Australia’s startup news
~ May 2018 ~
= Australia at a glance =
Population: 23.969M
Internet users: 20,679,490
Internet penetration: 85.10%
Population without internet: 3,629,840
(Click through for New Zealand’s startup news)
- Brisbane startup hub The Precinct to gain multi-million-dollar expansion
- An intro to the 2018 Startup Coffs Coast finalists
- Global Coworking Unconference Conference 2018 set for Sydney, August 15-17
- Regional startup hubs to get a boost from Government
- PwC, Chamber of Commerce, Port of Brisbane partner for blockchain project
- Electronic voting set to enter Australian House of Representatives
- Victoria to launch Android-based NFC ‘mobile myki’ for public transport
- Random Hacks of Kindness Winter Hackathon set for June 2nd in Melbourne
- Future Fund urged to look harder at domestic VCs, not simply rely on US-based Greenspring
- BitcoinRewards startup launches Bitcoin Cash rewards system
- Space Tank Studio preps manufacturing and product-focused Bench to Business startup program
- Beem It launches real-time payments app backed by major banks
- Square opens first engineering hub outside North America in Melbourne
- Cisco Start Challenge set to help SMBs realise their ambitions
- Digital licences for NSW drivers available on mobile devices from 2019
- Australia China SME Assoc’n to lead mission to China to help entrepreneurs access Chinese seed funding
- OneCrop agtech takes win at Future Food Asia with biodegradable mulch film
- UHack 2018 innovation hackathon at the University of Tasmania set for 13-15 July
- An intro to Accelo, platform to help professional services companies
- HashChing online home loan marketplace backed by NSW Government with $700K loan
- Girl Geek Sydney all-female She Hacks hackathon set for June 29-30 in Sydney
- LaborX crypto-based hiring scheme launched, paying workers in real-time via blockchain tech
- Monash University creates ‘cognitive office buildings’ using big data
- Australian consumers lost approximately $2.1M to crypto scams in 2017 – report
- Vervoe interviewing platform startup secures $3.5M for US growth
- Australian Dep’t of Health working on blockchain proof-of-concept around medical research records
- CBA, Mastercard and others join Future Transport Digital Accelerator
- Right Click Capital partner StartCon conference for $1M startup pitch competition, one of largest in Asia Pacific
- Blockchain Startup Pitch Night set for May 31st in Melbourne
- Tasmania’s Bitwoke joins Cicada Innovations GrowLab DeepTech Accelerator with AI-driven IoT platform
- Simble IoT-based energy management software firm preps for UK entry
- MadeComfy Airbnb letting manager raises $6M
- An intro to a bunch of Australia’s women in tech – startups, programmers, CEOs and more
- CMO Momentum 2018 event set for July in Sydney
- Brighte digital payment platform secures $20M to bring affordable energy to more Australians
- A look at Vodafone’s IoT use around stolen cars, mental health and even beer
- Westpac sets $37M for 3rd Reinventure fund, focusing on fintech and blockchain
- Joint Cyber Security Centre program centres announced for Hobart and Darwin; cyber component set for TAFE courses
- Wiise formed by CBA, Microsoft, KPMG to challenge in the cloud accounting space
- Brisbane’s Lord Mayor’s Global Entrepreneur Program open for applications for growth-stage startups
- BIGSOUND Music Tech Showcase applications close July 15
- QUT schools partner to offer Virgin StartUp Stepup trip for one startup in London
- Sendle postal delivery startup launches 1st brand campaign
- Havven digital currency startup partners Intimate adult industry crypto platform for growth
- Bloomberg’s view of Australia as tech hub: “small but growing fast”
- Inspace XR VR startup wins Techsauce Roadshow pitch with real estate focus
- Data61 launches immersive environments lab for VR, AR, MR and beyond
- A look at ‘Myriad Air’, airborne pitch session between Silicon Valley and Brisbane
- Sidekicker on-demand employment marketplace launches program to ensure gig workers don’t lose benefits
- Digital Transformation Agency to invest A$92.4M in next work phase for Govpass digital ID system
- Tesla battery system in SA reduces cost of power outages by 90%
- Raiz micro-investment app preps for $15M IPO, eyes Asia market
- UNSW Sydney launches City Analytics Lab and Master program for city planning
- National Future Work Summit set for May 30 in Melbourne
- Former Fishburners CEO appointed Director of Entrepreneurship with UTS
- USyd Business School launches program to give undergrads real-world entrepreneurial skills in the US
- Telstra joins blockchain trial, aiming to lower telecom industry costs
- Brisbane’s River City Labs startup hub reportedly to be sold
- InSite Logic real estate analytics startup aims for $6M fundraise
- Startup Weekend Rockhampton set for June 1-3
- A round-up of tech gains in the 2018 Federal Budget
- The 2018-19 Australian Budget from the Fintech Australia point of view
- An intro to Next Address real estate startup, aiming to change how property is bought and sold
- $190M bitcoin mining operation to be built in disused NSW coal plant
- Snug launches BondCover for rental deposit digital certification in ACT
- An intro to Horizon State, blockchain-for-voting startup
- Athena tech startup secures $15M to tak on the home loans market
- Volt bank lands digital licence to operate
- An intro to Relectrify’s home battery revitalization solution
- Australia’s Power Ledger deploys 1st blockchain-based P2P energy trading system in Chicago
- 8point8 Conference set for Wagga in August focusing on rural/regional innovation and entrepreneurship
- An overview of Sydney’s many successes in its support for entrepreneurial activity
- ANZ and Suncorp New Zealand partner IBM for insurance industry blockchain solution
- An intro to Cycliq, cycling tech startup from WA launched via crowdfunding
- Bookwell beauty and wellness booking platform lands $1.25M
- An intro to the upcoming Marie Claire x Tech Ready Women event in Sydney
- Trade Ledger fintech wins Barclays’ global Open Innovation Challenge 2018 in London
- An intro to Chozun’s blockchain system for holiday experiences and loyalty
- A look at Bamboo, a WA cryptocurrency platform for microinvesting
- Nauticus cryptocurrency exchange raises $16.8M via ongoing ICO for multi-functional platforms
- Victoria investing A$17.6M to deliver Cyber Security Strategy
- Victorian Budget 2018/19 aims in part to connect regional/rural communities and embrace digital economy
- Avoka fintech partnered by RACQ Bank to provide digital account opening solutions
- Snappr on-demand photography startup to acquire Photographers portal
- A look at Koala Eco’s success in China with eco-friendly cleaning products
- Cicada Innovations deep tech incubator takes global award for top incubator
- Uniwise aims to help prospective students identify which MBA will give the best university experience
- Australian Stock Exchange set to implement blockchain-based replacement for post trade settlements
- ArtChain Global raises $4M in 48 hours for ‘art on a blockchain’
- Ocean Guardian to launch IPO seeking $5M for shark deterrent tech
- The HopePage launches to use your computer’s idle processing to mine cryptocurrency, automatically donating to UNICEF
- RegTech Association to gain $30K sponsorship from NSW government
- Snooper crowdsourcing app for brands and retailers lands $756K
- Hometime startup lands Airbnb partnership around managed bookings
= Hashtags =
#startupAus and #startupAustralia, and #startupNZ and #startupNewZealand are the tags to use, in the first instance, when searching for startup-specific news.
