July, August & September 2020
The Startup News Asia third quarter 2020 round-up of Australia’s startup news from July, August and September.
Each news headline listed below deals with a technology or startup news item from Q3 2020 connected with Australia’s startup ecosystem in some way, whether an announcement by a startup around a service, pivot or VC investment, or an article dealing with something likely to impact on Australia’s startup ecosystem, such as government or corporate startup program.
The focus, obviously, is on Australia, but wider-world technology and startup news headlines are included where useful as points-of-reference, food for thought for Australia’s startups, or to deliver wider industry knowledge.
September 2020 | August 2020 | July 2020
Australian startup news: September 2020
- Australia: Gov’t of New South Wales to make 3-year investment of $180M to broaden scope of Cyber Security NSW, quadrupling cybersecurity team size
- Australia: The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2020 applications now open, seeking innovations and innovators aiming for a positive impact on the world’s oceans
- Australia: Facebook threatens ban on Australian users sharing local or international news on FB and Instagram if federal gov’t proceeds with bargaining code legislation
- Australia: 2 National Blockchain Roadmap Working Groups established to research use cases of blockchain tech in Australia, focusing on supply chains and credentialing
- Australia’s Prospection healthcare analytics startup takes step into APAC with launch of Japan office
- Australia: Select Committee on Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology issues interim report on fintech and regtech, proposing 32 recommendations to gov’t
- Australia: Cyber-attacks hit Australians nearly every 10 minutes, costing the nation $29BN a year, finds Australian Cyber Security Centre report
- Hunting the Phoenix: The Chinese Communist Party’s global search for technology and talent, a policy brief from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Australia: Voting now open for the 2020 Online Startup & Innovation Awards, hosted by YBF Ventures – here are the finalists
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission sets 4-year tech focus on developing the financial system, with AI and data analysis to inform regulatory decisions
- Australia: National Missing Persons Hackathon registrations now open for October event
- Australia: Service NSW hack exposed 738GB of data, encompassing 3.8M documents and 186K customer details
- Australia: An introductory look at reZme, direct-booking platform for hotel stays aiming to provide hotels with more control of their bookings
- Australia/New Zealand: Women In AI Awards applications and nominations open September 14th, aiming to recognise female entrepreneurs in artificial intelligence
- Australia’s Startmate unveils latest startup intake, alongside its first New Zealand cohort
- Australia: Uber to launch Uber and Transit feature in Sydney, allowing users to mix and match ridesharing with public transport
- Australia: NAB and CommBack launch interest-free credit cards less than 24 hours apart in bid to compete with popularity of buy now, pay later firms and fintechs
- Australia: “Privacy, blockchain and the Internet of Things – Can we keep control of our own identities?” via the University of South Australia
- Australia: Applications close September 18th for PopLabs, incubator program for creative businesses using storytelling to drive social impact
- Australia: An intro to the recently-launched trial of Civic Ledger blockchain tech in Queensland, focusing on irrigation and ‘water trading’ in the region’s agricultural sector
- Australia: The Studio creative/tech incubator launches Sydney-based Founders’ Program, with applications closing October 11th
- Australia: West Tech Fest 2020 set to run from November 30th to December 6th in multiple locations
- Australia: Dendra Systems raises $10M Series A with drone-driven land analysis and seed delivery
- Australia: Fenn Foods to launch carbon-neutral plant-based beef replacement, Veef, later this year, with sights on Singapore launch following
- An Opportunity for Strengthening U.S.-Australian Cyber Cooperation’ via Lawfare
- Australia: ‘Clean pipes’ – should internet service providers deliver a more secure internet when the majority of users don’t have the skills or resources to defend themselves?
