Biggest stories from mid-October to mid-November
US VCs back hunting deals and succeeding in AU
- Employment Hero secured $263m in year’s biggest capital raising valuation just shy of $2 billion led by TVC and existing investors Insight Partners, AirTree Ventures, Seek Investments and OneVentures.
- Venue management startup Roller raised $78.6m led by Insight Partners. Other local deals EVP’s largest single investment in history leading an investment in marketing
- International news Microsoft to spend $5bn ‘turbocharging’ AI and cyber security in Australia building nine new data centre.
- Last month – data centre giant AirTrunk heading towards $10b+ IPO, Next DC growth
- Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX which was one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges and once valued at $32bn, found guilty of fraud and money laundering. The jury delivered its verdict after less than five hours of deliberations.
- Jack Dorsey’s Block made its first social impact investment in Australia with $3 million into a new fund to support Indigenous Australian entrepreneurs. Jack was in town for a flying visit.
- WeWork, once valued at $47 billion, files for bankruptcy
Other News
- Optus’s 16-hour-long network meltdown
Tobi Skovron and Gavin Appel spearhead our monthly vlog – a must-watch for those seeking insights into the local startup and VC sphere.
Captivating audiences with their infectious enthusiasm for the startup and venture capital landscape, Tobi and Gavin unpack the latest trends and events.
The vlog consistently delivers high-quality, engaging content, covering everything from fundraising, M&A, product launches, new venture funds, and more. Tobi and Gavin rapidly explore each topic, while making complex concepts accessible.
It’s an indispensable resource for those hungry for knowledge about the local startup and VC scene.
Gavin is the Founder and CEO of Ignition Lane, where he advises founders and leaders growing tech companies. He has 25 years of experience in the technology industry across startups, corporates and venture capital. Gavin was a founding VC Partner at Square Peg, an SVP of Product and Technology at Experian, and was one of the first employees and CTO at Hitwise – a venture-backed startup that was acquired for US$240m in 2007.
Tobi is the CEO and co-founder of CreativeCubes.Co, and has over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience across Australia and the U.S.
