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Start-ups

Yesterday

James Whelan left Barclay Pearce Capital in X.

Barclay Pearce MD lands at fintech to launch wealth business

Former Barclay Pearce Capital managing director James Whelan has joined Volatility Group to run its new wealth division.

Trash lies in a gutter as customers shop at Quiapo Market in Manila, the Philippines, in 2017.

Waste-to-energy start-up launches capital raising; taps PKF

Corinthian Energy Resources is seeking to raise $18 million to tackle the Philippines’ waste management problem.

July

Australia’s attempt at entering space race lasts less than 30 seconds

The first domestically manufactured rocket has crashed and exploded shortly after it was launched by Gilmour Space in Queensland.

VitalTrace wants to improve fetal and maternal well-being during childbirth.

Childbirth medtech eyes US market with $30m raise

Perth-based VitalTrace has tapped Acova Capital to raise funds for its commercialisation push.

Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab has attracted big money from local investors.

Australia’s AI gold rush is heading offshore, and we’re digging

Australian investors pouring money into US AI companies, such as Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, is no cause for celebration.

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Former Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan founded Rokt in 2012.

Barrenjoey revalued Rokt holdings up 28pc citing earnings surge

The online shopping software provider was already valued at $5.3 billion when the firm, alongside Square Peg and Tiger Global, bought shares.

Employment Hero boss Ben Thompson has scored an early win in his fight against Seek.

Court says Seek can’t kick Employment Hero off platform, for now

The billion-dollar human resources start-up has alleged it was being unfairly targeted by the ASX-listed giant, which is both an investor and competitor.

Liam Fuller is now based in Paris after impressing Australian investors during a family holiday.

A 17-year-old who sent Paul Bassat a cold email now has a $2m cheque

Irish teenager Liam Fuller came to Sydney for a holiday with his dad and left with cheques from several investors, including a big one from Square Peg Capital.

Hayden Brass

How an introvert’s brand raked in $8m in sales

Hayden Brass knew his humble family business could be more. Now the founder of health and wellness company Zea is a 2025 BOSS Young Executive.

Employment Hero co-founder Ben Thompson has taken Seek to court.

Employment Hero sues Seek, an investor and rival, over platform access

The fast-growing human resources start-up is now valued at $2 billion and has been increasingly competing with the recruitment platform, which remains a backer.

Linkby co-founders Andrew Chak, Chris Wirasinha and Adrian Fagerlund have grown their ad tech business to a near $100 million valuation in five years.

Sydney start-up scores $23m in US fund’s first Aussie deal

Chris Wirasinha has already had one successful company in Pedestrian, now he’s creating a new model of content marketing to benefit publishers and brands.

 Airtree co-founder Daniel Petre says more deals will be done, but that some will be out of necessity.

Start-up dealmaking hits $2.9b this year, almost equal to entire 2024

For two years, a listing on the ASX has been an unattractive option for many of the funds backing early-stage businesses. Now there’s hope this will change.

JustFund co-founders, executive chairman Craig Carroll, and co-CEOs Andy O’Connor and Jack O’Donnell.

Divorce funding start-up JustFund secures $200m facility as loans grow

A start-up which provides loans to people who cannot afford divorce lawyers has secured debt funding from private credit provider MA Financial.

A cabin mock-up with a patient in  AMSL Aero’s Vertiia electric air ambulance.

Hostplus-backed electric aircraft start-up launches $30m capital raise

AMSL Aero has tapped Allunga Advisory’s Matt Rogers to launch its Series B equity round.

Breakthrough Victoria CEO Rod Bristow.

Breakthrough Victoria cuts staff, but sees tech as the future

The future of state-owned Breakthrough Victoria will likely be determined by a review, but new CEO Rod Bristow’s mission is to make the VC fund self-sustaining.

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Excluding Airwallex co-founder Lucy Liu, only $29 million of the venture capital dollar raised last quarter flowed to start-ups with mixed-gender founding teams.

Surprise fall in tech start-up funding as deals dry up

Deals fell to their lowest level in 18 months in the June quarter, as VC firms kept their powder dry and funding for female founders reached record lows. 

Will Maginness turned an Instagram account into a growing dog food business.

The ex-AFL player who became an influencer vet to sell dog food

Will Maginness quit AFL to become a vet. Now he’s turning 135,000 Instagram followers into a growing dog food company with a potential $20 milllion valuation.

John Shanahan CEO of MRead and now MagnaTerra, Chris Beal, chief executive of NextOre and Rob Adamson, the chairman RFC Ambrian.

CSIRO start-ups merge to create $150m company

Two technology start-ups spun out of the CSIRO have raised $11 million from wealthy investors to combine the two businesses.

Kim Jackson wants to position Skip Capital as Australia’s answwr to Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway

Former rock star and banker Kim Jackson wants to be the next Buffett

A Google search will say she’s Atlassian billionaire Scott Farquhar’s wife. But this veteran dealmaker has plenty of main character energy.

Kashcade co-founders Patrick Nappa and Alex Simmons.

Wingate bankrolls start-up lender Kashcade

The $50 million facility will allow Kashcade to lend to more than 250 new companies.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/start-ups-629