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1 month ago | 
startupdaily.net | James Greenslade-Yeats |Simon Thomsen |Jessica Dudley |Daniel Willis
When two junior employees bump into each other in the corridor and start chatting about their manager’s overbearing manner, it’s typically considered gossip. But what about when two managers have an off-record catch-up to discuss an under-performing employee? Both scenarios meet traditional definitions of gossip – the information being shared is about other people, the people it’s about are absent, the information is shared in a way that casts judgement on those people, and it’s informal.
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1 month ago | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |James Greenslade-Yeats |Jessica Dudley |Daniel Willis
UNSW chancellor David Gonski and Simon Sheikh’s impact investment fintech Future Super are among the investors in a new US$100 million fund to back artificial intelligence (AI) startups. King River Capital said it’s nearing the final close of its latest A$157 million fund, which continues its ongoing strategic focus on AI-driven software startups both here and in United States, where the Sydney VC also has New York and Denver offices.
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1 month ago | 
startupdaily.net | Jessica Dudley |Simon Thomsen |Daniel Willis |Harrison Polites
In a world where technology and innovation drive rapid change, young people need more than academic knowledge to thrive. They need an entrepreneurial mindset, the ability to see problems as opportunities, to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, and adapt to change.
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1 month ago | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Daniel Willis |Harrison Polites
Lee Hickin, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence policy lead for Asia, has departed the tech giant after more than six years to become the new director of the National AI Centre (NAIC). The NAIC was established in 2021 to support and accelerate Australia’s AI industry. Its inaugural director, Stela Solar, herself a former Microsoft executive, stepped down from the role last year and is now managing director for data and AI at Accenture ANZ.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Jones |Simon Thomsen |Adam Bub |Daniel Willis
Every startup founder faces strategic decisions that could make or break their vision – and one question looms large: how do you secure capital to fuel growth without handing away too much ownership? It’s a balancing act that has become increasingly relevant in the face of shifting market dynamics and founder insecurities about the most optimal funding avenues.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Adam Bub |Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham
Rocket launch pads in Queensland and South Australia have been granted permits by the Australian Space Agency to fire up, with Gilmour Space hoping for lift off before Christmas. Meanwhile, the Southern Launch Whalers Way Orbital launch complex in South Australia has been granted final environmental approvals for work on permanent facilities ahead of plans for its first launches in late 2025.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Adam Bub |Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham
The first drive in a Victorian government trial to see someone who’s taken medicinal cannabis to see if they can drive safely got underway this week. The closed-circuit testing at the METEC Driver Training facility in Bayswater is the start of a $4.9 million, 18-month trial, conducted by Swinburne University of Technology, to analyse how THC in medicinal cannabis impacts driving performance and how this translates into risk on the road.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Adam Bub |Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham
Kiwi editech Crimson Education has raised NZ$67 million (A$60m) Series D that has seen the scaleup’s valuation jump by 31% in just two years. The raise was previously reported in July, but the size of the round was not disclosed. It was led by NZ investor Movac, with support from existing backers HEAL Partners, Icehouse Ventures, US News and HighSage Ventures, as well as US fund Five Sigma. The raise values the company at NZ$1 billion (A$910m).
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Adam Bub |Simon Thomsen |Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham
There were plenty of important topics covered at the recent Startup Daily and AWS Unicorn Day in Melbourne from venture capital to impact startups to scaling to a billion-dollar business. One particular session on compliance demonstrated how paying attention to the small details can help founders close the biggest deals.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Adam Bub |Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham
The Victorian government’s controversial $2 billion venture capital fund, Breakthrough Victoria, posted a $3 million loss in its third year of operation. The funding body, which saw several directors depart in 2024, with CEO Grant Dooley also heading to the exit after just three years, copped a $360 million haircut in the Victorian budget earlier this year, posted the loss after its operating grant funding ceased and it cut costs to focus on investing.
