About Start-up Australia
Start-up Australia is a venture capital firm founded in 1999. It is primarily based out of Melbourne, Australia. As of Sep 2009, Start-up Australia has invested in 10 companies. It primarily invests in Post IPO round in Australia based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Life Sciences to Enterprise Applications and HealthTech. Most recently it participated in the $***** Post IPO round of Bionomics Overall, Start-up Australia portfolio has seen 2 IPOs, namely Bionomics and The Sustainable Nutrition Group. Start-up Australia has team of 2 people including 2 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Rounds of Entry
Post IPO
Portfolio IPOs
Start-up Australia's List of Top Investments
Start-up Australia has a portfolio of 10 companies. Their most notable investments include Cortical Labs and Bionomics.Their portfolio spans across Australia and Spain. They have invested in Life Sciences, Enterprise Applications, HealthTech and 6 other sectors, across stages such as Post IPO stage. Here is the list of top investments by Start-up Australia:
Manufacturer of AI-powered biochips. It designs and develops biological computer chips that integrate biological neurons with traditional silicon computing. Its features include neural networks, scalability, energy efficiency, and robustness.
Key facts about Cortical Labs
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Melbourne (Australia)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $11.6M
- Employee Count: 12 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: In-Q-Tel, Horizons Ventures and 9 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Mar 04, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. Bionomics
Bionomics engage in discovery and development of therapeutics for cancer and diseases of the central nervous system. Has small molecule product development programs in the areas of cancer, anxiety, memory loss and pain. Its oncology approach includes cancer stem cell therapeutics. Its technology platforms include MultiCore, a diversity orientated chemistry platform for the discovery of small molecule drugs; ionX for the identification of drugs targeting ion channels for diseases of the central nervous system; Angene, a drug discovery platform which incorporates a variety of genomics tools to identify and validate novel angiogenesis targets (involved in the formation of new blood vessels); and CSC Rx Discovery, which identifies antibody and small molecule therapeutics that inhibit the growth of cancer stem cells. These platforms drive Bionomics' pipeline and underpin its established business strategy of securing partners for its key compounds.
Key facts about Bionomics
- Founded Year: 1996
- Location: Thebarton (Australia)
- Stage: Public
- Employee Count: 11 - 50 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: BioScience Managers, LifeSci Venture Partners and 10 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Post IPO, May 31, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Public
Key facts about The Sustainable Nutrition Group
- Founded Year: 1995
- Location: Geelong (Australia)
- Stage: Public
- Employee Count: 18 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: BioScience Managers and Start-up Australia
- Latest Funding Round: Post IPO, Dec 21, 2011, $*****
- Highlight: Public
4. Mimetica
Provider of branding, brand management, and brand communication services. The company specializes in creating, managing, and communicating brands. It offers creative solutions through strategy, design, and technology, focusing on understanding client needs and involving them in the creative process. The company conducts research and experimentation to generate ideas and collaborates with a network of professionals to adapt to various projects.
Key facts about Mimetica
- Founded Year: 2002
- Location: Baranain (Spain)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Employee Count: 15 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: Start-up Australia and Blue Jay Ventures
5. Technico
Provider of early generation seed potato products and technology platform. The company delivers early field generation seed potato programs. It reduces seed exposure to soil borne pathogens. The company rapidly introduces new varieties. It exercises control over a compressed seed supply chain. The company is also developing capacities in banana tissue culture. It also works with hydroponic vegetables and other fruits and vegetables.
Key facts about Technico
- Location: Moss Vale (Australia)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Employee Count: 4 as on Feb 17, 2026
- Investors: Start-up Australia
Start-up Australia's Investments by Stage
Start-up Australia has made 1 investment in Post IPO stage with an average round size of $10.1M.Start-up Australia's Investments by Sector
Start-up Australia has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Enterprise Applications and Life Sciences. Notably, it has invested in 5 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 5 Tech companies, 4 Software companies and 1 company focusing on Tech hardware.Start-up Australia's Investments by Geography
Start-up Australia has made most investments in Australia (1).Start-up Australia's recent investments
Start-up Australia has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by Start-up Australia:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 03, 2009 | Australia | Post IPO | 3249 | - |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in Start-up Australia's Portfolio
2 of Start-up Australia's portfolio companies have become public. The Sustainable Nutrition Group got listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), in Dec 2003 at marketcap of $52.1M and Bionomics got listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) at marketcap of $6.52M.Here are Start-up Australia's portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec 23, 2003 | - | - | 6045 | |
Dec 21, 1999 | Sep 03, 2009 | Post IPO | 8856 |
Team profile of Start-up Australia
Start-up Australia has a team of 2 members including 2 Partners. Start-up Australia's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Co-investors of Start-up Australia
Over the past 17 years, one investor has co-invested in Start-up Australia's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested after Start-up Australia: Novamind (1 company) is the only investor which has invested in Start-up Australia's portfolio after their investments.
