September 2023
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
How Canva helped these funds make a mega fortune
The early funds of Blackbird, AirTree and Square Peg are on track to deliver a return of 10 to 34 times initial investments due to Canva and other stars.
- Paul Smith
May 2023
Why this Young Rich Lister quit retirement in two weeks
After selling his first software company, Mark Woodland is starting again from scratch with a new business for NDIS participants.
- Tess Bennett
May 2022
Smith Family Challenge survivors raise $1.2m
Every year the charity baits wealthy volunteers into enduring a 100 kilometre adventure course, featuring a sadistic mix of hiking, running, mountain biking and canoeing.
- Myriam Robin
April 2022
The radical plan to get tech founders to give away more money
While philanthropy is rising in Australia, it’s not keeping pace with the rise in wealth. Daniel Petre, Antonia Ruffell and Peter Winneke aim to change that.
- Jemima Whyte
September 2021
Canva set to be Australia’s ‘most successful tech company ever’
Less than a decade ago, Melanie Perkins was learning to kite surf to try and impress a potential investor. Now her company has grown so big, so fast that it can count its money and put off the need for an IPO.
- Paul Smith
May 2021
The case for giving – why it’s time the wealthy did the right thing
Just because you don’t want to donate money to charity doesn’t mean that society can’t require you to give back, says the founder of AirTree Ventures.
- Daniel Petre
April 2021
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
Petre steps away from day to day as AirTree resets
Tech veteran Daniel Petre is stepping back from the day-to-day operations of AirTree to become chairman, while the fund appoints its first operations partner.
- Yolanda Redrup
December 2020
Reactive Australian companies more vulnerable to offshore rivals
Daniel Petre, partner at AirTree Ventures, says for too long local companies have been reactive, not proactive, while spending on developing new ideas remains too low.
- Sally Patten
March 2020
Start-ups say JobKeeper scheme will keep them alive
Start-up founders and investors say the wages subsidy will let them keep crucial staff, but there are fears many early-stage companies won't qualify.
- Paul Smith
What it takes to be a risk-taker – and why you should be one
The seat-of-the-pants approach to entrepreneurship might grab the headlines, but investors say they prefer founders who balance risk with realism.
- Michael Bailey
December 2019
Big tech won't 'lose sleep' over Canberra's plan
Start-ups are relieved the government rejected the ACCC's suggestions for regulating big tech acquisitions but experts feel Google and Facebook got off lightly.
- Paul Smith and Natasha Gillezeau
October 2019
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
Super funds pile into tech as AirTree closes $275m fund
One of the country's best known VCs has closed a big new fund to target fast growing companies, saying institutional investors are now much more eager to join the fray.
- Paul Smith
August 2019
- Exclusive
- Tech crackdown
Sims defends ACCC crackdown on big tech
The ACCC chairman has dismissed concerns that some of its proposals to crimp the power of Facebook and Google will inhibit innovation and expose tech secrets.
- Paul Smith
July 2019
- Exclusive
- Immigration
Entrepreneurship visa fails to attract offshore talent
A federal government scheme to attract overseas entrepreneurs to start companies in Australia has had barely any applications in almost three years.
- Yolanda Redrup
