Your weekly dose of everything you need to know about ANZ Tech & Innovation.
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A few words from Dickie
This week I’m delighted to welcome our new NZ Guest Writer to the newsletter!
After 9 months of writing this solo every week, I’ll now be joined by the wonderful Pauli Sosa who co-writes the excellent Startup Digest New Zealand. Pauli will be giving us a brief lowdown of everything that’s happening in Aotearoa New Zealand.
We’ve joined forces as we truly believe the world is better connected and the more our two countries collaborate the stronger we’ll both be.
This week we’re also talking about:
- The launch of a new fund for Founders by Founders
- Monash University’s new AI supercomputer
- The first cultivated meat tasting at NSW Parliament
Plus your usual roundup of stories, events and opportunities from across ANZ.
Dickie Currer - Author & Founder of Hype Man Media
Top headlines from Australia
Everything you need to know about Australia in the last week
Glitch Capital launches $50 VC fund for Founders by Founders
Some of Australia’s most successful Entrepreneurs are teaming up for a first of its kind fund “For Founders by Founders”
Glitch Capital, whose founding partners are Payapps co-founder Geoff Tarrant, Aconex co-founder Rob Phillpot and A Cloud Guru co-founder and Cuttable founder Sam Kroonenburg are looking to invest into companies who’ve found product-market fit and have the ambition to scale quickly.
Chair Leigh Jasper, who is also the Co-Founder of Aconex and Chair’s multiple Boards, including Victoria’s Startup Agency LaunchVic, said on LinkedIn:
“We’ve all taken the plunge, we’ve ridden the emotional rollercoaster, and we’ve had to make hard decisions. Through Glitch, I'm looking forward to working with ambitious founders and helping them grow.”
Founders who partner with Glitch will get access to our entire LP network from some of the country’s biggest companies, including Employment Hero, Xero, MYOB, Fresho, Leonardo AI, Pet Circle, Cover Genius, Roller, Ofload, Go1, VendorPanel, Zeller, Neara, Who Gives a Crap, Mr Yum, GROW Inc, Upguard, Ignition, Bare and Bellroy.
Glitch has already made its first investment in Edtech Cadmus, a digital assessment platform serving the global higher education market.
Monash University has a new $60 million AI Supercomputer
MAVERIC (Monash Advanced Environment for Research and Intelligent Computing) is Australia’s first dedicated AI supercomputer. Scheduled to launch in 2026, the system will deliver 4 times faster AI training and 30 times faster real-time performance compared to legacy GPU clusters.
The investment should supercharge Australia’s research capacity and help with breakthrough advancements in Medicine, Climate Science and more while also securing Australia’s AI sovereignty.
Magic Valley hosts this first ever Cultivated Meat Tasting in NSW Parliament
The event held at the end of May on Parliament’s Rooftop Garden gave MP’s including NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and Minister for Innovation Anoulack Chanthivong, the chance to sample the FoodTech Startup’s cultivated Lamb meatballs and pork dumplings.
Magic Valley produces real meat grown from animal cells, produced without slaughter. Instead the Startup uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to produce real lamb and pork without the use of fetal bovine serum, animal scaffolds, or genetic modification.
Magic Valley CEO Paul Bevan said the event was about much more than food. “This isn’t just about food – it’s about jobs, technology, and positioning Australia as a leader in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries,” he said. “With support from both government and private investors, we can build advanced facilities, create regional employment, and export high-tech protein to the world.”
Our view: We had the privilege of tasting Magic Valley’s amazing Cultivated meat back in January 2024, which A) makes us way cooler than the NSW Parliament and B) means we’ve been long term supporters of Paul and his team. In all seriousness though we’re stoked to see our Government start to take Future of Food solutions more seriously.
Top headlines from New Zealand
Kia ora from Aotearoa! Here's what's buzzing in the NZ startup scene this week
- Big Moves in Brand Tech: Kiwi startup Tracksuit raised a $25M Series B to supercharge its global expansion. The round, led by VMG Partners, fuels their mission to democratise brand tracking and make insights accessible for all growth-stage brands. More here.
