Kiwi Startups HR Firm Humankind Acquires Blackbird-Backed Management Training Platform The Mintable
Wellington‑based HR consultancy Humankind has bought The Mintable, a management‑training platform aimed at first‑time managers. The Mintable, launched in 2021 from Sydney and Denver, previously raised about AU$8 million (≈$5.3 million USD) across a $1.3 million pre‑seed and a $6.8 million seed round led by Blackbird. Its client roster includes Tracksuit, Sharesies, Lion Food & Beverage and Notion. The acquisition folds the software‑driven training product into Humankind’s broader people‑and‑culture services, allowing the firm to offer a combined consultancy and digital solution.
Policing the Bots: How New Rules Could Save the Web From AI Scrapers
Australia ranks among the most AI‑anxious nations, fearing misuse and un‑compensated data scraping. AI firms routinely crawl the open web, pulling content from news sites, Reddit, and academic repositories to train models. With the Australian government rejecting a new text‑and‑data‑mining...
Six Months in Austin: BuildPass Says the US Is Already 20% of Revenue
Australian construction‑software firm BuildPass reports that the United States now contributes over 20% of its revenue just six months after opening an Austin office. The company is seeing more than 50% month‑on‑month growth in the U.S., helping global revenue double...
Me&u Founder Stevan Premutico’s New Startup Is Tackling Another Restaurant Pain Point: Phone Calls
Stevan Premutico, the founder behind Dimmi and me&u, has launched Hey Buddy, a voice‑AI platform that answers restaurant phone calls and converts them into reservations. In Australia, about one‑third of restaurant calls go unanswered—over 22 million missed calls annually—resulting in lost...
Why You Can’t Build a Startup Ecosystem on Panels and Piss-Ups
On May 8, Garry Williams launched Seeds, a Melbourne‑based school, publication and events studio aimed at delivering real‑time, practitioner‑led tech education. The venture targets a long‑standing gap in the Australian startup ecosystem: consistent, in‑person skill training that adapts instantly to new technologies....
Venture Builder Launches in Sydney, Offering $3 Million to Get Founders Firing
Former quant trader Andonis Sakatis has launched Repeat Builders, a Sydney‑based venture builder that pre‑validates startup ideas and allocates up to $3 million per venture for two years. The model pairs each funded idea with a founding team selected for domain...
Australia Isn’t Losing Girls in STEM – It’s Losing Women
Australia’s STEM pipeline delivers qualified women, but the workforce retains only a fraction. Women comprise 27% of the STEM labor force, yet merely 15% of those with STEM degrees stay in related roles, and they hold just 12% of senior...
Why Big Tech Is Obsessed with Hiding Its Reality
Big‑tech firms such as Amazon, Canberra Data Centres (CDC) and Microsoft have been fighting to keep their aggregated energy and emissions data out of Australia’s NGERS reporting system, citing trade‑secret protections. Despite public claims of net‑zero operations, NGERS data shows...
Canva Smacked with $792,000 in Fines for Lodging FY24 Financials 11 Months Late
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) issued four infringement notices totalling $792,000 to entities within the Canva Group for filing FY24 financial reports 11 months late. Canva finally lodged its 2021‑2024 statements in September and March, while the 2025...
Data Says ‘AI Kills Jobs’ Isn’t True – Workers at Companies Not Using It Are Most at Risk
Australia’s CSIRO analyzed job ads from over 4,000 firms and found that companies that have adopted AI actually posted 36% more non‑AI positions than peers that haven’t. The data suggests AI is driving hiring rather than mass layoffs, contradicting the...
Why ‘Do Your Own Research’ Doesn’t Cut It as the Knowledge Gap Turns Into a Chasm
The article argues that the rapid, exponential growth of specialist scientific knowledge has created a widening chasm between what educated laypeople can understand and the frontier of research. Historically, a single scholar could grasp most of human knowledge, but today...
UNSW Founders Launches 2026 Accelerator with $100,000 Founder-Friendly Startup Deal
UNSW Founders launches its 10th‑year 10x Accelerator for 2026, offering a 10‑week, founder‑friendly program across Health, Climate and All Industries streams. Each selected startup receives a $100,000 SAFE investment, intensive coaching, and access to the university’s Global Innovation Foundry for...
