Latest updates for ANZ sales professionals
The NSW Budget allocated nearly $80 million for innovation and tech startups through its Innovation Blueprint, but the word 'startups' does not appear in the document. The state leads ANZ startup funding at 41%, yet the budget's focus on payroll tax increases and property revenue decline reveals how government priorities translate to policy language.
David Fairfull, founder of Sydney AI-marketing startup Metigy, sentenced to 9 years for misleading investors and misusing $7.7m in company funds to buy property. The platform raised $39m on AI claims that the ex-CFO says never existed. Worth noting for sales teams: the red flags were visible during the raises.
Federal government revises capital gains tax proposal after founders warned the policy would double exit tax rates and push investment offshore. Small businesses with turnover under $10 million keep the 50% discount. New carve-out coming for innovative firms, details still unclear.
New Side Stage Ventures data shows Australia is the world's fastest-growing venture ecosystem since 2016, up 13.7x. The reality for sales teams: early-stage funding has dropped every year since 2021, and founders now raise 41% of seed capital from overseas, double the US rate. That means fewer SDR and AE roles at the earliest stages.
Labor's new CGT carve-outs for startups still leave equity comp less attractive than overseas markets. Founders say the changes won't stop commercial talent heading offshore. The concern: if equity upside gets taxed harder, ANZ startups can't compete on total comp.
Melbourne longevity startup Everlab closed a $65M Series A led by Airtree. The three-year-old company, which raised $15M seed in July 2025, is hiring for UK market entry and scaling its clinical and tech teams. Worth noting: they are selling preventive health diagnostics direct-to-consumer and through corporate wellness programmes, including BCG, BHP and Bain.
Queensland fintech Flyweel closed $2.41M pre-seed led by Ten13 to build embedded lending for ad spend. The company processed $110M in ad spend across 1,000 businesses and is launching US-first. Worth noting: this is a different entity than the digital commerce company Omnicom acquired for $835M.
New Energy Transport closed a $5 million equity round led by Jekara Group to deploy 20 electric prime movers across NSW by end of 2026. The company is bringing forward its launch timeline by 6 months and will base operations south-west of Sydney with mobile charging infrastructure along freight corridors.
Property buyer's agency Dashdot entered liquidation owing $16.5 million to 695 clients, the ATO, Meta, and startup lender Mighty Partners. Co-founder Goose McGrath cited rising Meta ad costs and halving ad-driven revenue as major factors in the collapse, alongside tax reforms and tighter lending.
Andrew and Nicola Forrest's Minderoo Foundation is backing Startmate with $2 million per year over four years to support women founders. The accelerator already invests in women-led startups at nearly double the industry rate: 43% versus 24%.
Australian capital gains tax changes are pushing tech founders and sales talent to the US, where equity is taxed at 15% versus Australia's 30% minimum. The policy shift hits hardest for startups using equity to compete with enterprise employers for top AEs and sales leaders. For ANZ sales professionals, the math is stark: US offers now include currency premium plus better equity treatment.
Ben Lerer, managing partner at New York early-stage fund Lerer Hippeau, explains why his firm deliberately passes on sensible businesses to chase power-law outcomes. His thesis: every dollar in a safe company is a dollar not chasing a fund-returner. The firm runs on conviction, not consensus, and Lerer aims to be the worst investor at his own fund.