Q3 2024: Australian tech news

Australian technology news in the third quarter of 2024 – July, August and September – saw developments across a range of techs and industries, including amongst many others:

the postponement of the Reserve Bank’s pursuit of a retail-focused central bank digital currency in favour of a focus on wholesail, inter-bank CBDC;
Australian expertise in the sustainable extraction of lithium, the critical mineral underpinning electric vehicles and new batteries; and
the successful 2nd Australian Space Week event.

Australian tech news in September 2024

Australian tech news in August 2024

Australian tech news in July 2024

Cut Through Venture: Australia Venture Capital – Q2 2024 Report

Australian tech: September 2024

An intro to Australia’s AMSL Aero’s Vertiia, a hydrogen-powered vertical takeoff and landing vehicle claiming the world’s-longest VTOL range of 621 miles / link
Reserve Bank of Australia postpones pursuit of a retail CBDC, with focus instead shifting to a wholesale CBDC / link
A brief intro to the 8 startups selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator AI First program, working in areas from coding to pet health / link
Australia’s Quantum Brilliance to help deliver world-first mobile quantum computer for Germany’s cyber innovation agency by 2027, with civil and defense use cases / link
30X30 program opens for applications, seeking founders and C-suite leaders for mentoring on the challenges of high-growth enterprizes / link
“Pacific Island nations, notably Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji, have become significant areas of geopolitical competition…” / link
2024 Startup Daily selects 2 firms as joint winners of Most Innovative Startup, Goterra insect protein agri-tech and Agili8 remote community healthcare firm / link
Australian Federal Police arrests crime syndicate members including creator of encrypted messaging platform specifically designed for use by criminals / link
‘Central Bank Digital Currency and the Future of Digital Money in Australia’ “There is no clear public interest case to issue retail CBDC in Australia as yet…” / link
An intro to the 4 tech startups selected for cohort 2 of the AWS Global Generative AI Accelerator program / link
A brief intro to the 8 tech startups selected for cohort 1 of the Google for Startups AI First Accelerator, working in assets management, online communities, customer insights and more / link
Build Buddy construction-tech startup moves to Startup World Cup finals with platform allowing users to design and build their own home / link

“Social media giants would be forced to ban children under the age of 14 from their platforms or face hefty penalties, under proposed laws in South Australia that could be replicated…” / link

ElectraLith, startup making lithium extraction sustainable, running on renewable energy and requiring no water or chemicals / link
Government proposes fines for internet platforms of up to 5% of their global revenue for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation. / link
Morgan Stanley is to use AI to manage high-net-worth client portfolios with automation of some financial adviser processes / link

“ChatGPT… has little to do with Australia other than the fact that people here use it… they help to train the OpenAI’s models themselves without any direct benefit…” / link

Here’s an intro to the 12 startups selected for the NSW Government-supported 2024 Techstars Accelerator Program / link
Here’s a brief intro to 3 Aus-NZ tech startups that between them raised $36.1M in the week to September 6th, working in real estate, manufacturing and agriculture / link
AICRAFT AI firm secures SA Space Collaboration & Innovation Fund backing, partnering India’s Guerin space-tech for miniaturized SAR radar / link

NBR: Asia’s Space Ambitions – Next chapter in global space competition

NSW startups gain SE Asia market access with International Landing Pads agreements in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, and reciprocal access / link
Country profiles for Australia, India, Japan and Singapore, via the cmspi ‘Payments Regulation in Asia’ report / link
‘MQ Incubator Lunch & Learn – Startup Blueprint, From Idea to Launch’ takes place online and in-person on September 4th / link
A quick look at the approaching She Loves Tech Oceania Regional Pitch Finals and the individuals and startups taking part / link
India’s Bharat Web3 Ass’n inks agreements with Australia’s Digital Economy Council and Asosiasi Blockchain Indonesia for collaboration, standards development and more / link

“Shrinking [Australia’s] presence in the global semiconductor value chain has allowed us to sidestep… trying to compete with global semiconductor superpowers, but… we lose opportunity” / link

