August 2023
Mercedes-loving biotech boss goes bankrupt, leaves country
George Syrmalis once reaped $10 million from his controversial iQ Group Global biotechnology empire. Now he’s overseas, somewhere, apparently broke.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
July 2022
Director lunches, ‘excessive’ pay probed in biotech collapse
Administrators of the failed iQ Group Global have also questioned director-linked spending on an orphanage donation.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
June 2022
Biotech boss v George W in Mission Accomplished stakes
The former head of an operation whose main listed entities tumbled into administration has a new venture.
- Liam Walsh
Investment blow-up: when introductions go wrong
Accountants or financial planners might make referrals or pass on information about riskier investments to their clients. It’s not advice, they insist.
- Liam Walsh
- Exclusive
- Biotech
Rich Lister Bastas snares asset from failed biotech iQ Group
A $1.2 million yacht acquired by the controversial life-science outfit is also to be sold to undisclosed buyers.
- Carrie LaFrenz and Liam Walsh
April 2022
How fizzled biotech wooed investors, including Forum’s Papas
Controversial outfit iQ Group Global used varying tactics to target investors – even flower-arranging events for the Chinese community in Sydney.
- Liam Walsh, Max Mason and Jonathan Shapiro
Yacht discovered among failed biotech outfit’s assets
Creditors are trying to find out what happened when key companies in iQ Group Global, which offered spectacular returns, tumbled into administration.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
March 2022
Biotechs plunge from sponsoring race cars to administration
Creditors are owed more than $50 million after flagship companies in the iQ Group fell into administration. Jobs are also on the line.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
April 2021
‘It was intimidating’: when companies sue analysts
A sharemarket analyst who wrote scathing reports on a biotechnology outfit was threatened with potentially ruinous legal action.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
March 2021
Controversial biofund finds investments close to home
Millions of dollars has been lent from iQ Group Global’s new investment offer to other entities in the biotech outfit.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
December 2020
Hunt for yield leaves investors baying for blood
Mayfair is the poster child of how things can go wrong in pitching lucrative investments in a low-interest rate world.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
- Investigation
- Due diligence
Behind the glitzy pitch at biotech iQ Group
Biotech outfit iQ Group is offering investors lucrative deals. An Australian Financial Review investigation looks behind some of the glitzy promotion.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
$10m pay cheques behind controversial biotech iQ Group
The founder of the group has earned six-figure wage hikes for three straight years.
- Jonathan Shapiro and Liam Walsh
November 2020
IQ Group 'copied parts' of biotech device plan, start-up claims
iQ Group Global, the controversial biotech pitching high-yield bonds to investors, is being sued by a start-up that claims its device pitch was ripped off.
- Jonathan Shapiro and Liam Walsh
Race cars, yachts and a pricey biotech investment
iQ Group Global has been billed as one of Australia's most innovative biotechs, but a pitch to yield-hungry investors has put the outfit under the microscope.
- Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro