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Articles by Benjamin Chong
AI coworker startup raises $115 million
Australian-founded startup Future Secure AI has raised US$80 million (A$115m) to expand its customer base globally The round, backed by Square Peg, Yarra Capital Management and Firetrail, came via convertible notes at a US$1.2 billion (A$1.7bn) valuation, to three-year-old Sydney startup, now headquarted in Austin, Texas It is the company’s third funding round, following its previous raise in June 2025.
July founders pour $2 million into Memobottle for a 20% stake
The deal values the 12-year-old Melbourne drink bottle designer at $10 million valuation. The AFR reported that the two founders invested in a personal capacity and will join Memobottle’s board. The investment brings the founders of the luggage brand into another Australian consumer products business with an established international retail presence. Founded 12 years ago, Memobottle designs flat, rectangular bottles intended to fit inside handbags and other bags.
Skin-Specific Outcomes of Brepocitinib in Patients With Dermatomyositis : Secondary Analysis of a Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial
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Skin-Specific Outcomes of Brepocitinib in Patients With Dermatomyositis: Secondary Analysis of a Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial Supplement 1. Trial Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan Supplement 2. eTable 1. Description of Efficacy Assessments eTable 2. Safety Data During 52-Week Treatment Period eTable 3. Permitted Concomitant Background Therapies eTable 4. Summary of Skin-Related Efficacy Outcomes Supplement 3. Figure 1.
By Aaron R Mangold, Anna Haemel, Neda Shahriari, Benjamin Chong, Anthony Fernandez, David F. Fiorentino, David Pearson, Jason C. Sluzevich, Oluwakemi Onajin, Mehdi Rashighi, Charlotte Hurabielle, David Fivenson, Erin Boh, Taraneh Paravar, Ashley Crew, R. Hal Flowers, Dustin Robert Taylor, Donna A. Culton, Courtney R. Schadt, Jeffrey P. Callen, Christina S. Lam, Lauren Graham, Kimberly B. Hashemi, Rochelle Castillo, Andrea D. Maderal, Scott A. Elman, Katharina Shaw, Matthew D Cascino, Avery LaChance, Michelle S. Min, Alisa N. Femia, Ruth Ann Vleugels, Victoria P. Werth, Pranita V. Rambhatla, Sweta Subhardashani
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JAMA Network
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Founding a business also has its ‘terrible twos’: so here’s what I want other founders to know
What nobody tells you is that the hardest part isn’t the business, rather it’s shedding your identity. I had spent 15 years in banking, which is long enough to become someone whose career came with infrastructure: a team, a budget, and a title that did half the work before you opened your mouth. Corporate systems are brilliant at telling high performers they’re winning. From promotions to comp reviews, the feedback loops were a constant sugar high and clearly, I was addicted without knowing it.
Recommendations for the use of CLASI as an outcome measure in cutaneous lupus erythematosus clinical trials - Nature Reviews Rheumatology
Abstract Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an autoimmune skin condition associated with a considerable treatment burden and diminished quality of life. The absence of a consensus outcome measure to evaluate therapeutic response has posed a challenge to CLE drug development.
2025 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Guideline for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
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Co-creation in a safe space: Listening to the international student voice
Ayuda Buscar en la ayuda Buscar en la ayuda Co-creation in a safe space: Listening to the international student voice Autores: Manoj Ravi, Richard de Blacquière Clarkson, Benjamin Chong Localización: Innovations in education and teaching international, ISSN 1470-3297, Vol. 62, Nº 6, 2025, págs.
Everything you need to know - and do - to to make your startup pitch a winner
The Founder Institute and Ben Chong, partner at Right Click Capital, take you through how to nail your startup pitch. Don’t have time to read the guide? You can access our Pitch Templates quickly below. One‑Sentence Pitch Template | Elevator Pitch Template | One‑Minute Pitch Template | Long Angel/VC Template If you’re like most founders, you probably think about your startup 24/7.
VENTURE DEBT: Friend or foe for startup founders?
A growing number of start-ups are accessing venture debt to fund the growth of their business. With the primary appeal of limiting equity dilution, it’s easy to see why founders might jump on board the venture debt train. But venture debt has been linked to a number of collapsing startups both here and in the US so the question many now ask is whether preserving equity and opting for venture debt really is a sensible strategy for founders looking to finance the growth of their startup.
Incidence and Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Incidence and Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Key Points Question What is the incidence and prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in persons with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) compared to the general population as well as persons with systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis?
Stroke Lesion Segmentation and Deep Learning: A Comprehensive Review
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Sydney's $31 million climate tech hub Greenhouse, is open for business
The $31 million Greenhouse climate tech hub has opened in Sydney’s newest skyscraper, Salesforce Tower. Four years in the making – the Covid pandemic slowed its opening by two years – Greenhouse has been backed by the City of Sydney with $31 million in funding, and is being run as a subsidiary of early-stage venture capital firm Investible for the next decade. Investible cofounder Creel Price is Greenhouse CEO. The VC launched the $100 million Investible climate tech fund in 2019.
