This Month
‘Nobody needs $1b’: Wave of tech money to reshape philanthropy
Daniel Petre believes the “tech wealthy” are on the cusp of transforming philanthropy as hundreds of people cash in $10 million to $100 million in venture capital returns.
June
Billion-dollar tech founders turn investors with new $50m fund
A group of successful Australian entrepreneurs who have built ‘unicorns’ including Aconex, A Cloud Guru and Go1, have joined forces to form a new VC firm.
May
How this VC fund landed $100m from UniSuper
One of Australia’s largest industry funds has lifted its venture capital allocation to $100 million, ignoring fears about Labor’s super tax reforms.
January
Silicon Valley’s lurch to the right catches the eye of local VCs
Some 15,000 kilometres away from Washington DC, where tech is cosying up to Donald Trump, local start-ups are pondering whether to ride the anti-DEI wave.
May 2024
Why we should celebrate the unsung heroes of the Aussie tech scene
Successful start-up exits deliver rich returns to investors and create wealth for founders and some employees, and hopefully recycle talent back into the sector.
October 2023
After selling his tech firm for $1.6b, Leigh Jasper is starting again
After he sold Aconex to US giant Oracle, it is surprising to see the co-founder starting at square one again. What is less surprising is well-known backers buying in.
BlueScope, Aconex co-founder back mass timber products start-up
A Melbourne start-up has banked $1.5 million to develop structural design software to bring mass timber into the mainstream.
July 2023
Bassat, Thorpe-backed skincare brand raises funds to hit the big time
Stuff is seeking to disrupt the mainstream men’s grooming brands which have sat idle for two decades, according to its chief executive Hunter Johnson.
March 2023
New start-up fund for founders without rich family and friends
A new angel investor has got some well-known backers for a fund for entrepreneurs who can’t tap up wealthy relatives for money.
October 2022
Forrest’s Minderoo joins bevy of founders backing VC’s second fund
SecondQuarter has raised $83 million for its second fund, which lets start-up investors, founders and employees sell their shares without a company sale or IPO.
August 2022
Canva downgrade sparks valuation rethink for local tech
The tumbling value of Australia’s technology darling Canva has prompted VC funds to re-appraise their portfolios.
March 2022
Investors look for billion dollar Aconex repeat as Mastt secures $9.5m
A booming construction sector and rapid revenue growth has led investors into a big funding round – including the founders of local success story Aconex.
June 2021
Melbourne tech firm snapped up for $1.7b
MessageMedia, which provides SMS marketing, has been bought by Sweden’s Sinch in yet another huge money deal for an Australian tech company.
April 2021
Equiem acquires British Land’s Vicinitee tenant portal
Australian proptech firm buys a rival portal that takes it into 157 new buildings immediately and will boost its further growth ambitions.
Why this plant-based ‘meat’ group listens to Ruslan Kogan
Deliciou has some new high-profile shareholders to add to an investment made by the Kogan.com founder.
March 2021
First secondary VC fund offers founders ‘life-changing’ wealth
SecondQuarter Ventures has raised $51m for its first fund and made investments that crystalise some of the value created by private start-up founders.
Raise the Mastt: Aconex founders back ‘spreadsheet killer’ start-up
Rob Phillpot and Leigh Jasper are among the backers of Mastt, which has signed up impressive clients for its software to help manage construction projects.
February 2021
Tech jobs could flee offshore, Aconex founder warns
Leigh Jasper, whose start-up was bought by Oracle for $1.6 billion by in 2017, says Australia is falling behind other tech hotspots.
January 2021
Construction tech company Felix to kick-start sector IPOs
Felix will be the first construction tech company to come to market since Aconex was acquired by Oracle, and it does so with Rob Phillpot's backing.
November 2020
Aconex founders back $6m construction tech start-up round
Buildxact sells software that lets builders provide quote estimates and manage their jobs. It raised capital after surprisingly growing during the pandemic.