- Endeavor Launches in NZ: Global entrepreneurship network Endeavor has opened its 46th office in Auckland to help Kiwi founders scale with global capital, peer connections, and international visibility. More here
- Tech leaders are being called to take part in the Toi Mai Digital Skills Survey, closing June 30. Your insights help shape future workforce strategies.
Want more updates like these? Check out Startup Digest New Zealand to stay in the loop with events, opportunities, and ecosystem news.
5 Startups that caught our eye this week
Our weekly spotlight on some of the region’s most exciting emerging Startups. If you’re reading this and you can help them out then don’t hesitate!
This week we has the privilege of joining the Antler x Notion Founder Meetup in Melbourne which was buzzing with Early-Stage Founders, here’s 5 that caught our eye:
1.Butter
Butter is building the infrastructure for real-world connection.
They help young adults find and grow offline connections - from morning coffee walks to Friday night dinner parties, footy games, bike trails, and everything in between. Whether you're starting a club, making a plan, or just looking to meet new people, Butter makes it easy to do your thing, together.
Their timing aligns with broader cultural movements as young adults increasingly reject scroll culture in favour of offline experiences. Built on strong community traction and a values-led mission, Butter is redefining how a generation connects IRL.
Read more about Butter here
2. Tripbooking.AI
Discover, compare, and book the perfect travel package in minutes with TripBooking.AI.
The platform which originally launched in Bangladesh brings together top travel agency packages in one place and uses smart AI to match its users with the best deals.
Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a dream international trip, TripBooking.AI makes travel planning simple, fast, and personalized.
Check out how Tripbooking.AI is making travel easy now
3. Communiti Labs
Communiti Labs are redefining the landscape of community engagement through better data-driven decision making.
Whether it's analysing customer feedback, community sentiment, or unstructured data, Communiti Lab’s empowers teams to leverage insights and guide your strategy.
Unleashing the speed of AI-powered analysis to automate tasks and save time on projects big and small. They can help analyse data from both in-person engagement activities, to digital feedback and online surveys.
Read more about Communiti Labs and how they are paving the way for a more connected, resilient, and empowered society.
4. Shopfront
Shopfront is accelerating the circular economy by building seller automation tools for secondhand, damaged, returned, sample & other one off products.
Shopfront is more than just a cross-lister - their platform automates your entire selling workflow, from listing to sales, so you can manage your inventory and listings across multiple marketplaces.
Reselling should be simple - but one manual listing takes up to 15+ mins per platform. Shopfront automates listing, so you can spend less time on busywork and more time doing what you actually love.
Join the Shopfront revolution today
5. Yesterday
Yesterday transforms essential but tedious professional tasks into "yesterday work."
What's yesterday work? it's the stuff that used to eat your day that now happens so quickly and efficiently it feels like you did it yesterday. the high-frequency, high-value tasks that once consumed your time but now take seconds instead of hours.
They build specialized AI tools that tackle specific professional pain points with surgical precision. not trying to solve everything - just the repetitive work that keeps you from doing what actually matters today.
With a simple mission: To: identify the workflows that drain your potential, then create purpose-built solutions so effective they push those tasks into your past.
That's the power of yesterday work - it's already done, so you can focus on tomorrow.
Read more about Yesterday here
Events to watch out for
The biggest and best events across our ecosystem, bringing our incredible community together.
16 June - 27 June - Cairns - Tropical Innovation Festival - TIF is back this June for a massive celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and connection in the heart of Cairns.
17 June - Queenstown - Presenting & Pitching for Founders - Think Shark Tank... without the sharks (or the millions). Just you, your pitch, and real-time feedback to help you own the room.
18 June - Melbourne - Cremorne Build or Buy - Join the Cremorne Digital Hub as they explore how Orgs are supercharging, partnering with startups, accelerators, and collaborators to solve complex problems faster.