Investible doubles down on early-stage climate tech VC with Indonesian partnership
Sydney VC fund Investible is gearing up to launch a new global climate tech fund in a partnership with Mandiri Capital Indonesia (MCI). MCI is the VC subsidiary of Indonesia’s largest financial institution, Bank Mandiri. The joint venture Mandiri-Investible Global Climate Tech Fund will support and back climate tech startups in the Southeast Asia and Oceania regions and beyond.
Red Cross impact investor Humanitech Lab backs Kara Technologies and AirSeed with $500,000 grants
Australian Red Cross innovation program Humanitech Lab has invested in two startups, Kara Technologies and AirSeed Technologies, with both receiving a $500,000 grant to take their ideas to the next level. Humanitech Lab is a mentoring and investment program harnessing technological innovation to meet critical humanitarian and social issues. It’s backed by the Telstra Foundation. Kara Technologies is building a more equitable and accessible global communications system for the deaf community.
Uniseed backs Queensland’s first quantum hardware startup with $3 million round
Two University of Queensland professors have launched a quantum hardware startup with $3 million from Australia’s oldest VC fund, Uniseed. Analog Quantum Circuits (AQC) is the brainchild Professor Tom Stace and Associate Professor Arkady Federov following a decade of research. The startup plans to design and fabricate advanced superconducting devices for quantum computing.
Here are the five amazing startups to emerge from UNSW's Climate 10x accelerator program
UNSW Founders held its annual 10x Demo Day this week with 25 startups taking part, spanning programs focused on synthetic biology (synbio), climate, health, defence and an all-industries cohort that includes the crowd-lending impact platform LendForGood. The Climate 10x Accelerator was set up as part of the $280 million Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TraCE) collaboration between the federal government, industry, UNSW, and the University of Newcastle.
Antler Investor Memo Series: Geniepay solving a global sales problem
Early stage investment company Antler Australia recently backed a new cohort of startups as part of its ongoing program to build great local tech companies. Startup Daily is sharing the details of each venture in the “Antler Investor Memos” series, which is designed to give you a quick, sharp understanding of the startups and people involved, with many seeking follow up capital following Antler’s initial pre-seed investment.
OPTIMISM ABROAD: A primer for Australian startups on the hunt for funding
After travelling through the investment climates of Europe and South East Asia, it’s clear that a tide of optimism is rising for early-stage startups, including those based in Australia. The terrain for securing funding has become more conducive, but how should an Australian entrepreneur navigate this promising period? Let’s explore. Firstly, valuations have tempered to become more attractive to both early-stage investors and founders.
Machine Learning for Medical Image Translation: A Systematic Review
4. Discussion This systematic review analyzed the current state of medical image synthesis using deep learning. The year of publication; type of synthesis; machine learning framework; dataset size; motivation; and evaluation methods used were analyzed. The most common synthesis was MRI to CT synthesis, and almost every study performing this synthesis was motivated by MRI-only radiation therapy.
Indigenous Shark Tank pitch lands Yaala Sparkling $125,000 from ethical investor Dr Catriona Wallace
Australian bush flavours drinks brand Yaala Sparkling has landed a $125,000 investment from Shark Tank ‘shark’ Dr Catriona Wallace. The Queensland Indigenous-owned business, cofounded by Wiradjuri Yinaa woman Tara Croker and her mother Mel Davey, is developing a range of alcohol-free drinks flavoured with native ingredients sourced from Indigenous wild harvesters and local farmers.
Antler-backed shares-for-shopping fintech Upstreet is winding down
Sydney fintech Upstreet, an app that enables shoppers to earn fractional ASX shares from their spending, is shutting down, less than 18 months after banking $3 million The closure comes just a fortnight after the fintech marked its fourth anniversary on social media, having raised nearly $5 million in its lifetime.
Sydney Startup Hub funding set to be cut amid signs it's going to be a grim state budget for the NSW startup sector Original
Six months after forming government in NSW following the defeat of the Coalition after 12 years in power, Labor has been dealing with a familiar ritual when it comes to a change of ruler who looks in the money cupboard to discover it’s empty.
Synthetic MRI Generation from CT Scans for Stroke Patients
1. Introduction Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are the most widely used imaging modalities for imaging the brain. Patients who present with suspected stroke most commonly receive a CT scan for initial evaluation due to its lower cost and shorter acquisition time compared to MRI.
Mike Cannon-Brookes gets his hands on the $30 billion SunCable project Original
Atlassian cofounder and billionaire investor Mike Cannon-Brookes has taken charge of the $30 billion SunCable solar power project he once labelled as “insane”, with the deal to buy it from the company’s administrators going through last week.
