Over $1 Billion in funding for Australian Startups and Young Tech Companies in the December 2018 Quarter

Techboard is pleased to present its Report into funding secured by Australian Startup and Young Tech Companies in the quarter ending 31 December 2018.   During the December quarter 2018 Techboard identified over 160 funding events across a broad range of funding types ranging from accelerator program funding, acquisitions, equity crowdfunding, major debt instruments (sometimes called venture debt), grants (including awards and prizes), initial coin offerings, initial public offerings and reverse takeovers, ASX placements and private investment (including angel, VC and other large-scale private investment).

The report reveals that Australian Startups and young tech companies received $1.066B in funding during the December 2018 quarter. The quarter was strong in general with a small reduction in funding from the September Q 2018, but a significant increase from the Dec Q 2017 ($762m) by almost 40%.

Debt was the most prominent funding type by value accounting for 36.6% ($390m) of the funding mix largely to Judo Capital’s $350m debt facility. Debt was closely followed by private investment which accounted for 33.9% or $362m.  Debt and acquisitions were the only funding types that saw significant growth, with all other major funding types declining with private investment dropping by 36% and public investment via initial public offerings and placements down by 68%.

Since the publication of our last funding report we have opened up access to our funding data to commercial subscribers. We have also secured our first customers in the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the Victorian Government's Startup support organisation LaunchVic.  Our funding data customers get access to details of all funding events captured by Techboard, including Company name, Amount (where known), State, Category, Funding Type, Funder (where known), Link to Source and a link to the company profile in the Techboard Directory.

Read more about accessing Techboard's funding data. 

Key facts:

Overall Funding recorded in December quarter: $1.066b
Private investment recorded in December quarter: $362m
Public investment recorded in December quarter: $114m
Largest funding event: Judo Capital $350m debt facility
Largest Private funding: Deputy $111m series B
Largest Acquisition reported: PEXA $1.6b (not closed til Jan 19)
Largest Acquisition closed: Spookfish (formerly ASX:SFI) $137m
Largest Funding Type by $: Debt 36.6% ($390m)
Most funding events by type: Grants/accelerators with private funding closely following behind.
Must funded category: Fintech $508m
Largest IPO: Cybersecurity company Identitii (ASX:ID8) $11m
Largest ICO: Natmin Pure Escrow $12.7m
Largest placement: iSignthis (ASX:ISX) $10m (but note Webjet... $92m)
Private vs Public ratio: 3:1
Largest Equity Crowdfunding: Enova Energy $1.019m
Most funded State: Victoria 42% - $454m