- Australia: uDrew wins $508K gov’t grant with platform enabling contractors and owners without technical skills to design and manage renovation projects
- Australia: Startup@AnyAge program launches focusing on senior entrepreneurs and those over 50, run by University of South Australia and SA Health
- Australia’s GameFace AI and India’s Gamerji Esports make it to St Louis VC firm Stadia Ventures’ investment list following accelerator participation
- Australia: Atlassian launches $70M Atlassian Ventures fund to boost early-stage startups building for the company’s cloud products
- Ensuring a trusted 5G ecosystem of vendors and technology’, a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Australia: National Blockchain Roadmap Highlights – a 2-page introduction (pdf)
- Australia: Government unveils National Digital Health Workforce and Education Roadmap
- Australia: Finding Startups, an open-source database for the Victorian startup ecosystem, providing real-time data for founders, investors, corporates and policy makers
- Australia’s Festival Of Dangerous Ideas hosts livestream with Edward Snowden tomorrow, September 24th, talking on surveillance states
- Australia-Israel Innovation Summit 2020 set for October 21st, running online with sessions on AI, cybersecurity and more
- Australia: First Pitch for Kids 2020 launches free country-wide competition to educate and inspire children aged 8-13 about entrepreneurship
- Australia: AgUnity wins Au$250K at Techsylvania virtual pitch event with platform and technology focused on unbanked farmers in developing countries
- Blockchain Australia industry body partnered by Binance Australia cryptocurrency exchange with aim of boosting blockchain discussion, education and use
- Australia: NAB launches country’s first bug bounty program for banking in partnership with Bugcrowd, crowdsourced security company
- Australia: Xccelerate 2020 program applications now open for Australian tech startups delivering digital solutions for consumers and businesses
- Australia: Telstra and Microsoft extend partnership to work on IoT, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, 5G technology and more
- Fintech Australia Finnies Awards event set for October 28th, recognising the country’s financial technology innovators and achievers
- Australia: The Future of Agricultural Technologies report now available to download
- Australia’s Amatil X, Coca-Cola’s corporate venturing platform, sets sights on growth in Indonesia with startups and innovation
- ICYMI: An intro to the inaugural class of the Techstars Korea Accelerator, 10 startups from Korea, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the US and the UK
- New Zealand Government-backed $300M Elevate NZ Venture Fund makes first investment, placing $21.5M into Australia’s Blackbird Ventures
- Philippines: QBO partners with Australia Government’s Investing in Women initiative for Startup Pinay, aiming to boost women entrepreneurs in the tech startup space
Australian startup news: August 2020
- Australian edition of SheLovesTech registrations close September 11th, with event set to run virtually in October
- Australia: A round-up of the country’s tech, startup and funding news from the past month
- Australia: Foment Accelerator applications open for startups and innovators in wine and tourism
- Australia: Neuromersiv receives $1M grant from government’s Biomedtech Horizons Fund with virtual reality solution for neurorehabilitation for brain injury survivors
- Australia: CareApp raises over $500K including $250K from SA State Gov’t to expand and scale up smartphone app connecting residents in aged care with families
- Australia: Google, Facebook to face $10M fine and forced arbitration if they fail to reach media revenue-sharing agreement inside 3 months, under new draft code of conduct
- Australia: Superstars of STEM program applications open, seeking Australian female scientists and technologists to act as role models for young women and girls
- Australia: Blackbird VC firm raises $500M fund, comprising $150M core fund focused on Australian tech startups and a follow-on fund with a broader remit
- Australia: Future Industries eXchange for Entrepreneurship unveils $2.5M funding and range of startup support and development programs
- Australia: Startupbootcamp FinTech Melbourne applications close August 7th, seeking startups ready to pilot solutions with financial and insurance corporations
- Australia: A video round-up of recent tech, startup and funding news from Australia, with QR code links to each startup news item featured
- Australia: Applied Blockchain Intensive Short Course- study blockchain fundamentals in 6 weeks with Blockchain Collective
- Australia: Gov’t to increase cybersecurity spending to $1.6BN and push for expanded police powers in bid to reduce crime on dark web
- Download: Australian Government Cyber Security Strategy 2020 (pdf)
- Australia: WA Gov’t opens applications for ‘virtual trade mission’ to London Tech Week for Western Australian startups and scaleups ready to explore the UK market
- Australia: Government to invest up to Au$1.3BN in new Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems development program, boosting situational awareness across coastline
- Australia: Expert FindHer Resources Directory launches with listing of relevant programs, funding sources, networks, mentors and tools for women entrepreneurs
- Australia: NSW gov’t launches Smart Places Strategy and Smart Infrastructure Policy, outlining plans to build sensors and tech into infrastructure and buildings
- Australia: AusCERT Cyber Security Conference set for September 15-18, running virtually this year