New Zealand: Checkmate pre-employment screening startup lands $1.6M seed funding, targeting markets including Australia and The Philippines / link
South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace and Australia’s Gilmour Space ink MOU for collaboration in space launch and satellite imagery / link
First Nations Allies Summit is set for December 2nd, delivered by Barayamal / link
Japan and Australia launch Pacific Digital Development Initiative, focused on Pacific Island nations infrastructure, telecoms, and information security. / link

Asia Tech News Podcast: Audio headlines round-up to mid-October 2024

Tech News, Australia: August ’24

An intro to the 6 Australian startups that made it onto the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list, working in space technologies, payments, AR and more / link
Employees now have the right to ignore work emails, texts and calls after hours under ‘right to disconnect’ legislation, with employers facing heavy fines for breaches / link
Bupa 2024 ecoDisruptive program applications close Sept 2 for startups in Australia, NZ and Hong Kong working on healthy societies solutions / link

“Already, the number of drones licensed to operate in Australia is greater than the number of existing airspace users combined…” / link

Gov’t research body, CSIRO, and Google partner to aid critical infrastructure operators in addressing vulnerabilities in commonly-used software / link
Australia to export energy to Singapore with Au$30BN solar & battery Sun Cable project, based in remote north and featuring solar arrays, batteries and 4300km subsea cable / link
Australia’s Sun Cable project, potentially to become the world’s biggest renewable energy project, mulls technology options as it works towards final commitment on $35BN project / link
New South Wales gov’t has approved the Goulburn River solar farm, a 450MW project featuring battery storage, set to deliver electricity to 191,000 homes annually / link
Woolworths adds $7M to previous $4M in funding for Seedlab Australia food and drink startup incubator / link

“Australians overwhelmingly support regulating social media and censoring harmful content, with 6 in 10 people polled backing an unproven proposal to ban access to children…” / link

ARENA & Innovation Bay Renewable Startup Showcase 2024 applications are open for early-stage renewables, clean-tech and climate-tech startups / link
Metakosmos space and extreme environments suit startup gains $2M Pre-Seed funding from Saudi Arabia’s Alzadhar Al-Sanai / link

“The report also found customers picked up the financial burden of being scammed in 96 per cent of losses, and 4 per cent were reimbursed or compensated” / link

Destination Southeast Asia: Trends, Founders, Startups

Australian Securities & Investment Commission service targeting investment scams, including crypto, has taken down over 7300 websites in its first year / link
Aus/NZ: Here’s a quick intro to 5 Australian and New Zealand startups that between them raised $38.5M in the past week, working in medtech, fitness and more / link
A look at ElectraLith, extracting and refining lithium to produce battery-grade hydroxide from a range sources using no water or chemicals, and minimal energy / link
DeCarice gains funding with hydrogen tech reducing carbon emissions in heavy-duty diesel engines, capable of replacing 90% of fuel while maintaining power output / link
Gov’t looks at developing Trust Exchange initiative, giving citizens access to and control of ID and credentials already held by government / link
Tech Ready Women launches in Queensland with Investment Ready Program, aiming to boost funding for local female-founded startups / link
Gov’t allocates $39.9M over 5 years for AI policy and capability development to capitalise on potential economic benefits of up to $280BN by 2030 / link
City of Melbourne has banned rental e-scooters, citing unacceptable safety risks following hundreds of accidents, and public complaints / link
A look at some of the Australian mining and mapping technologies making an impact on space exploration / link
Birchal crowdfund platform launches Birchal First network, backed by LaunchVic, to connect investors with early-stage Vic hardware tech startups seeking pre-seed to Series A / link
Victoria Government backs 8 VC funds with $300K grants in bid to attract funds to support local, early-stage Victorian startups / link
A quick intro to 7 startups that raised $45.6 million in the past fortnight, working in ridesharing, travel payments, eye health and more / link
University of Wollongong iAccelerate named as a finalist in higher education entrepreneurship focused 2024 Asia-Pacific Triple E Awards / link

“…principals in NSW are weighing up banning smartphones and social media for some years…” / link

Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2024 – Key findings

“…evidence suggests excessive smartphone use is associated with depression, anxiety and poor sleep quality… disordered smartphone use significantly impaired cognitive performance.” / link

