NewsBite

Tess Bennett

This Month

Roller’s chief people officer Bee Hepburn says around one in five employees have swapped public holidays since the policy was introduced six months ago.

Start-up staff trade traditional public holidays for any day off

At Roller, staff have been clocking in to work on some official holidays in exchange for a day off for Lunar New Year, Diwali, or even their birthday.

More than 250 AirTrunk staff were flown to Bali for the company’s annual global conference last year.

Why AirTrunk gave staff a trip to Bali, plus $1000

The data centre operator gave staff money to donate to partner charities from the innovative social impact fund.

TechnologyOne founder and former CEO Adrian Di Marco

TechOne founder says former executive not sacked to save costs

Adrian Di Marco was grilled over his decision to sack a Victorian executive earning close to $1 million a year as part of a long-running legal battle.

Max Mito’s business trip to luxury villas in Morocco was a red flag to finance staff. EVP’s Misha Saul called in the cops after investing.

From a Moroccan villa to the courtroom: how StrongRoom AI’s good times went bad

Court filings that allege fraud at the tech start-up paint a picture of company funds being used to fund a lavish lifestyle of foreign trips and fine dining.

EVP’s Misha Saul with StrongRoom AI executives Christopher Durre and Max Mito in March.

EVP claims StrongRoom founder admitted to fraud, faked accounts

Documents filed by the venture capital firm also allege one of the software start-up’s directors used company money to pay for a holiday to Morocco.

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Strongroom founders (right) Max Mito and Christopher Durre (left) and EVP’s Misha Saul on March 13.

StrongRoom AI administrators launch firesale despite freezing order

HLB Mann Judd said it would seek “urgent” bids for the pharmacy software start-up’s assets this week even as it clarifies whether they can be sold.

HESTA boss Debby Blakey says WiseTech’s board update isn’t good enough.

HESTA says WiseTech’s new director ‘falls short’ of expectations

The industry superannuation major is concerned that the logistics software giant has appointed its former chairman as lead independent director.

StrongRoom’s Max Mito and Christopher Durre with EVP’s Misha Saul (left) last month.

StrongRoom investors at war as founders hit with freezing orders

A European venture capital firm has accused EVP of destroying the prospects of the pharmaceutical software start-up after reporting the company to police.

March

Misha Saul, left, the head of EVP’s Opportunities Fund led a $17 million capital raising in StrongRoom AI, which was co-founded by childhood friends Max Mito and Christopher Durre.

Inside StrongRoom’s breakneck trip from hero to zero

Three months ago, the pharmacy software start-up was on top of the world. New investors, plenty of blue sky. Then came the allegations from its new backers.

WiseTech global founder Richard White.

WiseTech investors say they want new CEO, but back White

A shareholder sentiment survey came as the software giant said former chairman Andrew Harrison would return as lead independent director.

StrongRoom AI goes into administration two weeks after $70m valuation

The future of the software start-up, which will be put up for sale, has been in doubt since EVP, a venture capital investor, raised doubts about its finances.

EVP’s Misha Saul (left) with StrongRoom AI executives Christopher Durre and Max Mito earlier this month.

Lenders move on StrongRoom AI’s bank accounts amid police inquiries

The pharmacy software start-up was accused of financial misrepresentation by one of its newest and largest venture capital investors earlier this week.

Labor is also considering limiting non-competes for those earning more than $175,000 a year.

Non-compete ban threatens value of business deals: investors, lawyers

Making it easy for workers to go work for the competitor down the road may help increase wages, but it could also have an impact on acquisitions.

Labor MP Andrew Charlton has been advocating for policy addressing digital assets.

Labor reveals its plan to regulate crypto

Crypto exchanges will have to meet the same basic governance requirements as banks under a long-delayed policy to regulate the local sector.

Billionaire businessman Andrew Forrest has spent years battling Meta over scam Facebook ads.

Court tells Meta to unlock scam data in win for Twiggy on crypto ads

The mining billionaire’s US case against Meta has revealed more than 230,000 social media ads using his likeness were published encouraging Australians to invest in fake cryptocurrency schemes.

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Richard White resigned as WiseTech’s chief executive in October but returned as executive chairman last month.

Super giants demand WiseTech overhaul after damning White review

A board review found the software company’s billionaire co-founder had misled the board and made incomplete disclosures about his relationship with an employee.

 Jason Titman became Swyftx’s executive chairman and CEO in June last year.

Aussie crypto exchange Swyftx buys NZ rival

Swyftx has acquired its smaller New Zealand rival Easy Crypto as the company rebuilds after a tumultuous few years.

Venture Capital fund, King River Capital, Zeb Rice - Co-Founder & Partner, Dom Tayco - CFO & Partner, Chris Barter - Co-Founder & Partner, Jane Deloughery - Head of Fund Operations and Ed Davies - Principal, New York at their office in Surry Hills.

King River lands Future Super, wealthy families for $150m AI fund

The Sydney-based crypto and software investor has landed its first superannuation backer for a new AI-focused venture capital fund.

Immutable said it has accrued more than $54 million in revenue for the 2024 financial year.

Late Immutable accounts a glimpse into crypto game developer’s health

The Australian developer behind popular online video games Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians said revenues had jumped after a near $80 million loss in 2023.

Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. He has defended his decision to buy a private jet.

Cannon-Brookes describes ‘deep internal conflict’ over his private jet

The billionaire Atlassian co-founder says he bought the Bombardier 7500 for security reasons and his flights have a “net negative carbon footprint”.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/tess-bennett-p4yw9c