Startup funding in Australia 2026
January to September 2026. Data as of 23 October 2026.
Release
Total
Startups in Australia raised $1.4B in 146 venture rounds from January to September 2026, 17th of 119 countries, according to FundingWatcher.
Without rounds of $100M or more
2 rounds of $100M or more hold 30.2% of that money. Without them, Australia raised $986M, 12th of 119 countries.
Largest round
The largest round was AdvanCell in Sydney: $315M, Series D, in July 2026.
Cities
Sydney startups raised $872M, 61.7% of the national total, ahead of Melbourne with $263M.
Early stage
Pre-seed, seed, angel and Series A rounds under $100M: 131 rounds, $578M.
Source
Source: FundingWatcher, startup funding by country and city 2026, https://fundingwatcher.com/research/startup-funding-by-country-2026/
Cities
| City | Rounds | Total | Under $100M | Rounds of $100M+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 57 | $872M | $445M | 2 |
| Melbourne | 28 | $263M | $263M | 0 |
| Adelaide | 3 | $40M | $40M | 0 |
| Canberra | 3 | $29M | $29M | 0 |
| Haymarket | 2 | $26M | $26M | 0 |
| Brisbane | 12 | $21M | $21M | 0 |
| Port Melbourne | 1 | $18M | $18M | 0 |
| Hindmarsh | 1 | $17M | $17M | 0 |
| Parramatta | 1 | $14M | $14M | 0 |
| Orange | 1 | $13M | $13M | 0 |
| Kensington | 1 | $11M | $11M | 0 |
| Surry Hills | 2 | $11M | $11M | 0 |
Largest rounds
| Company | City | Round | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdvanCell | Sydney | Series D | 2026-07-15 | $315M |
| Advanced Navigation | Sydney | Series C | 2026-03-17 | $112M |
| Lyka Pet Food | Sydney | Series C | 2026-03-02 | $67M |
| Amber Electric | Melbourne | Series E | 2026-09-21 | $56M |
| AutoGrab | Melbourne | Series B | 2026-01-27 | $55M |
| BTC Ecosystem | Sydney | Series A | 2026-05-21 | $50M |
| Everlab | Sydney | Series A | 2026-06-16 | $46M |
| Constantinople | Sydney | Series B | 2026-08-18 | $44M |
| Applied EV | Melbourne | Series B | 2026-01-27 | $40M |
| splose | Adelaide | Series A | 2026-02-08 | $32M |
Method
146 rounds in Australia in the FundingWatcher startup file: companies whose most recent round is a named stage, pre-seed and angel through Series J, dated January to September 2026. One round per company, the latest. Debt, grants, corporate rounds, private equity and secondary sales are not counted. 126 of the 146 rounds carry an amount. Method and data files: startup funding by country and city, 2026.
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