Sydney fintech OpenDebt closed $2 million pre-seed from Blackbird and Antler. The AI debt recovery startup is deploying with Australian lenders and collection agencies, which means sales hiring is coming. No public headcount or CRO yet, but enterprise traction with a national collection agency suggests AE roles ahead.
Melbourne AI healthcare startup Heidi raised $475 million in new capital, with $240 million earmarked specifically for sales and marketing expansion. The company is hiring across APAC and pushing into health system enterprise sales. Headcount is approaching 600, up sharply from 200-500 last year.
Sydney robotics company Advanced Navigation closed a $26 million supply contract with Norwegian defense manufacturer Kongsberg for navigation systems headed to Poland's counter-drone platforms. The deal marks international traction for the 200+ employee company, which has raised between US$75-191 million across three rounds and recently secured US$50 million from Australia's National Reconstruction Fund.
Melbourne clinical AI scaleup Heidi closed a US$100m Series C led by Blackbird, plus US$240m in growth capital. Valuation nearly doubled in 12 months to A$1.26bn. The timing matters: this is what happens after Series B when a company actually ships.
Melbourne energy tech company Amber Electric closed a $78.5M Series E led by Morgan Stanley's 1GT climate fund. The company holds over 50% of Australia's automated battery market with 40,000 customers and is now pushing into Europe. Worth noting: estimated revenue sits at $37.9M on a team of around 164, which puts them squarely in scale-up territory, not early-stage.
Sydney AI data centre operator Firmus Technologies is pricing its October IPO at A$7bn valuation with just 105 employees. The company, backed by Nvidia, Blackstone and Coatue, operates two facilities and has five more under construction across Asia-Pacific. Worth noting: this is infrastructure sales, not software, and the team is lean for the capital scale.
Buildkite closed a $21m convertible note in January after burning $23.4m and ousting its CEO. The DevOps company joins four smaller raises: Medow Health AI ($3.5m), ReFresh, Elita, and Evatto. Worth noting: Buildkite's deal only surfaced via ASIC filings, not press releases.
ServiceTitan reported $292.8M revenue, up 21%, and beat guidance. The stock fell 30% the next day. The problem: Q3 revenue guided below Q2 in absolute dollars, and the back half is planned at mid-teens growth against 25% a year ago. Growth or die, especially when you are priced at a SaaS multiple.
Airtree launched a San Francisco Frontier residency with US$250k ($350k AUD) SAFE notes for ANZ founders based in the US. The program targets early-stage builders, solo founders seeking cofounders, and employees at tech companies looking to start something. Applications open now.
Melbourne DevOps scaleup Buildkite closed a $21 million convertible note in January 2026, according to ASIC filings surfaced this week. Operating cash burn hit $23.4 million in FY25, up from $4.9 million the prior year. The round followed CEO changes and comes as AI coding tools drive demand for developer infrastructure.
Sydney medtech Medow Health closed another $3.5 million from existing investors, bringing total seed funding to $8.5 million across three raises since January 2025. The company sells AI front desk software to specialist medical clinics and says it now serves 1,000 practices across ANZ. Worth noting: This is not a new startup. PitchBook lists Doctor AI (possibly related entity) as founded in 2017 with $52 million raised, suggesting this may be a rebrand or spin-out rather than early-stage venture.
Treasury dumped the $10 million lifetime cap and shortened the required holding period from five years to three in the draft Innovative Business CGT Concession. The carve-out protects founders, early employees, and investors in qualifying startups from broader CGT changes hitting in July 2027. Submissions close 28 September.