Venture Capital stories - Page 8

Boman Group appoints China specialist Professor Charles Qin to its advisory board as it expands cross-border investment across the region.

Christchurch AI startup Contented raises NZD $4.1m seed round to grow its meeting-minutes platform and push into Australia, UK and US.

Deel launches The Pitch, a global contest offering up to USD $15m in SAFE funding to seed start-ups, with APAC entries closing 21 April.

AI bookkeeping startup Botkeeper shuts after 11 years, citing rapid client consolidation, lost revenue and an unsustainable path forward.

Agentic AI is shredding seat-based SaaS models, sparking a wave of 'zombie' vendors, valuation shocks and leaner, AI-native rivals.

Anthropic adds Claude plugins to Cowork, fuelling investor fears that agent-style AI could undermine traditional seat-based software.

Scalare turns operating cash flow positive as cash receipts surge 231% to AUD $4.58 million after acquisitions and founder platform rollout.

Qodo 2.0 launches multi-agent AI code review to boost trust in autogenerated code, claiming 11% better detection of critical issues.

Ecommpay and Payrails form strategic tie-up, offering large merchants a single API to streamline complex, multi-provider payment stacks.

Liquium secures over NZD$2m to scale green ammonia catalysts, promising major efficiency gains for fertiliser and clean fuel producers.

RapidFort secures USD $42m Series A to scale automated software supply chain security and continuous vulnerability remediation.

Genstore launches AI-driven eCommerce platform promising end-to-end shop automation, after beta users processed USD $2.3 million in sales.

Lander & Rogers opens applications for its 2026 LawTech Hub, a six‑month, equity‑free accelerator for AI and legal tech startups worldwide.

LemFi wins AUSTRAC approval to launch remittances in Australia, targeting a USD $38.2 billion outbound market serving migrant communities.

Fintech investor Brian Collins has been appointed CEO of Enterprize Tasmania as it ramps up support for the state's growing startup scene.

GoCab secures USD $45m in equity and debt to expand gig driver vehicle financing and electric mobility across Africa and emerging markets.

OpenAI unveils an Australia-wide AI push, pairing a Sydney supercomputer campus with skills training and new startup support schemes.

Forward Networks debuts Forward AI, a digital twin-powered agentic assistant promising safer, verifiable automation for network operations.

A Copenhagen startup says its Argus software can generate full eye prescriptions from a single smartphone photo in under a minute.

Asia-Pacific startup founders are growing older but no less ambitious, with most over 45 and four in ten still chasing unicorn valuations.