies, who builds space-enabled technology to revolutionise mineral discovery, defence capabilities, and space exploration, has raised $150m in a Series D round from Teachers’ Venture Growth, Blackbird, HostPlus, Horizons Ventures, Alumni Ventures and Artesian Venture Partners (InnovationAus | Capital Brief | Startup Daily)

• Birchal, an Australian Equity Crowdfunding platform for consumer brands and companies, has raised $2m in a Crowdfunding round (Startup Daily | BNA)

• Quantum Brilliance, who specialise in the design, fabrication and manufacturing of small diamond quantum devices, has raised $30m from National Reconstruction Fund, Breakthrough Victoria and other unnamed investors (SmartCompany)

• GoodWork.ai, who’s looking to build the world’s first-gen AI expert capability native to the retail sector, has raised $4m in a Seed round from Square Peg (Startup Daily | Capital Brief | Square Peg)

• Conry Tech, a climate tech company reinventing air-conditioning to decarbonise and improve comfort, has raised $1.6m in a Pre-Seed round from Bandera Capital and Pacific Channel (Startup Daily)

• Askable, which provides access the world’s best researchers and perfect participants, all in one powerful research platform, has raised $22m in a Series A round from Airtree Ventures and Skip Capital (Startup Daily | AFR | John Goleby)

• Terria, which makes it easy to build advanced maps and digital twins, has raised $3m in a Seed round from Main Sequence (Startup Daily | SmartCompany)

• Accoil Analytics, which makes product analytics for GTM teams, has raised $2m in a Seed round from Atlassian and QIC (InnovationAus)

• ARC Ento Tech, the developer of the ARC Process, an innovative system combining biological and mechanical methods to convert mixed solid waste into valuable products, has raised $5m from MCCI Corporation (Capital Brief | BNA | The Australian)

• Tixel, an event marketplace that helps fans get to their favourite shows without paying through the nose to be there, has raised $8m in a Series B round from Alberts and Touch Ventures (The Age)

• Clutch Glue, a water-soluble product that helps users affix dresses, tops, and strappy shoes to their bodies, has raised $2m in a Pre-Seed round from Blackbird (SmartCompany | AFR)

• Volt, who make solar tiles combine that integrate into roofing systems for a discreet renewable energy solution, has raised $1.7m in a Crowdfunding round (SmartCompany)

• Spoony, a community platform revolutionising support for neurodivergent and disabled individuals, has raised and undisclosed amount from trampoline (LinkedIn)

• Elita Genetics, building Australia's first pet stem cell bank which would allow pet owners to collect and store stem cells during routine desexing procedures, has raised $1.1m in a Undisclosed round from Startmate, Side Stage Ventures, Archangel Ventures, M8 Ventures (Michael Batko | Paloma Newton | The Age)