AN ORGANIC HIT: Food and fibre authenticator Zondii named Australia's Best Regional Startup
Imagine if you could detect disease in ginger, fraud in Manuka honey and adulteration of tea tree oil using a smartphone? Those capabilities are among the plans of Zondii, winner of the 2023 Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards’ Best Regional Startup award, sponsored by Investment NSW. From Armidale in NSW’s northern tablelands, this innovative female-founded agtech startup is putting power and profits into the hands of farmers via their smartphones.
Building authentic credibility: An ethical guide for startups
In the wake of Startup Daily’s recent Best in Tech Awards, where the likes of GO1 and Hysata clinched accolades, founders are pondering ways to build their own enterprise’s credibility. Business history teems with examples of startups that soared to great heights, but it also offers numerous cautionary tales. One differentiating factor is legitimacy. For a startup, gaining credibility isn’t a mere vanity exercise; it’s a business imperative.
A VC explains the best ways to chose a great cofounder for your startup
Entrepreneurship is a thrilling and challenging journey. At its core lies the profound decision of selecting a co-founder, a choice that shapes the very destiny of a startup. The landscape of this relationship encompasses more than skills and expertise; it’s a delicate balance of shared values, mutual trust and a harmonious blend of commercial and technical perspectives.
A VC explains why founders should look at accelerators to take their startup to the next level
The journey of a startup is seldom a solitary endeavour. It’s an expedition steeped in camaraderie, mentorship and, crucially, timely intervention. A pivotal lifeline, often undervalued or misunderstood, is the startup accelerator. Today, as a technology venture capitalist and a mentor with the Founder Institute, I’d like to share why accelerators warrant serious consideration from founders poised at the cusp of scaling.
4 tips to stay focused as a startup founder so you don't drift off course
In the neon-lit glory of the 1990s, the dawn of the internet era, I took my first steps into the world of entrepreneurship. A period defined by the dot-com bubble, the era was rife with nascent technologies, untapped potential and a burgeoning belief that technology was an alchemical touch transforming everything into gold. This was a time before LinkedIn, before Crunchbase, before we had the ability to simply Google anything we wished to know.
A VC offers advice on 8 strategies for founders in challenging times
I recently returned from Silicon Valley where I had insightful conversations with a diverse range of founders and investors. These discussions shed light on the challenges faced by technology startups in the current funding landscape. With venture capitalists (VCs) taking longer to respond and valuations subdued, it is crucial for founders to approach these obstacles with resilience and strategic thinking.
The 5 simple questions every founder needs to ask to keep their startup cybersafe
As a victim of data breaches from well-known Australian companies, I have come to realise the importance of cybersecurity. It is alarming to see that even after such data breaches, banks and utilities still ask for personal information that is publicly available and already compromised. This makes one wonder if these companies are doing enough to protect their customers’ data.
Why resilience is indispensable for founders and startups
In today’s business landscape, where the rate of disruption is accelerating and the fickle nature of consumer preferences leaves little room for error, the success of a startup hinges on the founders’ ability to weather the storm. Resilience, the capacity to absorb unexpected setbacks and adapt to new challenges, is a crucial quality for entrepreneurs who wish to navigate these tumultuous waters.
VC investor Ben Chong on the road ahead for startups and investment in 2023
As we embark on another year in the world of startups, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges that tech founders will face in 2023. This year, top performing startups will have an easier time raising capital than average performing ones. Startups that have extended their runway by making cuts must ensure that they have strong results, particularly when it comes to unit economics and growth rates, when they next tap the market for funding in one to two years’ time.
Black patients with cutaneous lupus are associated with positive family history of cutaneous lupus and systemic lupus
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic Autoimmune Diseases WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC Prior family history studies of patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) mostly included those with discoid lupus and were limited by small sample sizes and homogeneous cohorts. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS In our cohort of 338 patients with CLE, 34% (n=114) of patients reported positive family history of CLE and/or SLE.
IT'S TIME: How and when to shift from founder leadership to installing a new CEO in your startup
Founders have a deep relationship with the business they start and are heavily invested in the dream of its long-term success. Their role extends far beyond a standard CEO title and the responsibilities that come with the top job in any other type of business. For this reason, cutting the umbilical cord is difficult for several reasons. It can be difficult to find the right person who shares the vision and values.
The one time you should use discrimination to build your startup
Have you ever searched for an airfare only to find that the price for a particular flight has significantly increased compared with when you searched a few days later? Or have you noticed that some people are paying less to receive access to the same subscription service that you pay for? What about that time when you could have bought the same pair of jeans a day later then you did when it was on special at the half-yearly clearance?
