This Month
The ill-fitting nightclub top behind a multimillion-dollar business
When Annabel Hay’s fashion tape let her down on a nightclub dance floor, her wardrobe malfunction became a fast-growing company selling modesty-saving glue.
- Updated
- Amelia McGuire
Blackbird-backed HR start-up shuts down due to lack of demand
The employee feedback start-up’s founder admitted there was little customer demand for her business despite having raised almost $10 million three years ago.
- Amelia McGuire
Sidelined by VCs, women are taking their start-up ideas to the public
The three biggest raises of 2024 on Birchal, the country’s dominant equity crowdfunding platform, are businesses run by women. And largely backed by women.
- Yolanda Redrup
‘Find what makes you happy’: From zero to $1b in two years
Zeller’s Ben Pfisterer brought Square to Australia after stints at Jetstar, NAB and Visa. He has based his career on one piece of advice – from his parents.
- Yolanda Redrup
November
This Australian AI start-up wants you to complain more
Backed by Carthona Capital, Ajust is a consumer start-up that offers to fight your customer service battles on your behalf.
- Amelia McGuire
Revealed: Australia’s fastest-growing companies in 2024
In a tough consumer environment, this year’s Fast 100 and Fast Starters finalists have managed to find their niche.
- Victoria Thieberger
- Overall Winner
- Fast 100
This is the fastest-growing company in Australia
Founded by an ex-banker, this air ambulance start-up has achieved 700 per cent revenue growth thanks to business from the cruise industry.
- Primrose Riordan
Why this entrepreneur does tech differently
From food to climate, innovators saw problems in the tech sector and took action to make things right.
- Christopher Niesche
The start-ups challenging big banks on loans and payments
These top 5 fintechs on the Fast Starters list have found gaps in the market where the big banks fear to tread.
- Amelia McGuire
Meet the skincare company with 460pc growth
Identifying a niche is easy. Filling it – at scale – is the challenge, as these successful founders discovered.
- Lauren Sams
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
Hostplus’ $125m VC bet signals super’s resurgent interest in start-ups
Higher financing costs have made it a difficult period for new tech firms. But the last month has seen a resurgence in interest from retirement funds.
- Paul Smith
Who is Canva’s new Wall Street weapon?
Canva’s new chief financial officer Kelly Steckelberg has seen the highs and the lows of the tech boom, and starts on Tuesday as Canva heads to an IPO.
- Amelia McGuire
- Opinion
- Interest rates
Tech companies must stop waiting for interest rate relief
Start-ups crave low borrowing costs because it makes investors more likely to back them, but they must adapt now that rates could remain high.
- Ben Buckingham
Dovetail employee sues start-up and founder over personal relationship
The survey analytics software company, which sealed its status as a unicorn with a $1 billion valuation in late 2021, is backed by large funds such as Blackbird.
- Amelia McGuire
Aussie VC Artesian, horticulture R&D group partner to launch $60m fund
The new fund, dubbed Hort Innovation Venture Fund, will target up to 30 local and international startups for pre-seed or early series A funding.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Popular restaurant ordering app me&u lays off 10pc of staff
The company, which says it is the world’s biggest mobile ordering app for pubs and cafes, merged with rival Mr Yum last year. It is cutting workers in the hopes of reaching profitability.
- Paul Smith
Airtree raises $650m for new start-up investment funds
The money for the high-profile venture capital firm’s two new vehicles came from institutional investors in the US and from three Australian super funds.
- Paul Smith
Canva poaches a mastermind of Zoom’s IPO
The appointment ends eight months of speculation after Canva’s former chief financial officer stepped down after allegations of misconduct.
- Updated
- Amelia McGuire
A top CEO reveals what you shouldn’t do in a job interview
Cicada Innovations chief Sally-Ann Williams discusses tips when trying to advance your career, and the thing she does every morning to make better decisions.
- Sally Patten and Martin Peralta
QIC bets on Aussie climate tech companies, backs $200m VC
Queensland’s sovereign fund has joined Westpac and Clean Energy Finance Corporation in backing Virescent Ventures’ second climate-focused fund.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
