Section
Startups
HEO $30m raise tests appetite for Australian space tech
HEO's mooted $30 million raise puts Australian space tech, Airtree backing and sovereign-capital questions into focus.
Startup CGT carve-outs: Labor moves to policy design
Startup CGT carve-outs are now Labor's consultation problem, with founders watching whether Canberra offers real relief or just narrows the backlash.
Ordermentum's $55m raise backs AI push in hospitality software
Ordermentum's $55 million raise from Five V Capital backs new AI tools and underlines continued appetite for Australian vertical SaaS.
Startup CGT concessions: Labor weighs a narrow carve-out
Startup CGT concessions are now a live policy question as Labor weighs a narrow carve-out to protect founder equity, ESOPs and venture returns.
WIRobotics raises $US68m in Series B for humanoid robots
WIRobotics raised KRW 95 billion ($US68 million) in Series B funding to commercialise its ALLEX humanoid platform and expand physical AI work.
US CHIPS Act quantum funding backs Diraq and PsiQuantum
US CHIPS Act quantum funding will send up to $US38 million to Diraq and $US100 million to PsiQuantum as Washington builds a domestic quantum stack.
Digital health startups can build here. Scaling is harder
Australian digital health startups are seeking offshore capital as local investors favour faster revenue models and regulated scale-ups face trial costs.
R&D tax incentive cuts: Gilmour Space, Myriota push for deep tech carve-out
Gilmour Space, Myriota and Quantum Brilliance are among the Australian deep tech companies calling on the federal government to carve out priority industries from a proposed 10-year age limit on the refundable R&D Tax Incentive, warning the budget measure could stall the country's most capital-intensive startup pipeline.
PepsiCo APAC accelerator picks two Australian startups
PepsiCo's APAC accelerator has picked Adiona Tech and X-Centric Sciences, giving two Australian startups a corporate route to scale.
Industry Growth Program grants: women founders received just 8.6% of funding
Fresh FOI documents show women-owned businesses accounted for roughly 20 per cent of Industry Growth Program applicants but only 8.6 per cent of approved grants before the $392 million scheme was paused this month.
Innovation Victoria tests Victoria's one-stop startup bet
Innovation Victoria merges LaunchVic and Breakthrough Victoria, testing whether one body can simplify startup support without blurring specialist missions.
LaunchVic is dead. Innovation Victoria must prove the model
Innovation Victoria will combine LaunchVic and Breakthrough Victoria in late 2026, but founders still need proof that grants and capital keep distinct lanes.
SpaceX IPO filing: S-1 reveals $US18.7bn 2025 revenue
SpaceX IPO filing reveals $US18.674 billion in 2025 revenue, 10.3 million Starlink users and Elon Musk's control ahead of a Nasdaq float.
Innovation Victoria turns a merger into a test of founder support
Innovation Victoria will inherit a $139 billion startup ecosystem and $497 million investment book, but founders still want proof specialist support survives.
Innovation Victoria turns a merger into a test of founder support
Innovation Victoria will inherit a $139 billion startup ecosystem and $497 million investment book, but founders still want proof specialist support survives.
Industry Growth Program pause deepens startup pressure
Industry Growth Program pause adds grant uncertainty as founders face CGT fights and Canberra leans harder on tax reform to back startup growth.
Arkeus raises $A25m Series A after Pentagon contracts
Melbourne defence-tech startup Arkeus has raised $A25 million to scale AI-powered sensing systems after Pentagon traction, offering a fresh Australian deep-tech funding signal.
Nectar Social raises $US30m Series A led by Menlo Ventures
Nectar Social has raised $US30 million from Menlo Ventures, GV and True Ventures as it pitches agentic software for marketing teams.
Sydney Innovation Atlas maps where the city's startup clusters are forming
Committee for Sydney's new Innovation Atlas turns Greater Sydney's startup sprawl into a clearer map of clusters, funding gravity and policy gaps.
Charlton's local AI push collides with Chalmers' startup tax fight
Andrew Charlton wants Australia to buy local AI, but founders say the budget's capital gains changes could make it harder to build the companies Canberra wants.
SpaceX lines up 12 June Nasdaq debut as IPO timetable tightens
SpaceX is targeting a 12 June Nasdaq debut after a faster-than-expected SEC review, sharpening focus on whether blockbuster tech listings are reopening in 2026.
Budget Backs Deep Tech as CGT Changes Alarm Startup Investors
The federal budget has handed Australia's deep tech sector a significant package of R&D incentives while simultaneously alarming startup investors with a fundamental overhaul of how capital gains are taxed from mid-2027.
Chalmers lifts VC fund caps after 20-year freeze
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will lift the asset caps on Australia's venture capital tax-incentive programs for the first time in more than 20 years, raising the VCLP ceiling to $480 million and unlocking concessional treatment for growth-stage startups.
Chalmers revives loss carry-back for startups in 2026 budget
The 2026 federal budget revives the loss carry-back tax offset and introduces a new refundability measure for early-stage startups, a dual package Treasury says will reach 85,000 businesses.
L'Oréal opens Big Bang 2026 for Australian startups
L'Oréal has opened applications for its 2026 Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program. Australian startups can compete for commercial pilot opportunities across 35 markets in South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa.
