Section
Startups
Pre-ChatGPT startups face AI's valuation reset in 2026
Pre-ChatGPT startups are being repriced as generative AI changes what investors will pay for older SaaS tools and leaner software teams.
Advanced Navigation revenue jumps 73% before Series C
Advanced Navigation revenue rose 73% before its $158 million Series C, giving investors a harder test of the Australian deep-tech unicorn.
AUKUS underwater drones open lane for Australian start-ups
AUKUS plans to deliver underwater drones from 2027, and recent Defence contracts show where Australian companies in navigation, sensing and cable-protection tools could fit.
Australia startup ranking 2026 faces AI and capital test
Australia startup ranking 2026 puts the country back at No. 9, but AI diffusion, capital depth and tax settings will decide if it lasts.
AUKUS drones open narrow path for AU defence startups
AUKUS drones give Australian defence-tech startups a clearer mission, but procurement power still sits with US and UK suppliers.
Birchal cuts valuation to $5m in new crowd-funding round
Birchal valuation cut resets the platform at $5 million as chief executive Kirstin Hunter argues Australia's crowd-funding market has tightened.
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.
Canva AI pivot: 4 senior exits in a single month
Four senior leaders left Canva in May 2026 as the design giant races to become AI-native, testing its promise to redeploy staff rather than replace them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
