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This Month

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, pictured on Thursday, is the chief executive of Xero and has made a big bet on Melio.

Xero’s $4b Melio acquisition weighs down investors despite profit jump

The company’s chief executive Sukhinder Singh Cassidy says she is confident the massive acquisition will transform the accounting software business.

Menulog’s Australian orders rose 104 per cent in 2020, helped by a catchy TV campaign featuring Snoop Dogg.

Did somebody say Menulog is closing? Platform calls time in Australia

The Australian-born food delivery service became known for its expensive ads featuring celebrities including Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg.

The federal government wants to create a new AI app: GovAI Chat.

Labor to launch ChatGPT-style app in major government AI push

Huge swathes of data will be allowed on artificial intelligence platforms in a push to turbocharge the technology’s use in the public service.

HealthEngine co-founders Adam Yap and Marcus Tan.

Medical appointments platform HealthEngine checks PE’s pulse

It was last spotted chasing an ASX listing via Bell Potter and RBC Capital markets in late 2021.

StrongRoom AI co-founder Max Mito appears at the NSW Supreme Court after being accused of fraud by one of his biggest investors, EVP.

StrongRoom founder fronts court to explain start-up’s disastrous deal

Max Mito ran the pharmacy software platform before it collapsed because of alleged fraud earlier this year. The court heard it had failed to pay tax for years.

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M&A is hit and miss. Megaport structured its deal to make sure the sellers had to hit targets for the next three years.

Small-cap mafia takes a piece of AI rocket Megaport

You have to be sceptical of any AI-related deal struck in this market. But at least Megaport’s CEO was talking sense.

Link chief executive Vivek Bhatia.

Link Group submits bid for challenger super administration biz Grow

Should Link succeed, it would be as good as guaranteed to never lose a superannuation fund client again.

Microsoft Australia is preparing to repay hundreds of millions of dollars to customers after the consumer watchdog accused it of misleading 2.7 million Australians.

Refund requests flood Microsoft after tricking users into AI upgrades

The software company wrote to Australian customers to apologise for a lack of transparency when it increased fees for Office plans by up to 45 per cent.

The internet, and especially AI, have made it harder to screw over customers.

No more rip-offs: AI turns everyone into an expert negotiator

When everyone has a genius in their pocket, they will be less vulnerable to mis-selling – benefiting them and improving overall economic efficiency.

Goodman promises to walk the talk as data centre rollout surges

Goodman is dramatically ramping up its global rollout of data centres, which will account for three-quarters of its $17.5 billion-plus workbook by next year.

SafetyCulture executive chair and founder Luke Anear with chief executive, Kelly Vohs.

SafetyCulture boss spruiks AI ‘rocket fuel’ after $49m loss

One of Australia’s biggest private tech firms says losses are needed to spend on international marketing, and investing in new artificial intelligence capabilities.

Andrew Gray is the founder of private equity outfit Potentia Capital.

Power of One: Potentia Capital’s Andy Gray rules off first close

It seems all can be forgiven as long as there’s a sizeable cheque at the end — at least in PE land.

Canva World Tour 2025 new product launch event in Sydney, October 30, 2025. From left Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins, Cameron Adams. Image supplied. Photographer: Tammie Joske

Why Canva’s new AI announcements should make rivals nervous

Canva seems to be thinking about AI differently than many big tech companies, and it looks like they’re coming for Microsoft’s lunch.

The contact information of Australian board directors who use board portal Diligent may have been leaked as part of a global cyber breach of 700 Salesforce customers.

Australian boards caught up in global hack after portal breach

US board portal Diligent wrote to a number of Australian directors last week to advise that their data may have been stolen.

October

Canva co-founder and head of product Cameron Adams.

Canva dismisses bubble fears after unveiling new AI model

The company unveiled a swath of artificial intelligence-powered products on Friday in its latest bid for market share ahead of its long-awaited Nasdaq listing.

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Pharmacy software entrepreneur Joe Zhou took over StrongRoom AI in June.

Pharmacists back first StrongRoom AI raise under new ownership

The start-up added $1.2 million to its coffers after receiving support from a number of wealthy individual pharmacy owners.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on stage in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

Nvidia CEO’s embrace of America First is total – but there’s a catch

Jensen Huang is on board with Trump’s agenda to re-industrialise the US, but his company’s chips power an AI revolution that might kill new factory jobs.

AirTrunk has signed a $US3 billion data centre partnership with an AI start-up backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

AirTrunk inks $4.5b Saudi data centre deal, plans more expansion

AirTrunk will build data centres in Saudi Arabia in a deal with an AI start-up owned by the Middle East nation’s sovereign wealth fund.

Adobe chief executive Shantanu Narayen hopes new artificial intelligence programs will boost its lagging share price.

Adobe ups the ante in Canva battle with ‘copyright-safe’ AI features

The design giant says new AI products and a partnership with YouTube will give it a strategic edge over competitors, including the Australian tech star.

The Albanese government’s social media ban for people under the age of 16 begins on December 10.

Freeze accounts, dob in under 16s: Big tech plans for social media ban

Platforms prepare to enforce Australia’s world-first child prohibition law by deactivating profiles and searching for signs users have lied about their age.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/software-hqs