September
For some private tech firms, it’s back to 2016
The so-called funding winter may be over for reasonably established, revenue-generating software, AI and biotech firms as valuations drop from giddy heights.
The five most powerful Australian tech leaders in 2024
The biggest deal of the year, the end of an era at Atlassian and the rising influence of super funds helped to shape the list of technology’s most powerful in 2024.
- Updated
Digital debt collector worth $350m after big money raise
Business booms for InDebted when cost-of-living hits consumers. It has attracted new investors, including a super fund to back a rare valuation increase.
How CrowdStrike’s outage became Australia’s big cyberattack rehearsal
Qantas chairman John Mullen got the “blue screen of death” while Telstra’s cyber chief Narelle Devine was in the pool sipping cocktails when she got the call that something was seriously wrong.
Instagram’s teen mode won’t stop new age laws: Rowland
The Albanese government wants to increase the minimum age to use social media, and reckons the platforms aren’t trying hard enough to keep kids offline.
- Opinion
- Cyber Summit
ASIC readies to wield a big stick against boards lax on cybersecurity
The regulator is talking about investigating directors who have been remiss in guarding against hackers. Not everyone thinks that’s the best approach.
- Exclusive
- Cyber Summit
Business to get cyber ‘safe harbour’ protections
New laws will mean companies cannot be punished based on data they share with authorities while trying to recover from cyberattacks.
CBA explores replacing local call centre staff with AI
The bank has begun testing its Hey CommBank platform, which would significantly expand the use of artificial intelligence in customer interactions.
- Analysis
- Tech crackdown
‘Daylight robbery:’ Canberra needs EU muscle to land big tech blow
The government wants to work cooperatively with tech moguls such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, but that seems like wishful thinking, and tougher laws are coming.
‘Fundamental strategic error’ in plan to ban teens from social media
Tech industry leaders say age restrictions on social media are urgently needed, but that the government is letting Meta and Snapchat skirt responsibility.
SafetyCulture cops $200m valuation setback to seal rare funding round
The enterprise tool provider attracted large new venture capital and super fund investors to secure $165 million in this year’s biggest software raising.
AI deepfakes: deeply worrying or deeply amusing?
There are big fears that AI deepfakes could be used by foreign enemies or political operatives to influence elections. Just how worried should we be?
- Exclusive
- Cars
Uber jumps straight back into car sharing with global partnership
Two weeks after pulling the pin on the product that let people rent out their cars, Uber has signed an international partnership with US-based operator Turo.
- Analysis
- AI
Three-month-old AI firm with 10 employees and no product raises $US1b
A huge investment in a company planning to build safe “superintelligence” has muted talk of the artificial intelligence bubble bursting.
Khuda sets $100b valuation target for AirTrunk’s next trick
Billionaire Robin Khuda has praised his own foresight in investing in data centres tailor-made for tech giants after creating a $24 billion business in less than a decade.
Blackstone clinches data centre giant AirTrunk in deal of the year
The transaction is one of the biggest Australian M&A deals yet and will add to the global investment giant’s fast-growing portfolio of digital infrastructure.
- Updated
AirTrunk’s $23.5b AI pay day
Blackstone emerged as the winning bidder in the year’s biggest merger and acquisition deal, netting its founder Robin Khuda a $1 billion-plus payday.
Robin Khuda is the ringleader of this year’s biggest M&A deal
The founder of AirTrunk has cashed in on the inexorable rise in demand for processing power and built a vast fortune on the rise of cloud computing.
Canva triples prices citing the need to pay for new AI design tools
The increase in the cost of its popular software ahead of an IPO may lead some smaller customers to abandon the company for cheaper rivals, analysts warn.
August
- Analysis
- The Breakdown
Why Nvidia, Apple and OpenAI need to strike a big deal
Microsoft has long been a major investor in the ChatGPT maker, now the two biggest companies in the world look like jumping on board, and OpenAI needs them.