From Auckland’s agtech breakthrough to Australia’s payments rewards platform, four companies have closed $107 million in fresh capital this week.
This week’s funding roundup showcases four companies securing capital across diverse sectors, from climate tech solutions to Indigenous entrepreneurship. The combined $107 million in fresh investment signals continued confidence in startups addressing environmental challenges and underrepresented markets.
Ruminant Biotech closes $17M NZD Series A
Ruminant Biotech, a New Zealand-founded agritech company developing methane mitigation solutions for pasture-based cattle, has closed a $17M NZD Series A round. The raise was co-led by Rosrain Investments and Cultivate Ventures, with additional participation from Marex and follow-on investment from AgriZeroNZ.
The Auckland-based company has developed technology targeting livestock methane emissions, a significant contributor to agricultural greenhouse gases. The fresh capital will support the company’s path toward commercialisation as regulatory approvals progress.
Onton raises $7.5M seed round
AI startup Onton has secured $7.5M in seed funding led by Footwork, with participation from Liquid 2, Parable Ventures, 43 and others. The company has now raised a total of about $10M and plans to expand its product, scale its team, and grow its global footprint as demand for trustworthy, intelligent search increases.
The San Francisco-based platform focuses on helping consumers navigate product decisions through AI-powered search technology. The startup plans to use the funding to expand beyond its current categories into additional consumer segments.
pay.com.au completes $53M capital event
pay.com.au, an end-to-end payments and rewards platform, has finalised a $53M capital raise to support strategic growth and international expansion. The round, led by Morgans Corporate Limited, includes $25M in new capital and a $28M secondary sell-down.
The Australian fintech platform allows small business users to accumulate reward points on transactions previously absent from other popular reward schemes. The company plans to use the fresh capital to fuel local expansion alongside an international push into the US market.
Ochre Ventures reaches $30M first close
Ochre Ventures, the first Australian VC solely focused on First Nations entrepreneurship, has reached a $30 million first close on the $100m target for its first fund.
The VC has already made its first five investments, including veteran First Nations-owned construction and facilities management business PSG Holdings, video games maker MicroProse, which generated $5m in revenue in FY2024, and AI biodiversity platform Xylo Systems, cofounded in 2020 by Camille Goldstone-Henry.
The venture capital fund will typically invest between $250,000 and $2 million per company, from Seed and Series A with reserve capital for follow-on investments. The firm remains sector-agnostic, with portfolio companies already spanning gaming, AI, construction and clean tech.
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