The beginning of spring seems to be a fruitful time for startup funding, with 19 blossoming Australian and New Zealand startups sharing in new funding offers this week.
Preserve studying to study extra about Andromeda, Starboard Maritime Intelligence, Freckle, Marloo, X-Hemp, Harvest B, Wable and Techstars’ newest cohort.
Andromeda Robotics: $23 million
Robotics startup Andromeda leads this week’s funding round-up, with a $23 million Collection A spherical that can be used to help the corporate’s growth into the US.
The increase is likely one of the most vital for a woman-led Australian startup this 12 months and reportedly provides Andromeda a valuation of $100 million.
It comes forward of the newest iteration of Andromeda’s humanoid robotic Abi coming into a Mecwacare aged care facility this month.
Andromeda, led by founder and CEO Grace Brown, has already launched Abi into 22 Mecwacare amenities throughout the nation, with the AI-enabled robots particularly designed to scale back loneliness amongst aged care residents whereas supplementing human workers.
The startup’s new Collection A funding spherical was led by San Francisco-based VC agency Forerunner Ventures, together with participation from Rethink Impression, Artesian, Essential Sequence, Seen Ventures, Trampoline, and Startmate.
Present investor Function Ventures, which led Andromeda’s $3 million seed spherical in 2024, additionally contributed.
Earlier this 12 months, Brown revealed Andromeda plans to construct Australia’s first humanoid manufacturing line to fulfill the demand for Abi robots.
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Starboard Maritime Intelligence: $20.7 million
L-R: Starboard co-founders Mat Brown, Christopher Laing, Trent Fulcher and Brendon Wright. Supply: equipped
New Zealand ocean safety startup Starboard Maritime Intelligence (SMI) has banked a NZ$23 million (AUD$20.7 million) Collection A.
The spherical was co-led by SMI’s first backer, Kiwi VC Altered Capital, with new buyers OIF Ventures and King River Capital, supported by Co:Act Capital, Icehouse Ventures, and Whakatupu Aotearoa Basis.
The funding is for world growth into North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific, to strengthen its capabilities for categorised and industrial maritime environments, and scale product innovation to fulfill rising demand for real-time menace prevention.
The platform is already utilized by governments, defence businesses, and industrial operators in additional than 30 nations, and safeguards greater than 840,000km of subsea cable infrastructure in addition to screens a big share of the world’s industrial fleet visitors.
SMI’s platform analyses a couple of billion maritime information factors day by day, together with transport monitoring, satellite tv for pc imagery, radar, oceanographic, and autonomous sensors, to detect suspicious exercise and situation real-time alerts.
Starboard Maritime Intelligence CEO Trent Fulcher mentioned the platform strengthens maritime safety by detecting adversarial behaviours, defending subsea infrastructure, and supporting categorised operations with real-time menace intervention, in addition to safeguarding provide chains for industrial operators.
“Our mission is clear: to give nations and operators the intelligence edge needed to secure maritime borders, assets, and trade in a rapidly evolving threat environment,” he mentioned.
“This investment enables us to extend that reach globally, set the benchmark for real-time maritime intelligence, and help our partners make faster, better-informed, and more secure decisions.”
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Freckle: $6.1 million
L-R: Freckle’s head of engineering Harish Subramanium, founder and CEO Nathan Merzvinskis and founding designer Griffin Drigotas Supply: Gradient
Melbourne-founded startup Freckle has secured $6.1 million (US$4 million) in seed funding to proceed constructing its information enrichment platform for SMEs.
As reported by Capital Temporary, the funding largely comes from worldwide buyers, together with Google’s synthetic intelligence funding fund Gradient.
Additionally collaborating within the spherical had been San Francisco-based VC 1984 Ventures, CoVentures, Liquid2 Ventures and Mintaka.
The most recent funding follows the startup’s $2.9 pre-seed spherical in December 2024.
Based by CEO Nathan Merzvinskis, Freckle is looking for to supply a simpler resolution for SMEs trying to clear up and keep their information, with out the technical complexity of a extra enterprise-focused platform like Clay.
Freckle is designed to attach immediately into an organization’s buyer relationship administration techniques and the platform gives entry to greater than 40 information suppliers.
On LinkedIn, Merzvinskis mentioned Freckle has labored with greater than 2,500 corporations within the house of 10 months.
“We are winning new customers from platforms like Clay every day,” he mentioned on Tuesday.
The founder mentioned the seed funding will “accelerate our mission to make data enrichment effortless for RevOps teams”.
“We’re building more CRM integrations, deeper workflow automations, and more powerful enrichment agents,” he added.
Marloo: $4.2 million
L-R: Marloo co-founders Shak Lala and Hardy Michel. Supply: equipped
An AI assistant designed for monetary advisers, developed by New Zealand fintech Marloo, has raised $4.2 million in pre-seed funding.
This spherical was led by Blackbird Ventures, with help from CoVentures, Model Fund and who’s who of angel buyers, together with Xero co-founder Philip Fierlinger, Stake’s Matt Leibowitz, Halter’s Craig Piggott, Heidi Well being’s Tom Kelly, Revolut’s chief authorized officer Tom Hambrett, and Sharesies’ Leighton Roberts.
Marloo got down to deal with the housekeeping problem confronted by monetary advisers, with information suggesting that as much as 60% of the entire price of recommendation goes to administration and compliance, which implies folks looking for assist spend extra on paperwork than precise recommendation.
Marloo was based in June 2024 by Shakeel Lala, Hardy Michel, and Ben Robertson in Auckland, New Zealand.
Sydney-based Lala, the CEO and a former product lead at Sharesies, mentioned too many monetary advisers are caught with instruments that lock their purchasers’ information throughout totally different techniques.