- Australia: National Rugby League to pilot Smart Trademark, blockchain-based app developed by Gov’t patent and IP office, to prove merchandise authenticity
- Australia: Melbourne EdTech Summit set for September 8-10, seeking 3-minute video pitches from startups focused on learning, globally
- Australia: Startup Gippsland Angel Investing and Venture Capital Masterclass event provisionally set for October 24th, online
- Australia: HIVERY AI startup secures $8M with stock selection, prediction and placing technology for retailers
- Australia’s Up digital bank partnered by UK’s TransferWise for b2b cross-border money transfers
- Australia: Binary Shift 2020 set for August 27th, interactive virtual event bringing together regional innovators, thought leaders and business leaders
- Australia: Digital Innovation Festival 2020 to run virtually, state-wide from August 21st to September 4th, showcasing emerging tech and promoting jobs of the future
- Australia: An intro to Yellowbox, short term locker and storage service using bluetooth, live map and mobile app
- Australia: An intro to the 16 startups participating in The Good Incubator, a program designed for entrepreneurs with disabilities
- Australia: DStart applications close August 27th for researchers and SMEs to connect with Defence, identify real-world applications, and attract resources
- Australia: Digital Health Accelerator Program launches, WA’s first digital health-specific program, to build capacity in entrepreneurs and provide pathway to commercialisation
- Australia: Digital Trust Report 2020 available to download now, highlighting the role digital trust plays in attracting investment and driving jobs growth
- Australia: Farmers2Founders Ideas Program applications close August 21st, seeking 12 agri-tech participants for 3-month online development program
- Australia: An intro to Catel, agriculture-focused fintech creating online marketplace allowing investment in tangible farm products such as a hectare of grain
- Australia: Buildkite gains $28M to enable tech firms to build and deploy software faster via continuous integration and continuous delivery method
- Australia: See-Mode Technologies medtech raises $7M Series A with AI-driven software to better predict stroke risk
- Australia: Future Founders Festival 2020 set for September 23-27, running online and focusing on international students, innovators and founders
- Australia: OneVentures VC firm closes 4th fund, 1V Venture Credit Fund, at near $80M looking for technology-focused scale-ups with global ambitions
- Australia: Parpera opens shares for trading on Equitise crowdfunding platform to further develop digital ?banking ?alternative for businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs
- Australia: Former PM Turnbull suggests lack of a specific minister responsible for cybersecurity is a key weakness in government’s strategy and cyber policies
- Australia: Ofload secures $2.8M investment from Danish logistics giant Maersk to connect medium and small-sized carriers with shippers
- Australia: Waddle invoice financing startup to be acquired by accounting giant Xero
- Another look at the 11 startups selected from the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform program, from Australia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and UAE
- Australia: National Missing Persons Hackathon set for October 29th – registrations open September 1st
- Australia’s Power Ledger expands partnership with Thailand’s renewable energy company BCPG for blockchain-based Renewable Energy Certificate marketplace
- Australian-founded Songtradr raises US$30M with marketplace connecting artists, composers, labels and publishers with those using music in their content
- Australia’s Shippit logistics startup expands to Malaysia through partnership with Ninja Van, regional area-focused courier that offers COD options for the unbanked
- Australia: $1.3M pre-accelerator funding assigned via LaunchVic to support up to 700 entrepreneurs, with female founders, sports technology and regions as focus points (pdf)
- Australia: Defence Industry Competitive Evaluation Research Agreement to offer SMEs opportunity and grants up to $300K to investigate projects improving defence industry
- Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement signed to facilitate digitization of trade processes and ease cross border business activities
- Sri Lanka’s Veracity AI partners Australia’s GoMicro for AI-driven mobile phone microscopy in agriculture to identify pests, disease and mineral deficiencies
- Australia’s Aus4Innovation program partners Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Tech with Au$650K short-term funding for AI solutions COVID-19 and economic recovery
Australian startup news: July 2020
- Australia: An intro to Fitbotic, fitness app using motion detection technology and featuring a rewards credit system
- Australia: Stone & Chalk startup hub expands services to include virtual, providing support across commercialisation, mentorship, customer acquisition, capital raising and more
- Australia: MGM Wireless to launch all-in-one smartphone, watch and GPS device to help elderly users stay safe and connected to family
- Australia: Consumers can now choose to share banking data with 3rd party providers following launch of Open Banking under Consumer Data Right Act
- Australia: Licence photos, names, addresses and signatures of West Australians soon to be available to investigators via national facial recognition system
- Australia: Stone & Chalk Capital Raising Guide for Startups now available to download – 42 pages on funding stages, methods, equity, valuations and more
- Australia: A brief intro to a handful of WA’s women entrepreneurs
