Recent Posts
News•Feb 26, 2026
What VCs Actually Mean when They Say Your Startup Is “Too Early”
Venture capitalists increasingly label pitches as “too early,” a phrase that often masks deeper concerns about product validation, market readiness, or fit rather than pure timing. At a Melbourne Growth Summit, Rampersand’s Paul Naphtali explained that the comment can be a polite rejection or a signal that critical elements of the startup’s stack are missing. He urged founders to probe for concrete gaps and to demonstrate a resilient, step‑by‑step growth plan. Other investors, like Square Peg’s Dan Krasnostein, noted they keep promising founders on watch lists for future opportunities.
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 23, 2026
Victoria Takes Venture Capital Crown From NSW in $2.2 Billion Funding Surge
Victoria’s venture capital ecosystem surged in 2025, raising $2.2 billion across 134 deals – a 2.9‑times increase year‑on‑year and the state’s second‑largest funding year on record. The growth was driven by a sharp rise in mid‑size ($20‑49.9 million) and large ($50 million‑plus) rounds,...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 22, 2026
Marco Pierre White-Backed EatClub Raises $27 Million in Series B
Melbourne‑based restaurant marketplace EatClub has closed a $27 million Series B round, led by Marbruck, pushing its valuation above $200 million. The funding follows a rapid UK rollout that has signed more than 1,000 restaurants and tripled order volumes since its London debut...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Appetise Secures $7 Million to Turn Meal Plans Into Market Research
Appetise, the New Zealand‑origin meal‑planning app, closed a $7 million Series A round led by Icehouse Ventures, less than a year after launching in Australia. The company switched its consumer product to a free model to build a behavioural data engine that powers...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 19, 2026
Appetise Secures $7M Series A to Accelerate Grocery Insights Platform
New Zealand meal‑planning and grocery insights platform Appetise raised $7 million in a Series A round led by Icehouse Ventures, with participation from OIF Ventures, Brand Fund, NZVC and K1W1. The funding will support expansion in Australia, development of its insights platform...
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 18, 2026
HotDoc Goes From GP to PE as Founder Confirms Sale to Potentia
HotDoc, the Australian platform linking patients to their preferred GPs, has been sold to private‑equity firm Potentia, which leads a consortium including Acclivis Group and existing backer Airtree. The deal, valued between $250 million and $300 million, follows years of growth to...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 18, 2026
HotDoc Sold to Potentia in $250M-$300M Majority Stake Acquisition
Australian health‑tech platform HotDoc has been acquired by private‑equity firm Potentia, which led a bid for a majority stake. The deal, valued between $250 million and $300 million, also brings health‑tech investor Acclivis Group and long‑term backer Airtree into the ownership group....
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Fluent Commerce Raises $46 Million to Help Retailers Get AI-Ready
Fluent Commerce, the Australian order‑management platform, secured $46 million in a financing round led by Bain Capital. The new capital will accelerate its AI‑focused product roadmap, including a rapid data‑integration tool and a multi‑context protocol server that connects AI agents to...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 17, 2026
Fluent Commerce Secures $46M From Bain Capital to Accelerate AI‑powered Order Management
Australian order‑management platform Fluent Commerce announced a $46 million fundraising round led by Bain Capital. The capital will fuel its AI‑driven expansion and international growth, building on its cloud‑based solutions used by retailers such as JD Sports, L’Oréal and LVMH. The company...
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 12, 2026
EGuarantee Raises $5.5M as Correlation Takes Majority Stake
Australian proptech eGuarantee announced a $5.5 million funding round, with insurer Correlation increasing its ownership from 25% to over 60%. The capital will be used to scale the digital lease‑bond platform, expand landlord acquisition and support a planned expansion into New Zealand.
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 11, 2026
Proptech eGuarantee Raises $5.5 Million for Its Digital Lease Bond Platform
Sydney‑based proptech eGuarantee secured $5.5 million in new capital, boosting Correlation’s ownership to over 60 percent. The infusion backs rapid scaling of its digital Lease Bond platform, which has lifted bond values from $8 million to more than $100 million in under four years....
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 11, 2026
HAMR Energy Raises $10M Series A From Qantas, Airbus and Thyssenkrupp Uhde
Australian low‑carbon fuels startup HAMR Energy closed a $10 million Series A round backed by Qantas, Airbus and Thyssenkrupp Uhde via their joint Australian Sustainable Aviation Fuel fund. The capital will fund its methanol‑to‑jet fuel projects in Victoria, including the Portland Renewable Fuels...
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 10, 2026
Steve Baxter: Why I’ll only Invest in Australian Defence Startups that Are Serious About the US
Steve Baxter announced that his fund will only back Australian defence startups that demonstrate a concrete plan to establish a U.S. presence. He argues that the U.S. defence budget—about $1.5 trillion—offers the scale required for venture‑backed growth, far beyond Australia’s $35 billion....
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 10, 2026
HAMR Energy Lands $10 Million Runway From Qantas and Airbus
Australian low‑carbon fuel startup HAMR Energy closed a $10 million Series A round backed by Qantas, Airbus and Thyssenkrupp Uhde. The capital will accelerate its flagship Portland Renewable Fuels project, targeting 300,000 tonnes per year of methanol derived from plantation forestry residues. A...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 9, 2026
Operata Raises $11 Million Series A as AI Reshapes Contact Centres
Melbourne‑born SaaS firm Operata secured an $11 million Series A round, lifting its valuation to $100 million. The funding, led by Tidal Ventures with participation from Glitch Capital and existing backers, will accelerate integration with major contact‑centre platforms and global expansion. Operata positions...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 9, 2026
Neara Powers up to Unicorn Status with $90 Million Capital Raise
Neara, a Sydney‑based digital‑twin startup, secured $90 million in a Series D round, pushing its valuation above $1 billion. The round, led by TCV and joined by existing backers, brings total external capital to roughly $180 million. Neara’s AI‑driven platform now models 15 million assets...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 5, 2026
CorePlan Raises $5 Million to Expand Its Mining Software Platform
Perth‑based CorePlan secured a $5 million follow‑on round led by existing backer EVP to accelerate its mining software platform. The funding will fuel global team growth, extend the solution into drilling and geology workflows, and deepen presence in the Americas and...
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 5, 2026
CorePlan Raises $5 Million to Expand Its Mining Software Platform
Perth‑based mining software startup CorePlan announced a $5 million follow‑on funding round led by existing investor EVP. The capital will be used to grow the global team, expand drilling and geology workflows, and scale operations in the Americas and Australia.
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
Deals•Feb 4, 2026
Agentsy Raises $700,000 Pre‑seed Round Led by Empress Capital
Australian proptech startup Agentsy announced the closing of a $700,000 pre‑seed funding round led by Empress Capital. The round, completed in late December, will fund the commercial launch of its AI platform for residential real‑estate agencies across Australia.
SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)