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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Oceania, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌍
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📰 Important News
- Southern Cross AI launched Australia’s first sovereign AI inference node at Equinix SY5 in Sydney, offering onshore processing with 10x energy efficiency.
- Australia’s WinDC partnered with Megaport to connect renewable-powered AI factories at solar and wind sites to Megaport’s global network.
- Queensland's Blue Carbon has won both the A$100,000 KPMG Nature Positive Prize and the A$20,000 People’s Choice Award.
- The AO StartUps program has welcomed nine new companies to accelerate AI-enabled innovations in sport, sustainability, and fan engagement.
- iStories has launched AI-Stories, a platform giving small businesses a virtual team of 12 AI specialists for PR, social media, and content strategy.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- AutoGrab raised A$80 million in Series B funding, valuing the company at A$230 million, with Octopus Ventures and Movac leading the round.
- Checkbox attracted US$23 million in Series A funding to expand its AI Legal Front Door solution.
- AEV secured A$57 million in Series B to accelerate the commercial production and deployment of its autonomous electric vehicles in Australia.
- Hometime landed A$19 million in a Verona Capital-led funding round to fuel aggressive acquisitions in the short-term rental market.
- Sydney-based Factory secured A$4.7 million in Series A funding to fuel its significant expansion into the United States market.
💰️ IPO and M&A Watch
- Edtech giant Compass Education acquired Clipboard, Australia's leading extracurricular management system, to integrate its specialized tools and streamline operations across the entire school community.
- Australian non-Earth imaging company HEO acquired an in-orbit satellite from Satellogic, establishing the nation's first sovereign-owned sub-meter resolution satellite.
- Saudi-based Merit acquired Australian specialist Synchro Marketing to expand its global reach and strengthen its automotive and oil and gas incentives platform across APAC.
🤝 Diversity Spotlight
At the heart of New Zealand’s venture capital market, women partners shape outcomes across deeptech, healthtech, climate, and enterprise software in the current growth phase. The article profiles leaders at Clare Ventures, MQB Partners, Pacific Channel, Movac, Outset Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, and Blackbird Ventures who back ambitious startups and guide them through capital formation, governance, and commercialization.Dive into the full article to see how these investors influence founder success, LP confidence, and the long term direction of New Zealand’s innovation economy.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
AutoGrab
AutoGrab, a Melbourne‑based automotive data intelligence startup founded in 2020, has quickly become a cornerstone of the vehicle ecosystem by offering an AI‑driven platform that delivers real‑time valuations, market insights, and analytics for dealerships, insurers and financial institutions. This week the company secured a A$80 million Series B funding round led by the UK’s Octopus Ventures and New Zealand’s Movac, boosting its valuation to A$230 million and fueling ambitious expansion into the United Kingdom and broader European markets under co‑CEOs and co‑founders Chris Gardner and Daniel Werzberger. Bolstered by strategic partnerships and strong adoption at home, AutoGrab is poised to scale internationally while continuing to modernize global automotive data intelligence.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
Movac
Movac, founded in 1998 in New Zealand, is the country’s most experienced technology venture capital firm, dedicated to building Kiwi tech companies and generating local jobs. Specializing in full-lifecycle investments from pre-A to Series C, Movac backs bold startups across sectors, providing high-touch support through functional expertise, global networks, and team development. The firm recently co-led AutoGrab’s A$80 million Series B alongside the UK’s Octopus Ventures, fueling the Australian startup’s international expansion into Europe and the UK. Led by partners including Fi Foster, Movac differentiates itself through long-term, board-level engagement and capital efficiency, acting as a patient, strategic partner committed tosustainable growth for ambitious New Zealand entrepreneurs.
🤑 Opportunities Expiring Soon
Catalysing Impact
- 📢 Organizer: Social Impact Hub
- 🗂️ Category: Funding, Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment, Social & Governance, Finance & Insurance
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 2, 2026
AWS/CTIB Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator
- 📢 Organizer: Vestbee Sp
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Pre-Series A, Series A
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 3, 2026
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge 2026
- 📢 Organizer: University of San Diego
- 🗂️ Category: Funding, Competition/Challenge, Award/Prize
- 🪜 Target Stages: Seed, Revenue-generating
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 6, 2026
[Re]Launch Pre-Accelerator
- 📢 Organizer: RMIT Activator
- 🗂️ Category: Funding, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 8, 2026
Fast-track To Impact Programme
- 📢 Organizer: ProVeg International
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Agriculture & Food
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 8, 2026
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