Here at
SmartCompany, we’ve spent most of this week unpacking the federal budget, so this startup funding round comes a little later than usual.
But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been keeping an eye on Aussie startup funding news. And Treasurer Josh Frydenberg wasn’t the only one throwing millions of dollars around this week.
Here are some of the stories you might have missed.
Athena
Alternative lending fintech and disruptor of traditional finance institutions Athena has raised a massive $90 million in Series D funding.
Led by SquarePeg, the raise also included contributions from a swathe of high-profile investors AirTree, Macquarie Bank, AustralianSuper, Hostplus, Sunsuper, Salesforce Ventures and Apex Capital all making repeat investments.
Xinja dealmaker leaves trail of sour business deals, including with SEEK founder
Xinja dealmaker leaves trail of sour business deals, including with SEEK founder
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The dealmaker behind neobank Xinja s mysterious lifeline investment from Dubai has a string of soured business deals behind him, including one involving SEEK co-founder and technology entrepreneur Matt Rockman.
First Penny Investments chief executive Michael Gale was lauded by Xinja for facilitating a $433 million payment from Emirates World Investments. However, that money never came through and Xinja is now in the process of returning its customers deposits and terminating its banking licence with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.