🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #132, 5th October 2025
$65.06m raised across 6 rounds, Lorikeet and Canva in top 50 AI app spend globally, Zeller expands to the UK, ANZ shuts down 1835i, Stone & Chalk announced as new Tech Central operator.
Top News
Lorikeet ranked 8th ahead of Canva at 17th in AI app spend according study by Andreessen Horowitz and Mercury (Olivia Moore)
Fintech unicorn Zeller kicks off international expansion with UK launch (Capital Brief)
How an Aussie legal quirk is holding back NZ’s fastest growing startup (Capital Brief)
SXSW Sydney cops a community bucketing (InnovationAus)
1835i: ANZ kills its venture arm amid major restructure (SmartCompany)
archTIS closes $15.7M acquisition of US-owned Spirion (ARN)
Cannon-Brookes-backed SunCable in data centre talks with big tech (AFR)
REA Group boosts tech offering with majority stake in Canada’s 3D interactive platform iGUIDE (BNA)
Victoria’s $2b startup fund awaits its future as government review handed down (Capital Brief)
Why Vietnam is the launchpad for Bygen’s carbon-negative innovation (SmartCompany)
Fleet Space opens $800m hyperfactory, eyes Moon and asteroid missions (InnovationAus)
Green technology group Sircel launches Australia’s first printed circuit board e-waste recovery line (BNA)
NRMA Insurance backs climate tech ventures with $100k Help Fund grants (Startup Daily)
OpenAI becomes Tech Council member as it expands in Australia (Capital Brief)
Report shows startups’ outsized contribution to Australian job creation and economic growth (BNA)
Australasian Space Innovation Institute launches (Capital Brief)
TEN13 lands first institutional mandate from QIC’s $130 million fund (Startup Daily)
Advanced Navigation’s LUNA sensor clears key Earth trials ahead of 2027 Moon mission (Startup Daily)
Fishburners has a new home at Tech Central for its startup members (Startup Daily)
NSW govt names Stone & Chalk as Tech Central operator (Capital Brief)
Scalare just bought Planet Startup for $600k (Startup Daily)
Space Machines Company is setting up its satellite manufacturing in Western Sydney (Startup Daily)
Funding Rounds
Indi, an AI-powered co-pilot app intended to help parents of children with complex care needs navigate the appropriate healthcare, allied health, education and NDIS services, has raised $1.46m from Giant Leap, Antler and Angel Investors (Startup Daily | Capital Brief)
Enhance Labs, a voice-first collaboration AI copilot helping to challenge, organise and refine human thinking, has raised $2.3m in a Pre-Seed round from Blackbird and QIC (AFR | SmartCompany)
Lift Women, a crowdfunding and support platform that helps women-led businesses across Australia and Asia, has raised $1.3m from Braxton Capital Ventures and Angel Investors (SmartCompany | The Australian | BNA)
Amber Electric, the energy retailer on a mission to shift Australia to 100% renewables, has raised $10m from E.ON Next and Virescent Ventures (SmartCompany | BNA | The Australian)
SwarmFram Robotics, which builds autonomous farm robots allowing farmers to run tasks like weeding, spraying and mowing, has raised $30m in a Series B round from Edaphon, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, QIC, Artesian, Tribe Global Ventures and Access Capital Ventures (InnovationAus | BNA | AFR)
OpenSolar, a solar operating system for installers, offering AI-powered customer self-serve estimates, sales proposals, financing tools and project management, has raised $20m from Titanium Ventures, Google, and 2150 Sustainability Fund (BNA)