Startups Achievers

James Rodgers moves his mob of cattle around lush pastures at the crack of dawn, under the midday sun and again in the middle of the night. As his Angus herd is shepherded around paddocks at all hours, though, he might meanwhile be fast asleep, having breakfast at his kitchen table or doing other work. Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 333645 He is one of thousands of farmers in Australia, New Zealand, and the US adopting virtual fencing technology to remotely manage his stock.

Australian and New Zealand startups have raised more than $3.6 million this week. All of the fresh capital is flowing into AI platforms tackling everything from agent development and ESG reporting to geospatial intelligence. Sydney startup BlueNexus has raised $2 million in seed funding led by M31 Capital, with participation from Antler, Eastend Ventures and inSilico One. Founded in 2025, BlueNexus is building what it describes as an ‘agent management platform’.

The NSW government has awarded just over $1 million to 22 startups and small businesses through the latest round of its MVP Ventures Program. Successful businesses received grants ranging from $24,225 to $75,000. Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 299011 A total of 322 applications for the grants were reportedly received.

Auckland startup Hyades, which helps companies build AI models from map-based data, such as satellite images, drone footage and radar, has banked a NZ$1.1 million (AU$990,000) pre-seed round. The raise was led by Icehouse Ventures, supported by K1W1 and angel investors Tony Falkenstein and Tim Brown. Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 340755 On top of the VC investment, Hyades has also scored a NZ$400,000 (AU$332,300) New to R&D grant from the government.

Food waste processing startup Goterra will be wound up and liquidated, after its administrators received no viable proposals to preserve the growing but loss-making business. Teneo’s Daniel Walley and Martin Ford will serve as liquidators, according to a notice published by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on Thursday.

It was a little quieter on the funding front this week. But we still had three Australian startups raise over $19 million, led by Gridcog’s $12.5 million Series A round. Keep reading to learn more about Gridcog, LendUS and Wildfire Energy. L-R: Fabian Le Gay Brereton and Pete Tickler of Gridcog. Image: Gridcog Energy modelling startup Gridcog has raised $12.5 million in an oversubscribed Series A round to expand its platform and international team.

A two-person Sydney startup has been honoured at one of the world’s largest industrial design competitions, with its founders claiming the award as a win for the little guys. Bound, which produces the Looplock food packaging closure system, claimed a product design gong at the Red Dot Award ceremony overnight. Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 317933 The international competition, held in Essen, Germany, puts newly developed products before a jury of design experts.

Xero has launched a new product tier for Australian businesses growing in size and complexity, promising to fill the gap between basic accounting software and enterprise-scale solutions. The software company pitches the product, dubbed Xero Ultra, as an extension of the existing Xero accounting, payroll, and bank reconciliation tools used by small businesses nationwide.

Two space startups lead this week’s funding round-up, which features four Australian technology companies that have raised a collective total of $80 million. Keep reading to learn more about MAKO, Southern Launch, Emesent and Fluent. MAKO CEO, Henry Bilinsky. Image: MAKO Australian aerospace startup MAKO has raised $28 million in a Series A funding round led by climate technology investor Virescent Ventures.

Queensland robotics company Emesent has raised $25 million, which includes $10 million from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) in its first ever venture debt investment. The announcement comes just days after the federal government launched the first legislative review of the NRFC. The review will examine whether the investment vehicle remains fit for purpose.