ARENA Powers up Apartments EV Charging Startup with $1.51 Million
ReadySteadyPlug, a Sydney‑based EV charging startup, secured AU$1.51 million (≈US$1 million) from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to launch a Charging‑as‑a‑Service project worth AU$3.49 million (≈US$2.3 million). The funding will enable the installation of up to 428 Level 1 charge points across apartments and strata...
Startup 360: How to Travel Better and Cheaper with AI
Altitude AI, founded by former tech executive Aimee Armstrong, is launching an AI‑powered travel agent that lets employees book business trips directly from workplace tools like Slack while automatically applying corporate travel policies. The startup aims to capture a slice...
Atlassian’s Revenue Beat Expectations – and Its Shares Popped
Atlassian reported Q3 fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.79 billion, up 32% year‑over‑year, and cloud revenue of $1.13 billion, up 29%. While the company posted a GAAP net loss of $98.4 million, non‑GAAP adjusted profit surged to $456.5 million, reflecting a 34% operating margin. A...
RACK OFF: Why You Need to Build Your Own Running Track to Join the AI Race
Satya Nadella announced a $25 billion commitment to expand Microsoft’s Australian cloud capacity by 140 % over four years, while newly filed accounts reveal Google and Meta shifted roughly $11 billion of Australian revenue offshore, paying just $140 million in tax, and Amazon recorded almost...
AI Is Already Across Your Business and Its Carbon Impact Probably Is Too
AI adoption has accelerated dramatically, with Deloitte’s 2026 State of AI reporting a 50 % jump in workforce access over the past year. What was once a niche feature set is now the core foundation of product development and everyday workflows....
Leonardo AI, Airtasker, Canva and Linktree Founders Back Side Stage Ventures in $50 Million Fund II
Side Stage Ventures announced the close of its $50 million Fund II, with a $40 million first close backed by founders of Leonardo AI, Canva, Airtasker, Linktree and other Australian tech icons. The new fund is more than double the size of its debut...
Airwallex Founder Jack Zhang Is Offering $100,000 to AI Startup Founders Under 25
Airwallex co‑founder Jack Zhang announced Latitude 37, a program that will award $100,000 in equity‑free capital to ten Australian AI startup founders under 25 each year. The initiative also provides participants with Airwallex’s global fintech network, mentorship, and immersion trips to...
Former Startmate Boss Michael Batko Is Back in Founder Mode Building with Hourglass AI
Former Startmate CEO Michael Batko has launched Hourglass AI, an Australian firm that builds production‑ready AI systems on a fixed‑fee basis. The startup, co‑founded with 22‑year‑old Finlay Ekins, emerged from stealth in February and already serves clients such as a...
The Startup World Cup Is Your Chance to Pitch in Silicon Valley and Win $1.4 Million
Australia’s Startup World Cup returns in 2026, offering founders a fast‑track to Silicon Valley. Backed by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a $2 billion venture fund, the competition culminates in a Grand Finale in San Francisco where the winner can secure up to US$1 million...
AI Governance Startup Pockets $4 Million Seed Round
Sydney‑based AI governance startup Aigentsphere announced a $4 million seed round led by Main Sequence, the CSIRO‑backed venture fund. The capital will expand its engineering team and open operations in both Australia and the United States. Aigentsphere’s platform provides a unified...
A Bit Shit: No One Taught You How to Manage People, so This Might Help
Founders often excel at vision, fundraising and product but admit they are mediocre at people management. As teams grow beyond 15‑20 members, the founder’s role shifts from individual contributor to talent multiplier, making management the highest‑leverage activity. The article argues...
2 Sydney Supply Chain Startups Get Serious on Impact for PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Program
PepsiCo's Asia‑Pacific Greenhouse Program selected five startups, including Sydney‑based Adiona and X‑Centric, to embed their solutions into the beverage giant's supply chain. Adiona's AI‑driven logistics platform cut fleet distance by 19%, targeting Scope 3 emissions. X‑Centric's digital soil‑analytics platform aims to...
Why Taste Will Always Be a Strong Business Model
The article argues that "taste"—the ability to filter and recommend—has always been a core business model, now amplified by generative AI’s content explosion. While AI excels at factual answers, it cannot replace human judgment, making curators and creators more valuable....
