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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.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham |Mark Andrejevic
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.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Daniel Willis |Timothy Graham |Mark Andrejevic |Simon Thomsen
The startup journey is a rollercoaster – exciting, exhilarating, undeniably daunting and not for the faint-hearted. While social media tends to glamorise the #hustlelife, the reality of scaling a business is far more complex. It’s the point where a company moves from proving its concept to expanding operations, growing its customer base, and increasing market influence – and for those who make it through, the rewards are immense. Startups thrive on experimentation.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Timothy Graham |Mark Andrejevic |Simon Thomsen |Harrison Polites
A fintech startup funding the legal fees for family law disputes has raised $5.7 million in a Seed round. Sydney-based JustFund launched in 2022 cofounded by former lawyers Andy O’Connor and Jack O’Donnell, and fintech entrepreneur Craig Carroll,The raise was led by Xilium Capital, with support from Startmate, US-based Legal Tech Fund, impact investor Tripple and Fin.Amp’s Dom Pym. The fintech also took on $7 million in venture debt.
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Nov 3, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Timothy Graham |Mark Andrejevic |Simon Thomsen |Harrison Polites
On July 13, shortly after Donald Trump was targeted by an assassination attempt, Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), tweeted to his more than 200 million followers:I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery. Musk’s efforts to influence who wins next week’s US presidential election have continued. For example, over the past three months, he has donated more than US$100 million to a political action committee called America PAC that’s promoting Trump.
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Oct 8, 2024 | 
startupdaily.net | Simon Thomsen |Timothy Graham
Quantum software developer Q-CTRL has topped up its Series B for a fourth time with an extra $88 million (US$59m) with the Sydney startup’s valuation jumping dramatically in the process. The raise takes the Series B, spanning three years, to $166 million (US$113m) in total and was led by UK late-stage venture firm GP Bullhound. Q–CTRL first raised $35 million in the first tranche in late 2021, then $39 million extension in February 2023, before garnishing five months later with another $3.8m.
