$600 million in deals – so which sectors are the rivers of VC gold flowing into?

After slowing down last year, venture capital deals for Australian startups look even scarcer in 2023. But not all sectors are equal, with some more favoured than others. Data journalist Juliette O’Brien takes the pulse of this country’s startup ecosystem and reveals where the money is flowing.  It’s been a sluggish start to 2023 for […]

From flashpacker to ASX-listed CEO with a $350 million market cap

Software company ReadyTech was bootstrapped for its first five years by backpacker co-founder, Marc Washbourne. Today, the ASX-listed company with a market cap of $350 million employs 500 people around the globe. Washbourne explains how those tough early years primed the business for success. Marc Washbourne was a twenty-something history graduate and self-taught software developer […]

Forrests back First Nations venture capital fund

Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation and the US State Department are backing a syndicate of indigenous Australian venture capital investors aiming to focus on seeding First Nations startups. The launch of Blak Angels by Minderoo comes hot on the heels of the announcement last week that the Forrests had donated a further $5 billion […]

The self-made billionaire bringing robotic submarines Down Under

Palmer Luckey sold his first business to Facebook for US$2 billion when he was 21. At 30, he’s bringing his defence disruptor to Australia to build submarines and much more. Palmer Luckey loves Australia. The proud American patriot, famous for Hawaiian shirts and libertarian views, also has a great fondness for Australia’s bureaucrats.   “Try spending […]

‘Mission critical’: Aussie start-ups fighting the $8 trillion cyber-war

In 2022, millions of Australians had their data accessed by hackers via two major cyber-attacks: Optus in September and Medibank in October. The havoc continued when 14 million personal customer records were stolen from Latitude Financial. Since then, the Australian government has announced changes to beef up Australia’s cyber security.  “Sorry too 10.200 Australians whose […]

Who is Hamish Harding? Billionaire adventurer missing on Titanic tourist sub

Five people, including billionaire Hamish Harding, are missing after a small tourist submersible vanished somewhere around the Titanic wreckage. A small submersible, that is around the size of a minivan, and costs $US250,000 per ride has gone missing around the wreck of the infamous Titanic. The vessel, owned by OceanGate, is operated by a single […]

From mechanic to a $10 billion fortune: Inside Richard White’s rise to the top

RICHARD WHITE is gobbling up the world of freight software with a personal fortune that has more than doubled in the past 12 months to more than $10 billion. He tells how he went from refrigeration mechanic to Australia’s seventh richest person.  Over a glass of wine two relatively unknown geeks were discussing their payment […]

Miranda Kerr: Barefoot in the boardroom

Miranda Kerr made her modelling debut in 1997 at just 13 years of age and by 2013 was the second-highest earning supermodel in the world. In 2009, Kerr became a pioneer of the now multibillion-dollar organic skincare industry, launching KORA Organics. Months after turning 40, the girl from Gunnedah is committed to growing her business […]