Startup ecosystem stories - Page 2

With women-led start-ups securing just 2.3% of 2024 VC funds, Cristina Fonseca says closing tech's gender gap is vital for growth.

In tech and marketing, women are excluded not just by bias in code or funding, but by domestic load and male-coded networking rituals.

Women in AI and adtech call for bias-free systems, fair leadership paths and cultures where merit, not gender, defines success.

Aurora Tech names 10 women-led startups from emerging markets as finalists for non-dilutive funding and investor access in Santiago.

AiPX launches in Australia as an AI-native venture studio, partnering with early-stage founders to build workflow-focused software platforms.

Elevate NZ backs Altered Capital with a USD $25m commitment to its USD $100m Fund II, boosting Series A and B funding for Kiwi tech.

BriefCatch acquires WordRake's core tech and 12 US patents, aiming to fuse document-level and in-line legal editing in one platform.

VDURA taps AI infrastructure veterans from Dell and Google Cloud to bolster its board as GPU-driven storage and flash volatility reshape demand.

Aspire partners with early-stage investor Antler to capture global founders at inception, targeting a 2.3x jump in startup customers by 2026.

New Zealand AI startup Contented raises AUD $4.1m seed round to speed UK and US expansion and triple headcount in coming months.

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.

London-based Intruder posts 81% surge in enterprise ARR as AI, cloud security and consolidation drive midmarket and enterprise demand.

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

AutoGrab secures AUD $80m Series B at AUD $230m valuation to fuel AI-powered automotive data expansion across the UK and Europe.

Hnry and Volley launch Scan to Pay using open banking, letting sole traders take QR code payments on the spot for a 35-cent flat fee.

Juspay raises USD $50m in follow-on funding led by WestBridge Capital, lifting the payments firm to a USD $1.2bn valuation.

Sage taps Augusta Labs' embedded AI teams to turbocharge product development and accelerate its shift to an AI-first software model.

AI app builder Emergent raises USD $70m Series B to deepen European push, add London offices and hiring as revenue soars to USD $50m ARR.