“Our goal at Marloo is to empower advisers by building the number one product for them, loved for its design, simplicity, and ease of use,” he mentioned.
“We are committed to building the AI assistant that the market is clearly asking for.”
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X-Hemp: $3.4 million
X-Hemp founder Andi Lucas. Supply: equipped
Sustainable constructing supplies startup X-Hemp has raised $3.4 million in seed funding after banking a last $1 million from strategic funding associate Danehill Group.
The Central Tasmanian development tech enterprise, primarily based in Cressy, half-hour south of Launceston, was based in 2020 by Andi Lucas, and can use the money for vital infrastructure, R&D and extra hires to the prevailing eight-person, all-women workforce.
X-Hemp‘s fibre processing factory makes a product called hempcrete, made from hemp fibres, lime, and water, as a concrete replacement. Used for walls, it’s non-combustible, termite-proof and mould-resistant, with development prices corresponding to a double-brick property.
The product featured in an episode of the ABC home-building present Grand Designs Australia, the place a Tasmanian couple constructed an off-grid home constructed from hempcrete and rendered with a horse manure combine.
Lucas mentioned that not like concrete and standard constructing supplies, hempcrete shops carbon as an alternative of manufacturing it, making it a more healthy, eco-friendly technique to construct.
“Finalising this capital raise reflects the enthusiasm of our investors to join us as we work to transform the construction industry in Australia,” she mentioned.
“Most importantly, it enables us to fast-track our ambitious business plan to meet the growing demand for sustainable building and industrial fibre products into Aussie markets”.
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Harvest B: $5.7 million
The Harvest B management workforce: Alfred Lo, Daniel Mullette and Kristi Riordan
Meals tech startup Harvest B has secured $5.7 million million in funding led by Mandalay Enterprise Companions with participation from Breakthrough Victoria, Alberts Impression Ventures and extra. That features a $2.2 million grant from the federal authorities’s Trade Development Program.
The corporate is growing a versatile protein platform that can be utilized throughout a spread of purposes, from blended meats and high-protein meal elements to ingredient options for meals producers.
In response to Harvest V, its strategy is designed to make protein extra reasonably priced, nutritious, and sustainable. It says it’s tapping into Victoria’s strengths in pulse manufacturing, together with using regionally grown faba beans.
Breakthrough Victoria CEO Rod Bristow mentioned the funding highlights the state’s position in constructing resilient and sustainable meals techniques.
“Harvest B’s innovation is a recipe for success — delivering a nutrient-enriched, healthier and more cost-effective product, adding value to Victorian-grown produce and driving growth in our food manufacturing sector,” he mentioned.
Harvest B co-founder and CEO Kristi Riordan added that the funding will assist strengthen Australia’s meals sovereignty.
“This investment from Breakthrough Victoria accelerates our ability to provide more affordable, nutritious options for food service providers and manufacturers,” Riordan mentioned.
The increase will help scaling operations, native provide chain improvement, and collaborations with Victorian analysis establishments.
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Wable: $1.5 million
L-R: Wable CEO and founder Holly Fowler; and Fowler with actor Michael Theo. Supply: Equipped
Melbourne-based startup Wable has raised $1.5 million in Collection A funding to assist drive the UK and US growth of its social networking app for neurodivergent folks
Paul Sharbanee, government director of Perth-based boutique company advisory and stockbroking agency Taurus Capital, led the funding spherical, which was first flagged in July 2024.
Launched in February final 12 months by founder and CEO Holly Fowler, Wable is designed for the 20% of the worldwide inhabitants who’re neurodivergent.
Impressed by Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum star Michael Theo, who’s now a model ambassador for the app, Wable goals to foster significant conversations and connections throughout the neurodivergent neighborhood.
Wable formally launched within the UK and US in late July 2025, and the brand new funding is earmarked to assist the corporate develop its workforce, put money into focused advertising and marketing campaigns, and roll out new product options to its increasing neighborhood.
Greater than 11,000 folks have signed up to make use of Wable in Australia and New Zealand since its launch.
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Techstars: 12 startups share $2.2 million
The Techstars class of 2025. Supply: equipped
The Techstars Sydney Accelerator has invested US$1.44 million (AUD$2.2 million) in 12 early-stage startups, saying its class of 2025.
From browsing to strata administration, music, advertising and marketing, finance and biotech, it’s a variety of concepts and options to huge issues.
The founders embody a former live performance violinist, an early Airbnb worker, a PhD researcher within the prime 2% of scientists globally, the one that launched Canva’s authorized workforce, a globally recognised crypto lawyer, and a number of other second-time founders, together with one who did the US Techstars program for her first firm and is again to construct her second one in Australia.
The 12 startups every obtained US$120,000 (A$180,000) funding, and for seven of the 12 groups, it’s their first funding. Techstars Sydney is backed by Funding NSW, a state authorities physique.
This week, they start a three-month accelerator program in Tech Central in Sydney. Everybody’s there in particular person, with half the founders shifting from interstate or internationally.
The 12 startups are:
Briefcase, based by Kirk Simmons;
CorFin.AI, co-founded by David Stephen Sta.Maria and Silven Victor D. Epistola;
Crystal aOS, based by Joni Pirovich;
Juxtabyte, based by Hugh Le;
MuseAI, based by Jad al Masri;
OncoRevive, co-founded by Samira Sadeghi and Mohammad Tavakkoli Yaraki;
Onsite, based by Nathan Croxton;
Our Leg Up, based by Michael Ragavan;
Slice, based by Amy Stevens;
SurfLab, co-founded by Antony Enviornment and Jesse Morse;
VetNotes, based by Mitch Sigley; and
Zipline AI, based by Michelle Reeves.
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This story first appeared on SmartCompany. You may learn the unique right here.
