NewsBite

Venture capital

Yesterday

Immutable’s revenues are shrouded in a Cayman Islands mystery

Investor updates show the crypto video gaming business is making $4.6 million every month. Half seems to be “service revenue” from a Caribbean not-for-profit.

This Month

Zip CEO Larry Diamond, one half of the Zip/Sezzle relationship that almost was.

Larry Diamond-backed Mighty Partners lends to listed non-bank

Under the deal, Mighty Partners is expected to be granted a call option for a small equity stake in Butn, that would be exercisable at a premium to the trading price.

A pharmacy in Sydney’s Hunters Hill. StrongRoom AI was a company that helped pharmacies digitise records, but collapsed after its largest investor accused it of misleading financial figures.

StrongRoom deal sideswiped by ‘potential misappropriation’ query

The entrepreneur who struck an agreement to buy the software start-up’s assets is in dispute with his business partner, and denies any wrongdoing.

Zeb Rice, co-founder at VC investor King River Capital, says a wave of AI start-ups and investment is coming to Australia.

AI evangelists lay groundwork for start-up flood, VC investments

The AI full court press is on with a pitch now aimed at Australia’s super funds and family offices.

Kai Van Lieshout, founder Lyrebird.

This $50m medical scribe start-up says it can cure doctors’ admin pain

Lyrebird Health says more than 99 per cent of patients consent to their appointments being recorded by its medical scribe software.

Advertisement
Glitch Capital team

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.

In vitro fertilisation success rates sharply decline from age 35 onwards, Jumpstart Fertility says.

UNSW spin-off JumpStart Fertility lands US backer

JumpStart Fertility is seeking to boost embryo development and improve success rates by 60 per cent.

Misha Saul, left, the head of EVP’s Opportunities Fund, led a $17 million capital raising in StrongRoom AI, which was co-founded by Max Mito and Christopher Durre.

StrongRoom AI sale takes a twist after liquidation order

StrongRoom AI will be liquidated, but its fate is still uncertain after an 11th-hour bid for the assets of the controversial pharmaceutical start-up was lodged.

StrongRoom AI’s co-founders Max Mito and Christopher Durre pictured with EVP’s Misha Saul (left).

Creditors divided as StrongRoom sale D-day arrives

The fate of the disgraced pharmaceutical software start-up rests on the outcome of a high-stakes meeting on Thursday.

Former Macquarie Bank head of Australian equities Dan Ritchie is now heading up Factory Capital.

Ex-Macquarie equities boss seeks $100m for investment firm

Factory Capital has pressed play on an equity raising as it seeks to stock up its balance sheet through family offices and high-net-worth investors.

Andrew Bassat says forget about the label on the tin and think about what problem a company is trying to solve.

Making money from AI is more than new ideas and Nvidia

Hot stocks and spruikers are just a small part of the much wider artificial intelligence story.

JJ Fiasson’s Leonardo AI has won The Australian Financial Review’s AI awards for 2025.

The winner of the AFR’s AI Trailblazer award talks life under Canva

Leonardo AI chief executive and co-founder JJ Fiasson has been honoured at the Financial Review AI Awards for 2025. Here’s how he got there.

May

Eyal Chameides

Melbourne entrepreneur builds $3b gaming empire out of solitaire app

Meet the Aussie game designer who’s built a global company by making simple online games better than anyone else.

Blackbird co-founders Niki Scevak and Rick Baker.

The insecurity of Blackbird’s Rick Baker is a confidential matter

The big bird of Australian venture capital has defended his investment in Airwallex during calls with investors.

Tim Doyle’s Eucalyptus operates online health brands Juniper, Pilot, Software and Kin, which offer digital consultations to treat a range of conditions, but is best known for offering weight loss drugs.

Eucalyptus targets unicorn status in new $150m funding round

The weight-loss pill selling healthcare business has long been one of the most talked about start-up. Now it could be on the cusp of a $1 billion valuation.

Advertisement
Hanno Blankenstein, Unleash Group CEO.

He quit consulting. Now his AI start-up is worth $100m

Unleash Live, a 10-year-old artificial intelligence firm, has raised $17 million after signing up BHP, Alcoa and Chevron as clients.

Immutable Co-Founders James Ferguson (CEO), Robbie Ferguson (President) and Alex Connolly.

Executives head for the door at unicorn crypto start-up Immutable

Two senior executives on Friday announced their departure from the heavily funded tech company, which has shed a third of its staff in the past nine months.

AMP’s Alexis George urges a rethink of the government’s proposed tax changes for larger superannuation balances.

Jim Chalmers must get back to the drawing board on super tax measures

Tinkering in the wrong way with the superannuation system to bolster the tax intake is dangerous. AMP’s Alexis George urges a government rethink.

We need to help Australia’s white-collar workers navigate the oncoming disruption as companies shed jobs that AI can replace. This has already begun: Microsoft cut 6000 workers globally, including 100 Australian workers.

If the super tax kills Aussie aspiration, our aspiration is too small

The horror claims aren’t just hyperbole – they’re cynical scaremongering and a waste of energy when there are real issues needing urgent responses.

Canva and Atlassian employees are unionising in record numbers over fears they’ll lose their jobs to artificial intelligence.

Canva, Atlassian employees flock to unions amid AI job fears

Workers’ fears about losing their jobs to artificial intelligence bots has led to a surge in union membership at Australia’s two highest-profile tech companies.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/venture-capital-1n1u