It's OK to keep losing money at your startup, but here's the question every investor will want you to answer
While much digital ink has been spilt in recent months discussing the state of the global economy, its impact on the valuations of listed tech companies and the funding environment for startups, a chunk of companies continues to receive new investment. Investors have become more circumspect about the growth plans put forward by founders, spending more time to understand the underlying unit economics of the startup.
How to win with a value-based business strategy Original
I recently took part in a one-day workshop on business strategy. Run by Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, he outlined a framework for how companies can achieve more by doing less and argues whether you’re a large business with multiple product lines or a startup that’s chasing a burgeoning market opportunity, by following a series of simple rules, they’re able to select the key activities that will successfully differentiate them against their competitors.
A VC partner reveals how to avoid a down round for your startup - and what to do next if it happens
Last month, I mentioned a recent trip to North America where after meeting with many investors and founders across different stages and sectors, I counselled startup founders to brace for turbulence. Since the beginning of the year, major share market indices are down, with some tech company indices down even more. Inflation across developed countries is running hot as economies absorb the massive stimulus packages triggered by the pandemic combined with cheap money.
It's time for Australia's startup sector to brace for turbulence
I was in North America last month where I met with lots of investors and founders, across different stages and sectors, from around the region. Some focused on early-stage consumer-oriented startups where they observed a pickup in the velocity of founder pitches for both novel and copycat businesses.
Using 'IDS' to solve all the issues in your startup
Last week I was at an international board meeting. While we’ve met countless times using Zoom over the last two years, it was our first in-person meeting since the beginning of 2020. Expectations were high as we welcomed new board members and reconnected with existing board members. There were lots to catch up on, both professionally and personally, and it reminded me, that despite the complications of international travel today, there is so much value in meeting together.
How the consumer data right and fintechs can help you reduce your fuel bil
Photo: AdobeStock With petrol prices rising, are you filling up on the best day of the week? Are you subscribing to too many streaming services? And how much are you actually spending on home delivery? An emerging breed of AI-driven fintechs can tell you all of this and more – simply by looking at your account and credit card statements.
How to attract and build a great startup team using an employee share plan
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having conversations with several founders about employee share ownership plans (ESOPs). An important ingredient of many fast-growing startups, ESOPs are used to align key team members to the long-term success of the business by providing them with exposure to the growth in equity value of the startup.
Discoid lesions and smoking history are negative predictors of disease activity remission in cutaneous lupus erythematosus
To the Editor : Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a photosensitive skin disorder with a heterogeneous clinical course. 1 Grönhagen C.M. Fored C.M. Granath F. Nyberg F. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus and the association with systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based cohort of 1088 patients in Sweden. While it is known that long-term stabilization of disease activity can be achieved on standard therapies, frequencies of remission and recurrence of CLE disease activity are not well studied.
What founders can lead about high performance from Ash Barty's mind coach
The Australian Open captures the hearts and minds of Australians for the last two weeks of January each year. This year was no different, especially with the dream run of the world’s number one tennis player, Ash Barty, as she cruised into the finals of the grand slam. Despite being down in the second set of the final, five games to one, the Australian broke back, winning the set and the championship.
Play to win: How to develop business-winning strategies for startups
Strategy. It’s one of the most misused words in business. What does it mean? How should it be used? How can you benefit from having a well-considered one? Over the Christmas break, I reread AG Lafley and Roger Martin’s book Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works. Published in 2013, it sets out five key questions that should be answered as part of a business’s winning strategy.
Investigating the structure-function relationship of the corticomotor system early after stroke using machine learning.
Motor outcomes after stroke can be predicted using structural and functional biomarkers of the descending corticomotor pathway, typically measured using magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation, respectively. However, the precise structural determinants of intact corticomotor function are unknown. Identifying structure-function links in the corticomotor pathway could provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of post-stroke motor impairment.
Taking stock: How to review the year that’s been and refresh for 2022
It’s that time of year. When stores put up Christmas decorations; when crowds gather at the beach; when one set of holidays drinks rolls into another; when the cricket occupies the big screen TV; when cicadas begin buzzing at night. It’s around this time, in the quieter moments, opportunities for reflection and introspection occur, along with the chance to prepare for the coming season.
Discoid lupus erythematosus skin lesion distribution and characteristics in Black patients: a retrospective cohort study
Discoid lupus erythematosus skin lesion distribution and characteristics in Black patients: a retrospective cohort study Adrienne K Joseph1, Brandon Windsor2, Linda S Hynan3 and http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4092-7658Benjamin F Chong1 1Dermatology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA 2Population and Data Sciences, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA 3Population and Data Sciences, Psychiatry, The University of Texas...
How to get your startup ready for its first board meeting
During one of my recent office hours, I was asked by a founder about how to best prepare for their first formal board meeting. While the two founders had previously held informal board meetings and separate sessions with an advisory board, this would their first meeting with external board members. The fast-growing startup had recently completed a fundraise, involving VCs, and were looking to make a positive impression with the new members of their board.
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