Goterra adds country’s largest hotel, 878-room Hyatt Regency Sydney, to clients, installing fly larvae based modular food waste management system / link
Global Digital Asset Regulatory Summit 2024 is set for August 30th, hosted by the Digital Economy Council of Australia / link

“Australia could host up to 100 rocket launches, including SpaceX launches… as a result of the US Technology Safeguards Agreement…” / link

Canva to acquire LeonardoAI, fast-growing AI-driven text-to-image and text-to-video platform / link
Singapore’s Equatorial Space rocket firm secured $1.5M pre-A led by Singapore’s Farquhar VC, with Australia’s Paspalis participating / link
India-Australia RISE Accelerator applications close September 15th for startups and SMEs with agri-tech solutions / link
Innovation Leaders Summit, Asia’s largest open innovation matching event, is set for December, matching Japanese firms with businesses and startups / link
2024 Indo-Pacific Space & Earth Conference is set for Perth, Western Australia, in November / link
New Zealand: NZ venture capital firm, Pacific Channel, announces expansion into Australia, supported by LaunchVic, the Victorian gov’t startup agency / link
New Zealand’s Ruminant BioTech gains $3.5M Australian Gov’t grant with feed additive potentially reducing cattle methane output by over 80% / link

Expertise & Entertainment: Christmas special from Tech Femme Fusion

July 2024: AUstralian tech news

The 2nd Australian Space Week is set for July 22-26 in Adelaide, a showcase of technologies, innovations and more in the space ecosystem / link
Australian National University inks agreement with Japan’s Fujitsu for a new quantum research facility ‘with ambitions to build an onsite quantum computer’ / link

Generative artificial intelligence: “Australia’s Gen AI adoption rate is among the lowest in the Asia Pacific, suggesting we risk being left behind.” / link

