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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
- Auckland-based OpenStar Technologies successfully tested a world first levitated dipole fusion system.
- Australian fintech Wayex launched Wayex Global, a digital platform that blends traditional finance with stablecoin technology.
- Kate Cornick resigned from the Victorian startupagency LaunchVic to become the new CEO of the Tech Council of Australia.
- i4T Global expanded its international footprint, deploying its end-to-end Field Service Management platform across 93 franchise locations.
- Colonial First State launched a partnership with digital platform Safewill to offer nearly one million members free access to online estate planning.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- Fluent Commerce secured A$46 million from Bain Capital to fuel its global expansion and enhance AI-powered capabilities.
- Affinda raised A$25 million in funding at a A$220 million valuation to boost AI platform development and enterprise capabilities.
- Breaker attracted a A$9 million seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners to scale its AI agent software.
- Meal planning and grocery insights platform Appetise secured A$7 million in Series A funding to expand into the U.S. market.
- Legaltech startup Parachute received A$1.8 million in pre-seed funding led by Rampersand to build an operating system for SME law firms.
💰️ IPO and M&A Watch
- Hims & Hers Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire Australian telehealth platform Eucalyptus, a move designed to significantly expand its global footprint.
- Potentia Capital acquired Healthtech platform HotDoc for a reported A$250 million–A$300 million, with existing investor Airtree also participating in the deal.
- Mayday acquired Easy Month End to combine automation with close management, creating a seamless end-to-end platform for finance teams.
🏦 About Investors
- Sally Tobin launched AiPX Ventures, an AI-native venture studio designed to build and scale startups in industries with fragmented or legacy technology.
- The Australian Government launched a Request for Expressions of Interest to identify private capital partners for the new Advanced Capability Investment Fund.
- AusBiotech andlife sciences venture creator Proto Axiom signed an MoU to build a more integrated “researcher-to-investor” pipeline in Australia.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
Fluent Commerce
Founded in 2013 in Australia, Fluent Commerce is a global B2B SaaS company specializing in distributed order management systems for major retailers and brands. The company recently secured A$46 million from Bain Capital, marking a pivotal growth milestone aimed at accelerating its global expansion and deepening its AI-powered commerce capabilities. Led by CEO Graham Jackson, Fluent serves enterprise clients including L’Oréal and the Prada Group, positioning itself as a critical infrastructure layer for modern omnichannel retail. With its “AI with ROI” strategy and rapid integration platform Fluent Connect, the company differentiates through measurable impact and scalability, reinforcing its role as a key technology enabler in global commerce operations.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
AiPX Ventures
AiPX Ventures was launched in 2026 by Mars United Commerce ANZ founder Sally Tobin (now part of Publicis Groupe). Less a classic VC than a hands-on AI venture studio, AiPX co-builds AI-native platforms for sectors stuck on creaky, fragmented tech. Rather than writing checks, it embeds early scoping opportunities, designing the product, engineering the stack, and wrapping founders with go-to-market, operational, financial, and legal support. The studio is already developing five ventures, with a mid-year debut planned for an AI-powered operating system for trades and construction, followed by marketing-ops platforms spanning commercialization, agency management, and supplier marketplaces.
🤑 Opportunities Expiring Soon
gBETA Electrify Nevada Spring 2026
- 📢 Organizer: gener8tor
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Ideation, Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment, DeepTech
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 22, 2026
AI Ventures Accelerator for Young Women
- 📢 Organizer: Technovation
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Funding, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Ideation, Pre-seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 23, 2026
Amazon Devices Climate Tech Accelerator 2026
- 📢 Organizer: Amazon Devices & Services
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment, AI & Data, Manufacturing & Materials, Retail & Consumer
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 24, 2026
FAO International Innovation Award 2026
- 📢 Organizer: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- 🗂️ Category: Award/Prize
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Agriculture & Food, Social & Governance, Mobility & Logistics
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 28, 2026
Multiple Autism Tech Accelerator
- 📢 Organizer: Multiple
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Revenue-generating
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Education & Workforce, Social & Governance, Health & Life Sciences, AI & Data
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 28, 2026
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