18 June - Auckland - Innovate and elevate: Workshop for startups and SMEs - a dynamic, one-day workshop tailored specifically for startups and SMEs
19 June - Melbourne - Pitch Event Melbourne-Bandung Food Waste Challenge - Meet the finalists from Australia and Indonesia and watch them pitch their innovative solutions to tackling food waste in the hospitality, food markets and airline sectors.
19 June - Melbourne - AFC presents AI in Action - How Founders Can Work Faster, Scale Better & Learn Quicker
19 June - Online - Brainwaves to Breakthroughs: Building Your Startup Team - hosted by the legends at NZ’s leading VC fund Icehouse Ventures
24-25 June - Wellington - Electrify Aotearoa -The event that superchargers NZ’s most ambitious Women Founders
26 June - Gold Coast - HealthTech Summit - a day of cutting-edge discussions and demos on the latest advancements in healthcare technology!
26 June - Auckland - Tupu Accelerator Showcase 2025 - Join for an evening in celebrating Māori excellence and innovation and hear directly from Aotearoa's emerging Māori entrepreneurs and innovators as they pitch their startups.
1 July - Online - Expansion planning Masterclass - A Startup Daily webinar about whether to grow your startup in Australia or take it to Asia, Europe or the US?
22 July - Melbourne - Startup World Cup - The Melbourne regional event for the Startup World Cup, the world's leading startup competition in collaboration with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a global venture capital firm from the US.
24 July - Melbourne - Launchvic Startup Gala - an annual event bringing together more than 800 entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders to celebrate the continued growth of Victoria’s startup ecosystem.
4 August - Sydney - Startup World Cup - The Sydney regional event for the Startup World Cup, the world's leading startup competition in collaboration with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a global venture capital firm from the US.
28 August - Brisbane - SomethingTech - a two day showcase that puts a spotlight on Queensland and Australian companies who are developing emerging technology.
10 September - Sydney - Cicada x Tech23 2025 - Australia's Biggest Deep Tech Festival is back, providing a gateway to real Australian ventures delivering global impact and commercial success.
Opportunities to help you grow
Programs, competitions and Accelerators to help you thrive and grow
Australia to China - Future City Innovators Program
A Hype Man Media supported program with the City of Melbourne, helping Australian Startups to scale in China. With:
- Cash Prizes, totalling $20,000, offered by Pukou High-Tech Zone and City of Melbourne
- An acceleration Service Package
- $15,000 Travel Package to Visit Nanjing China, offered by Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute
Submit your Expression of interest here
StartupDaily Best in Tech Awards
Nominations have opened for the Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards 2025
For a third year, Startup Daily's annual awards celebration will recognise the founders, investors, startups and individuals who are progressing our tech landscape with their brilliant ideas and achievements. Categories include Startup of The Year, AI Changemaker, Future Leader of the Year, Best Regional Startup and more.
Get your nominations in now - finalists will be announced in August, followed by a gala event at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney on Thursday 25 September.
Sprout Accelerator for Kiwi Startups
A free, 3-month accelerator for early-stage food and agri-tech startups to build strong foundations, refine their story, and connect with mentors, customers, and investors.
Spring cohort applications open until July 1. Apply here
Innovation Aus Awards
The InnovationAus Awards for Excellence 2025 is a celebration of Australian innovation and entrepreneurialism. Now in its fifth year, these prestigious awards cover 10 categories, and aim to put a giant spotlight on local talent – and on the great products and services developed here in Australia.
Entries close 20 June, apply to be recognised here
ClimateTech charge program
Are you an ambitious founder in the climate tech space looking to grow your startup and raise funding?
Join a Program Information Session to learn how EnergyLab’s Climate Tech Charge Program can help you. You’ll learn:
- How the Climate Tech Charge Program supports early-stage startups
- Program benefits: expert-led workshops, mentorship, access to co-working space and more!
- Q&A session with the Program Lead
Register here
Cartier’s Women’s Initiative
CWI supports women and women-owned businesses with bold visions for a more sustainable and inclusive world. This is your chance to receive:
- Up to US$100,000 in grant funding
- Coaching and capacity-building workshops
- Access to an international network of impact-driven founders
Applications close 24 June, apply here
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