Latest updates for ANZ sales professionals
Canva is pushing its IPO to 2027, citing a business model shift to AI-based pricing. The Sydney-based company last valued itself at $65 billion in a secondary sale. Co-founder Cliff Obrecht says they are IPO-ready but want the AI transition locked in before going public.
Phonely, founded by University of Melbourne AI researchers, closed a $22M Series A at $139M valuation. The AI receptionist platform now handles millions of calls monthly. One customer replaced 350 agents in a month. Another drove $14M in insurance sales in four months via the platform.
Seven ANZ startups closed $71.8 million in funding this week. Phonely, a University of Melbourne AI spin-out, led with a $22.3 million Series A. Y Combinator doubled down after backing the virtual receptionist startup in 2024. Worth watching: enterprise customers co-invested, signaling product-market fit.
Four male founders just exited for $1.6 billion selling GLP-1 weight loss subscriptions, mostly to women. CEO Tim Doyle stands to net $160 million. Female health tech founders are asking: where's the scrutiny that hit Flo's all-male team?
Auckland-based fund admin software company Caruso closed a $9.3 million Series A at an $80 million valuation. The company is scaling headcount to 80+, with Sydney office doubling to around 40. Revenue grew 400% year-over-year, with $80 billion in assets under administration across 80+ fund managers.
The Sydney fintech postponed its ASX listing, citing Middle East war volatility. Directors opted for a private raise that values the business at $750m, down from the $850m IPO target. Another SaaS company choosing private capital over public markets in 2025.
Adelaide mining tech startup DryFlow Magnetics is raising more capital on the same terms as its December seed round, led by Orion Industrial Ventures. The company develops waterless magnetic processing tech for iron ore, targeting green steel production. No sales team details disclosed yet, typical for pre-revenue hardware startups.
Sydney quantum sensing startup Deteqt closed a $5 million seed round led by Main Sequence to scale diamond chip manufacturing for defence navigation. The 12-month-old University of Sydney spinout is building team for ADF contract work. No sales roles publicly listed yet, but defence tech hiring typically follows funding by 60-90 days.
Haast closed $17m Series A led by Peak XV Partners to automate marketing compliance reviews. The Sydney startup reports 4.5x revenue growth and zero churn among Fortune 500 clients, but no public details on sales team expansion despite funding for global scaling.
Western Australia awarded $2.56M to 14 organisations through the Innovation Pathways Program on April 9, 2026. Grants up to $300k for accelerators, $200k for education programs. Focus on energy, defence, health, tourism. 43% supports regional WA. Next round opens November 2026.
Canva acquired Simtheory and Ortto, both founded by Chris and Mike Sharkey (Stayz founders). Fifth acquisition in 2026. Limited public data on Canva's sales org, but enterprise push suggests growing team. No disclosed comp or headcount.
Five Australian startups closed $30.1 million this week, led by Sydney compliance startup Haast's $17 million Series A. The round signals investor appetite for enterprise AI infrastructure and vertical SaaS, though none disclosed sales team expansion plans or comp details.