‘Data Poisoning’ Is Starting to Look Like the Rebellion Against AI
The rise of generative AI has sparked both optimism and anxiety, prompting a wave of resistance tactics ranging from boycotts to civil disobedience. Data poisoning—deliberately inserting false or biased content into training data—has emerged as a low‑skill, high‑impact method to...
The Conversation that Could Change a Founder’s Life
Burnout in startups often goes unnoticed until it threatens performance, with nearly half of people leaders reporting severe fatigue, according to Wiley Workplace Intelligence. As teams grow from five to fifty, informal support erodes and leaders become stretched across hiring,...
From PhD to Pitch: How Games Studio Mental Jam Won the Growth Summit Pitch Competition
Mental Jam, a Melbourne‑based games studio, won the pitch competition at the Growth Summit on February 25, securing a platform to accelerate its mission of delivering mental‑health support through video games. Founder Dr. Michelle Chen highlighted a strategic shift toward...
GAMING: Australian Game Dev’s Complicated Relationship with Government Support
Australia’s game development sector is experiencing a revival, driven largely by federal and state government support. The Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) provides a 30% refundable tax credit for companies spending at least $500,000 AUD (≈$330,000 USD), while competitive grants fund...
Wolverine Star Hugh Jackman Joins Ticketing Startup Humanitix as Head of Impact
Australian social‑enterprise ticketing platform Humanitix has appointed actor Hugh Jackman as its first Head of Impact. The company, which donates 100% of profits to charities, processed about $453 million in ticket sales last year and expects $535 million in 2026, with total sales...
ANU Spinout Raises $36 Million Series A to Make AI Chips
Australian National University spin‑out Syenta announced a AU$36 million (≈US$26 million) Series A round, led by Playground Global and the National Reconstruction Fund. The capital will accelerate commercialisation of its lithography‑free Localized Electrochemical Manufacturing (LEM) process, which promises 40% fewer steps and higher...
Unknown Knowns: Techboard Dug up Unannounced Startup Investments – and Discovered It’s Potentially the Majority of Funding
Techboard's new report reveals that only about one‑third of Australian startup funding is publicly disclosed, with more than 750 unannounced investments identified. The analysis, based on ASIC share‑issuance filings and internal data, estimates 1,100 startups received external capital in 2025,...
After Building Global Startup, Two Founders Who Met at Uni Are Backing a New Generation of Kiwi Students
University of Auckland alumni Alliv Samson and Hengjie Wang have pledged roughly US$18,000 (NZ$30,000) to launch the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Alumni Fund. The fund will back the university’s Velocity startup program and related initiatives, giving students free...
AI Robs You of the Achievement of Effort. Here’s Why that Sucks.
Columnist Colson Whitehead warns that AI erodes the essential struggle of artistic creation, arguing that effort is the core of genuine work. The author of this piece echoes that view, describing how AI’s ease robbed him of the painful process...
Ideally, the Kiwi Consumer Insights Startup Google and Telstra Use, Raises $13.4 Million Series A
New Zealand‑based consumer insights startup Ideally secured a A$13.4 million (~$8.8 million USD) Series A round, valuing the AI‑driven platform at roughly $83 million. The funding, led by Shearwater Capital, will fuel a rapid U.S. expansion after the New York office drove a 350% revenue...
Analysis of 200 Education Dept-Endorsed School Apps Finds Most Are Selling BS when It Comes to the Privacy of Children’s...
Researchers at UNSW audited nearly 200 Android educational apps recommended by Australian schools and found pervasive privacy violations. Most apps begin transmitting device identifiers and location data within seconds of launch, and 80% embed hard‑coded API secrets accessible to anyone...
Australia’s Privacy Commissioner Tried, in Vain, to Sound the Alarm on Data Protection During the U16s Social Media Ban Trials
Australia’s Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) warned that the Age Assurance Technology Trial (AATT), commissioned to test tech for the teen social‑media ban, overstated its privacy safeguards. The regulator flagged terms such as “privacy‑preserving” and “privacy by design”...
World Champion and Awake Academy Founder Layne Beachley Talks High Performance at Sydney Growth Summit
World champion surfer and Awake Academy founder Layne Beachley will speak at Sydney's Growth Summit on June 18, delivering a session titled “High performance that lasts.” She will discuss emotional fitness and resilience, drawing on her seven‑time world title experience...