- Australia: University of Queensland medical students raise concerns that in-home use of 3rd-party ProctorU software to monitor exams constitutes invasion of privacy
- Australia: China’s TikTok may be ‘a data collection service disguised as social media’, says deputy chair of Foreign Interference through Social Media inquiry
- Australia: VAPAR secures $700K seed funding with AI focusing on sewer system repair, with sights set on taking its automation tech international
- Australia: Amazon Launchpad Innovation Report, the results of a brief survey of 1000+ SMBs, available to download as pdf
- Australia: Oovvuu partnered by WordPress VIP with ML tech that reads news articles, views videos, and matches them
- Australia: An intro to Sensavation’s Sensahub, a low-code IoT development platform for drag-and-drop development of custom IoT applications and dashboards
- Australia: Bega Cheese to deploy Cumulocity IoT platform to link supplier farms, milk transport storage and processing facilities
- Australia: ShareRing, enterprise blockchain startup focused on wide range of travel applications, gains backing from Alphabit digital asset investment manager
- Australia: Information Commissioner joins UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office in investigation of Clearview AI info-handling, focusing on scraped data and biometrics
- Australia: 6clicks secures $2.2M with cloud-based automation and management of corporate risk assessment, cybersecurity and compliance
- Australia: A look at The Difference, app allowing you to round up spare change from each transaction and give the difference to causes you care about
- Australia: Ping drone startup gains $1.3M with wind turbine damage detection system
- Australia: Shippit logistics startup steps into SEA e-commerce market with launch of Singapore operations, partnering with Shopify for cash-on-delivery services
- Australia: Sempo blockchain startup secures $1.6M from European Commission for Oxfam partnership focused on aid distribution to unbanked populations
- Australia: An intro to First Australians Capital, Indigenous-led not-for-profit aiming to provide Indigenous entrepreneurs with access to capital
- Australian Technologies Competition unveils the 2020 semi-finalists, 42 startups moving to stage 2 of selection (pdf)
- Australia: An intro to Heuros, making GM-free media for the manufacture of cultivated meat, recently selected for ProVeg incubator program
- Australia: Functionly wins $598K Accelerating Commercialisation grant with tech aiming to streamline organisational functions, enabling smooth growth
- Australia: Startmate Fellowship unveils partners including AWS, aiming to open doors for 300 women into tech startup jobs by end of 2021
- Australia: A brief look at Hubbed, pick-up and drop-off parcel network focused on newsagents for the first and last miles of e-commerce delivery
- Australia: Social Impact Hub unveils 8 startups selected for first cohort of new Scaling Impact accelerator program, set to run online
- ICYMI: Australia’s National Blockchain Roadmap Steering Committee seeks expressions of interest from blockchain community to join working groups
- She Loves Tech Australia chapter launches with inaugural event set for October 5th
- Australia: GroundSwell Regional New Industries Fund applications close August 10th, aiming to boost entrepreneurship and tech training programs in regional WA
- Australia: Propeller Aero raises $18.3M with drone-mapping and analytics focusing on mining, quarries and construction sites
- Australia’s TRIBU one of only 7 firms globally to be selected for US’ LAUNCH Accelerator, with AI-based IT support platform
- Australia’s Curious Thing startup selected by US Air Force to rework its recruitment process, in part using conversational artificial intelligence
- Australia: A look at how drones are helping Queensland farmers with cattle mustering, boosting both efficiency and safety
- Australia: An intro to Barayamal, the country’s first Indigenous-focused startup accelerator
- Australia: givvable takes win at inaugural Xccelerate2020 venture program with sustainability-focused business supplies platform
- Australia: SproutX Accelerator partnered by Crop Science division of Bayer to identify innovations around food, feed, fiber and renewable raw materials
- Australian Dairy Farmers industry group awarded gov’t contract to develop real-time payment and supply chain information sharing system using blockchain
- Australia: Cyamast cybersecurity startup raises $1.3M with tech focused on securing IoT and internet-connected networks
- Australia: UNSW Founders invests $140K across 7 startups as part of its 2020 10x Accelerator program
- Australia: Perth Mint partnering with Israel’s Security Matters to launch blockchain-powered mine-to-marketplace gold supply chain solution in 2021
- Australia: YBF Ventures launches Online Startup & Innovation Awards to shine a light on startups and scale-ups successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic
- Australia: Cointree, CoinJar and Swyftx now allow users to link accounts and public wallet addresses to Koinly, providing investors with a capital gains tax report
- Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance to launch fiat-to-crypto trading platform in Australia, supporting direct purchases of cryptocurrency using Australian dollar
- Hong Kong: Australia to introduce incentives for high-growth export companies alongside fast-tracked special talent tech visas to attract entrepreneurs and investors
- Singapore’s StashAway digital wealth management firm gains $16M backing from Australia’s Square Peg VC firm
- Sri Lanka: Veracity AI partners Australia’s GoMicro for use of mobile phone-based AI-powered microscopy in agriculture
