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The startup funding round: Beer delivery, AI-enabled upskilling, and $10 million for tech to treat cancer

02
Jul
2021

This week it was all blasting off in the Aussie space startup scene, with Gilmour Space securing a huge $61 million cash injection, and startup Spiral Blue launching its space computers into orbit aboard Richard Brandon’s maiden satellite taxi service.

Closer to Earth, we saw student-focused fintech close its equity crowdfunding campaign, pocketing $1.15 million , while hypnosis healthtech startup Mindset Health secured $6.7 million.

There was also yet more new funding made available for early-stage startups, with music business Alberts announcing its $16 million impact fund. Having previously funded artists like AC/DC and Baz Luhrman, the business is now backing the next generation of entrepreneurial rockstars, with a focus on sustainability, mental health and equality — as well as those innovating in the music, arts and entertainment sector.

Here are some of the funding stories you might have missed this week.

HowToo

Aussie edtech startup HowToo has secured $2.5 million in seed funding, including from influential US women-focused venture capital firm ALIAVIA Ventures.

Founded by Lisa Vincent and Jenny Barltrop and launched in February last year, HowToo is a software-as-a-service startup making it easier to turn raw content into shareable e-learning tools.

It then uses AI tech to distribute the right content to the right students at the right time.

“Now more than ever before organisations need to easily share knowledge and develop skills via online learning but don’t have the time or resources to employ a team of UX designers, learning experts or developers,” the founders said in a statement.

“HowToo was born to democratise the learning creation process.”

The round was led by Moelis Australia and also included backing from Jelix Ventures and California VC firm ALIAVIA Ventures, a VC firm investing only in women founders, which made the news this week after securing backing from Aussie philanthropist and investor Carol Schwartz.

The founders now plan to use the funding to accelerate their growth plans and make a move into overseas markets.