Battery Recycling Startup Renewable Metals Charges up on $12 Million Series A
Australian battery recycling startup Renewable Metals closed a $12 million Series A round, led by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and joined by European Metal Recycling, Investible and Climate Tech Partners. The funding will launch a 2,000‑tonne‑per‑year demonstration plant in Kewdale, Western...
Patient Capital: Canva Delays IPO to 2027 Amid AI Pivot
Canva announced it will delay its US initial public offering until at least 2027 as it retools its core graphic‑design platform around artificial intelligence. The Australian‑based SaaS firm, valued at roughly $43 billion after an A$65 billion August 2025 estimate, says it is...
Zip Sees Bad Debts Rising as People Turn to BNPL to Pay for Essentials
Zip, one of Australia’s largest buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) providers, posted a record quarterly cash earnings of $65.1 million AUD (≈$43 million USD), a 41% jump year‑over‑year. Transaction volume climbed 22.4% to $4 billion AUD, pushing the operating margin to 19.4%. Bad‑debt levels rose to...
The 6 Levers to Build Trust at Scale
Founder CEOs often struggle to maintain trust as their startups scale beyond a close‑knit team. Dane Hudson outlines six practical levers—role‑modeling behavior, emotional intelligence, transparency, frequent leader‑employee interaction, trust‑building tools, and proactive conflict management—to embed trust at every level. By...
Boman Is After Startups for Its China Tech Delegation to Meet with Alibaba, Geely and Unitree Robotics
Melbourne‑based Boman Group is launching a five‑day delegation that will take Australian startup founders to China’s Zhejiang province from June 1. The itinerary includes meetings with e‑commerce leader Alibaba, EV manufacturer Geely and robotics pioneer Unitree Robotics, among other innovators. Participants...
Y Combinator-Backed AI Call Receptionist Raises $22 Million Series A
Y Combinator‑backed Phonely announced a $22 million Series A round, valuing the AI call‑receptionist startup at roughly $100 million. The funding, led by Base10 Partners and backed by YC and three enterprise customers, builds on a prior $750,000 seed raise. Phonely’s platform can...
What if the Problem Isn’t Women’s Businesses, but the Way We Talk About Them?
Australia’s latest startup funding report shows all‑female founding teams captured just 2% of capital, down from 4% a year earlier. Research links the shortfall to a self‑advocacy gap: women use more qualifying language, face higher interruption rates, and receive prevention‑focused...
The $1.6 Billion Eucalyptus Exit Is Worth Celebrating – but Here’s Why Female Founders Are Also Shaking Their Heads
The Australian digital‑health startup Eucalyptus, founded by four men, was sold for $1.6 billion, a landmark exit for the sector. The company’s growth was fueled by GLP‑1 medications, which are used disproportionately by women—about 1.7 times more than men. Despite serving...
Kiwi Fund Administration Fintech Caruso Banks $9.3 Million Series A
Caruso, a New Zealand‑born AI‑driven fund‑administration platform, closed a $9.3 million Series A round, valuing the company at $80 million. The round was led by Icehouse Ventures and GD1, with participation from Balmain, a customer‑credit fund manager. The capital will accelerate product development, expand...
Detox Social Enterprise Clean Slate Clinic Scores $2.8 Million Ahead of Series A
Australian virtual detox provider Clean Slate Clinic announced a $4.3 million AUD capital raise, comprising a $2.8 million convertible note from Giant Leap and Scale Investors and a $1.5 million debt facility from Australian Medical Angels, roughly $2.8 million USD. The funding positions the...
Quantum Sensing Defence Startup Detects $5 Million Seed Round
Australian deep‑tech spin‑out Deteqt has raised a $5 million seed round, led by Main Sequence and joined by ATP Fund, BOKA Capital and others. The funding will accelerate development of its patented diamond‑on‑silicon quantum magnetometers, which can be embedded in drones,...
Startup 360: Let’s Get Metaphysical – Learning From Great Books Faster
Pustakh, an AI‑driven applied‑learning platform, launched in Sydney in late 2025 to turn non‑fiction reading into actionable outcomes. Co‑founder Shruta Satam, a former Deloitte and PwC consultant, observed that leaders often read books without implementing insights, prompting the creation of...