Asian-Australian Startups Roadshow Competition’s 2nd edition is set for July 30th at Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship in Melbourne / link
Cicada x Tech23 deep tech event is set for August 7th in Sydney, gathering and celebrating the best in Australian science, innovation, and technology / link
Hyzon, US hydrogen fuel cell specialists, to quit Australia as sales of battery electric commercial trucks climb / link
Download: ‘Financial Scams Report – An Assessment of Scams in East Asia, in Australia, Hong Kong & Singapore’ from the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime / link
Antler Australia unveils 7 tech startups receiving overall pre-Seed funding of $1.575M working on solutions in e-commerce, education, regulatory compliance and more / link
eSafety Commissioner gives ‘net firms 6 months to draft online child-safety rules covering app stores, websites, search, game and social media platforms / link
Download: ‘Meeting the AI Skills Boom’ from the Tech Council of Australia / link
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission and the Treasury Department to develop obligatory anti-scam code to ensure that internet companies safeguard consumers / link
Jigspace maintains growth with new $4.4M fundraise, looking to further develop augmented reality services / link
A quick look at 4 startups that between them raised over $20M in the week to July 12th / link
Xccelerate24 program from x15ventures, venture-build arm of CommBank, opens applications for Australian AI and data startups / link
E-waste processing startup, Sircel, secures $5M, in part to boost solar panel processing, likely to become one of the largest e-waste streams / link
A comprehensive audit of all internet-facing tech used by Commonwealth agencies is to take place in light of concerns over foreign interference and foreign influence / link
Australian Space Week is set for July 22-26, alongside the 17th Australian Space Forum, featuring showcases, seminars, networking and more / link
Charges laid against individual who ran a fake Wi-Fi access point during a domestic flight, capturing personal data and credentials from other travelers / link
The 2nd Australian Space Week is set for July 22-26 in Adelaide, a showcase of technologies, innovations and more in the space ecosystem / link
NSW Space+ Program grants program launches, in part aiming to showcase Australian space-tech to international stakeholders in 2025 / link
Available now: ‘Money Laundering in Australia – National Risk Assessment’ from AUSTRAC / link
IIF – Invest Inya Farmer – co-op, an investment platform allowing individuals to back agricultural assets like crops and livestock and get a share of the profits upon sale / link
4 startups raised a total of $123.6 million in the week to July 19th – here’s a quick intro to each / link
Australian Federation Police Association supports establishment of one-stop portal for victims to report AI deepfakes to the police, following Attorney General’s June legislation / link
$8M Bio Innovation Hub formally launched at La Trobe University’s Melbourne campus, offering lab facilities to early-stage companies looking to commercialise research / link
2 of 2 – Australia doesn’t need sovereign AI: “…unable to create a globally competitive AI sector — and has not created AI models that can serve as the foundation for multiple analytical uses…” / link
1 of 2 – Why Australia needs a sovereign AI model: “Australians should be able to use an LLM without sending data and intellectual property to foreign countries or companies…” / link
Proposed Cyber Security Act would mandate that Australian businesses and government entities must disclose ransomware payments, or face fines / link
Australian Crypto Convention is set for November 23-24 in Sydney, featuring speakers from government, finance, technology and beyond / link
SpaceX is in talks with Australian and US officials around landing and recovering Starship rocket off Australia’s coast, possibly a first step toward a bigger presence in the region / link
Australia’s Northern Territory Gov’t and Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security ink 2 MOUs to boost critical minerals and energy cooperation / link
Gilmour Space rocket developer and satellite launcher to launch a suborbital flight test service in Australia for commercial and defence customers requiring hypersonic speeds / link
4 space research projects received $18M funding as part of the $230M University of South Australia-led iLAuNCH Trailblazer program / link
Australia’s SmartSat CRC joins with New Zealand Gov’t to bring 4 joint research projects under Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program / link
An intro to NanoCube Health, using nano-robots to diagnose and treat pancreatic cancer, with devices backed by AI-driven software / link
‘State of AI in Australia’ survey results are now available from V2 Digital, providing 12 data-driven insights / link
Australia’s Nourish Ingredients lands collaboration with Fonterra dairy giant to speed development of dairy products with fats produced via fermentation, boosting non-dairy ingredients / link
WA Gov’t applications are now open for 10 selected WA startups to attend SXSW Sydney in October / link
Video: A visual workflow overview of Australia’s Hadrian X bricklaying robot in action / link
Hadrian X bricklayer robot commences US evaluation trials in Florida, building directly from 3D CAD layouts and using after-construction adhesive rather than mortar / link
Tech In Gov Conference is just 3 weeks away, July 23-24 in Canberra – 150+ speakers, 200+ exhibitors, themes across AI, cybersec & more / link
Canberra’s GRIFFIN Accelerator applications close July 10th, a program connecting ambitious Canberra founders with experienced local mentors / link
The 17th Australian Space Forum is set for July 24th & 25th in Adelaide Convention Centre / link
Australian gov’t CSIRO research agency to trial AquaWatch in California, delivering satellite data-driven water quality forecasting in partnership with US universities and gov’t / link
20 startups to share in near $1M funding under first round re-launch of NSW gov’t MVP Ventures program / link
Indigenous-led First Australians Capital hits first close on Catalytic Impact Fund with $20M in commitments / link
Samsara Eco raises $100M Series A with enzyme-based plastic recycling, with sights on a new commercial facility in SE Asia / link
Australia’s Space Machines Company inks Launch Service Agreement with NewSpace India, government company under Indian Space Research Organisation, for SMC’s next sat launch / link
Channel Seven YouTube page hacked to play looping video of AI-generated Elon Musk telling viewers to invest in cryptocurrency / link
National Australia Bank’s NAB Ventures backed Zodia Custody, an institution-grade crypto and digital assets safekeeping platform, joining Standard Chartered and others / link
Government considering options around ensuring Meta platforms continue to publish news content / link
Australia is to establish a new ‘cable connectivity & resilience centre’ for Pacific Islands nations, looking to provide tech assistance and training across the Indo-Pacific / link

“South Korea is too strong a force in military-technology development for AUKUS to overlook. Adding it to the security partnership would also bolster stability in East Asia.” / link

3rd Quarter: Critical technologies in the news, globally

Weekly newsletters

For a one-shot round-up of each week’s technology news headlines, gathered across Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, you should read Asia’s Tech News, Weekly, the Startup News Asia newsletter, on LinkedIn and via Substack.