This Month
Venture capital firm EVP was right to call the cops on StrongRoom
EVP committed venture capital heresy by reporting StrongRoom AI to the police. It angered fellow investors but has shown moral courage rather than selfishness.
March
Ian left to start his own business. Then the legal letter arrived
Most workers forced to sign egregious work contracts are excited about Labor’s ban on anti-competition clauses – but not all.
Albanese says more sweeteners to come for tradies, blue-collar workers
Responding to why he failed to extend the small business $20,000 instant-asset write-off for another 12 months, the prime minister hinted there would be more news to come for plumbers, electricians and other tradies.
Former PwC colleagues’ tech firm lands $445m PE deal
PSG Equity has bought out most of Protecht, a 25-year-old Sydney software company.
Small caps bulldozed by ETFs
Small and micro-cap stocks are meant to be the mid to large caps of the future. But a combination of structural and cyclical trends have some in the market questioning their long-term viability.
The stressful life of Sydney’s left-of-field distressed debt broker
Ben Madsen has long had a low profile. Now he’s found himself the centre of unwanted attention, and is fighting for his home. Can he come back from the brink?
Australia’s 75 richest women now control a record $179b
Tech, mining and a booming beauty sector helped fuel a 19 per cent surge in fortunes in the past year, as 11 new faces made the list.
Buildkite’s co-founder and CEO exits abruptly with no successor
The company says it was “unable to comment on personnel issues” but chairman praises Keith Pitt for building the software firm into a $200 million business.
February
This Young Rich Lister has a fear of flying. Here’s how she deals with it
Wellness entrepreneur Jessica Sepel is a nervous traveller, so each trip involves a lot of preparation.
Zendesk swoops on local call centre software firm in $100m deal
The American tech giant is buying Local Measure in a transaction that marks the completion of its return from near collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How this man went from a bike accident to $17b
The founder of CDC has found himself rich thanks to big investors who can’t get enough of digital infrastructure. He had dreamed of becoming a champion cyclist.
App used by BHP, Woodside and Shell workers wins over OneVentures
Sydney-based MyPass has spent a decade winning contracts with global mining, energy and construction firms to provide skilled contractors with a professional passport.
The hottest VC ticket in Sydney is an invite to this founder’s brunch
No plus ones, no alcohol, and no hard sales pitches. There is a 230-person waiting list for Frank and Jacques Greeff’s invite-only founders’ table.
Employment Hero hits profitability, but steers clear of listing plans
In an interview, the billion-dollar start-up’s chief executive, Ben Thompson, defended the company’s culture and described why he looked up to Elon Musk.
Teal MP wants $20k tax-free threshold for small business
Sophie Scamps said she would also push for an extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses, which expires on June 30.
January
What Australia’s tech leaders think of DeepSeek’s AI
Prominent technology chiefs offer their views on the sudden rise of DeepSeek: it’s a game changer, competition is good and expect more market gyrations.
These founders with nothing to lose are coming back for a second act
A chance at being part of tech’s next wave was too great an opportunity for founders Sam Kroonenburg and Leigh Jasper to resist, even though they’ve already staged billion-dollar exits.
Robot surgeon start-up scores $5m deal from US investors
An orthopaedic doctor turned tech entrepreneur has developed a robot to help perform common knee and shoulder operations, and it’s gaining international attention.
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.
December 2024
Why Musk has hit payday even before Trump takes office
The Tesla chief executive and other super-wealthy entrepreneurs could benefit from deregulation with the new president, but some are already reaping rewards.