Four startups spanning robotics, livestock genetics, and data privacy have secured a combined $37 million in funding this week.
Australian companies dominated with three raises, while a Swiss battery startup rounded out the week’s announcements. The rounds ranged from $5 million Seed raises to a $16 million Series A, reflecting diverse investor confidence across sectors.
This week delivered a concentrated burst of funding activity across climate technology, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors. Four startups collectively secured $37 million, with Australian companies claiming three of the four raises and demonstrating the country’s growing position in climate-focused innovation.
The funding announcements span different stages and sectors but share a common thread: each company addresses specific industry inefficiencies with technologies that combine environmental impact and commercial viability.
Maritime emissions tackled
Australian robotics startup Hullbot closed the week’s largest round, securing $16 million in Series A funding. US-based Regeneration VC led the investment, marking the inaugural deployment from Climate Tech Partners’ new fund dedicated to emissions reduction technologies in hard-to-abate industries.
The round attracted a diverse investor group including Katapult Ocean, Folklore, Trinity Ventures, Rypples, NewSouth Innovations, and Bandera Capital. Hullbot’s robotic systems clean ship hulls, a maintenance process critical for fuel efficiency. Biofouling on ship hulls can increase fuel consumption by up to 40 percent, making regular cleaning both an environmental and economic imperative for maritime operators.
The company’s approach automates a process traditionally performed by divers or drydocking, potentially reducing costs while improving cleaning frequency and effectiveness.
Livestock genetics scaled
Queensland-based Nbryo secured $10 million to advance its bovine IVF platform. The agri-biotech company targets productivity improvements for cattle producers through accessible, scalable genetics technology.
Tenacious Ventures and AgriZeroNZ, the New Zealand government-backed climate investor, co-led the round. Queensland Investment Corporation, the Murdoch family as founding investors, and Mandalay Venture Partners also participated. The raise triggered an additional $12 million in capital conversion, bringing total funding secured to $22 million.
Nbryo’s platform aims to deliver consistent, high-quality embryos for cattle breeding programs, potentially accelerating genetic improvements across herds. The technology addresses challenges in traditional IVF processes that can be costly and inconsistent, limiting adoption among producers.
Data privacy secured
Melbourne startup SecurePII raised US$3.5 million (A$5 million) in Seed funding for its compliance and data privacy platform. Sydney venture capital firm Tidal Ventures led the investment.
Founded by Jason Thals, Haydn Faltyn, and Bill Placke, SecurePII provides businesses with tools to navigate increasingly complex data privacy regulations. The platform addresses compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions as regulatory frameworks continue expanding globally.
The funding will support product development and market expansion as businesses face mounting pressure to demonstrate robust data protection practices. Privacy regulations have proliferated in recent years, creating demand for automated compliance solutions that reduce manual oversight requirements.
Battery tech advanced
Swiss startup BTRY closed an oversubscribed $5.7 million Seed round for its paper-thin battery technology. Redstone VC led the investment, with Bloomhaus Ventures, Linear Capital, Kickfund, Kick Foundation, and the CustomCells founders participating.
Existing backers HTGF and Zürcher Kantonalbank renewed their support, providing additional capital to accelerate roll-to-roll manufacturing processes and customer integration programs.
Founded in 2023 as a spin-off from Empa and ETH Zurich, BTRY is led by Dr Moritz Futscher and Abdessalem Aribia. The company employs approximately 14 people at its Swiss operations and is developing ultra-thin batteries for applications where traditional battery form factors prove impractical.
The technology could enable new applications in wearables, medical devices, and smart packaging where thickness and flexibility constraints limit conventional battery use.
This week’s funding activity reflects broader venture capital trends favouring technologies with clear paths to commercialisation alongside environmental benefits. Climate tech continues attracting significant capital, particularly when solutions address existing industry pain points rather than requiring entirely new market creation.
The geographic distribution also highlights Australia’s emerging position in climate and agricultural technology, with three of four raises going to Australian companies across different sectors and stages. Meanwhile, European deep tech continues drawing investor interest, as evidenced by BTRY’s oversubscribed round for advanced materials innovation.
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