-
1 week ago | 
womensagenda.com.au | Penny Locaso
If you look around the places and spaces where power and influence is currently held, it would be fair to conclude that leadership has been running on fumes for a while now. We keep pushing outdated models that reward dominance, short-term wins, and performative confidence. And yet we wonder why burnout is rising, trust is falling, and workplaces feel more transactional and disengaged than ever.
-
2 months ago | 
womensagenda.com.au | Penny Locaso
How it is that as we approach another International Women’s Day, with awareness and events proliferating, we remain a staggering 130 years away from achieving gender parity? International Women’s Day has unfortunately devolved into a “talkfest,” where well-intentioned efforts often overshadow the critical need for tangible action.
-
Feb 12, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Tegan Jones |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso |Dickie Currer
Melbourne-based enterprise technology startup Factor House has raised $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the launch of its flagship product, the Factor Platform. According to the business, the platform simplifies real-time data management for businesses of all sizes. The funding round was led by Blackbird Ventures, with participation from OIF Ventures, Flying Fox Ventures, and LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund.
-
Feb 9, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | David Adams |Mrinaal Datt |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso
Australian volunteer management startup Rosterfy has revealed $5.5 million in new investment, on the same day its software oversees the volunteer workforce at Super Bowl LIX. The new funding injection comes from OIF Ventures, closely following a $3 million investment from Bailador Technology Investors in October last year. That was a repeat investment from Bailador Technology Investors, which contributed $9.8 million to Rosterfy in April 2023.
-
Feb 6, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Eloise Keating |David Adams |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso
It doesn’t happen often, but this week’s funding round-up follows certain themes: there’s artificial intelligence, healthcare, and a startup using artificial intelligence in healthcare. Then there are Ivo and Lawpath, not one, but two startups using AI to generate and decipher legal forms in the business sector. Read on to learn more about the six Australian and New Zealand startups that raised $234.2 million this week.
-
Feb 5, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Tegan Jones |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso
Disrupt Radio will face a winding-up application in the Supreme Court of Victoria after months of financial instability and unpaid staff wages. As first reported by Tim Burrowes’ Unmade substack, the Melbourne-based startup, which launched in June 2023, is being targeted by an application from Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), its former studio provider, for failing to pay its debts.
-
Feb 5, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Morganne Kopittke |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso
A legal tech startup using AI to help businesses cut down on the time, effort and costs spent on contracts has raised $25.5 million (US$16 million) via a Series A funding round to streamline its plans to scale its AI-powered contract review solution. Ivo was founded in New Zealand by CEO Min-Kyu Jung, a former corporate lawyer who practised in Australia before leaving his legal career behind to learn how to code and build the startup, and its chief technology officer Jacob Duligall.
-
Feb 2, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Tegan Jones |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso |Olivia Cleal
LaunchVic has launched Basecamp – a six-week program designed to help seed to Series A startup founders navigate the complexities of leadership, including hiring and retaining talent. According to a joint 2023 report from the Tech Council of Australia and LaunchVic, there is a critical shortage of non-technical roles in the startup ecosystem – particularly at the senior executive level.
-
Jan 29, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Morganne Kopittke |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso |Olivia Cleal
Angel groups and venture capital (VC) funds that are brand new or looking to put down roots in Victoria will be given a helping hand of up to $300,000 to establish themselves and set up local offices in the state through two LaunchVic grant rounds announced yesterday.
-
Jan 21, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Tegan Jones |Simon Crerar |Penny Locaso |Cassandra Morgan
NSW-based ethical oil startup Levur has won $100,000 by taking the top spot in KPMG’s Nature Positive Challenge. The competition, which supports startups tackling environmental issues, also provided a total of $250,000 in tailored advisory services to its five finalists, with additional awards recognising First Nations innovation and a People’s Choice winner.
