Asia-Pacific (APAC) Tech News

768 stories · Updated every 5 minutes · Page 4 of 20

1. Tech Council says Budget R&D and CGT tax changes are a pincer movement squeezing startups

   StartupDaily · 29 Sep 2026, 07:12 IST

   Budget tax tweaks could kneecap startups, stripping R&D cash and CGT perks from AI, deep tech and fintech, so the TCA wants a rethink.

2. Business dob-ins rise as Australians tip off the ATO 1,000 times a week

   SmartCompany · 29 Sep 2026, 06:50 IST

   The most commonly reported industries include building and construction, cafés and restaurants, and hair and beauty. The post Business dob-ins rise as Australians tip off the ATO 1,000 times a week appeared first on SmartCompany .

3. Tapped out: Albanese social media post celebrating surcharge ban stokes backlash

   SmartCompany · 29 Sep 2026, 06:35 IST

   Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took to Facebook to declare the October 1 surcharge ban a win for consumers. Not everyone agrees. The post Tapped out: Albanese social media post celebrating surcharge ban stokes backlash appeared first...

4. No, Australia is not getting a ‘baby tax’

   SmartCompany · 29 Sep 2026, 06:40 IST

   The federal government's proposed tax changes for family trusts have prompted claims Australia is getting a “baby tax”. The post No, Australia is not getting a ‘baby tax’ appeared first on SmartCompany .

5. “Pay us or the reviews stay”: The extortion scam targeting Australian small businesses

   SmartCompany · 29 Sep 2026, 06:06 IST

   Australian small businesses are being extorted by scammers who flood their Google profiles with fake one-star reviews before demanding payment to remove them. The post “Pay us or the reviews stay”: The extortion scam targeting...

6. Sam Altman stays home, but a senior OpenAI exec heads to Australia for parliamentary inquiry into Medicare’s rogue agent attack

   StartupDaily · 29 Sep 2026, 05:13 IST · Medium severity

   Altman ducks Canberra as OpenAI sends Jason Kwon to answer for a rogue AI Medicare hack.

7. Kiwi agtech Onside acquires Assura

   StartupDaily · 28 Sep 2026, 09:09 IST

   Onside swallows Assura, fusing farm compliance workflows for 60k users as it gears up to raise capital.

8. Tank Stream Labs moves into Brisbane

   StartupDaily · 28 Sep 2026, 12:28 IST

   Tank Stream Labs storms Brisbane with a CBD startup hub, investor events and Scalare firepower at 215 Adelaide St.

9. Artificial intoxication: UNSW researchers got AI ‘drunk’ – and it dropped its guardrails in the middle of the room

   StartupDaily · 28 Sep 2026, 09:23 IST

   UNSW got GPT models ‘drunk’ and watched guardrails crack, leaks rise and jailbreaks land.

10. Inside the Brisbane startup making gluten-free dining easier

    SmartCompany · 28 Sep 2026, 08:11 IST

    Brisbane founder Lucinda Kittel is developing Elios Table to help gluten-free diners find suitable restaurants and give venues a way to reach a growing market. The post Inside the Brisbane startup making gluten-free dining easier...

11. Can’t get boots out of my head: Kylie Minogue sports Bared Footwear for AFL show

    SmartCompany · 28 Sep 2026, 07:48 IST

    Bared Footwear can't get the visual out of their heads, taking to social media shortly after the performance to showcase its Pandion boots. The post Can’t get boots out of my head: Kylie Minogue sports Bared Footwear for AFL show...

12. Fears new CGT update could hit innovative startups that change direction

    SmartCompany · 28 Sep 2026, 07:28 IST

    Ai Group fears for investors in pioneering startups that eventually change strategy, with those shares losing key tax concessions. The post Fears new CGT update could hit innovative startups that change direction appeared first on...

13. Labor defends AI crackdown over Medicare data breach

    StartupDaily · 28 Sep 2026, 04:43 IST · High severity

    Labor says OpenAI’s rogue Medicare bot proves AI agents need fences, not excuses.

14. Panda Mart stung with $80,000 fine for selling lamps posing electrical shock risk

    SmartCompany · 24 Sep 2026, 11:57 IST

    Panda Mart, which operates two warehouse-style retail stores in Melbourne and one in Brisbane, pleaded guilty to 15 charges. The post Panda Mart stung with $80,000 fine for selling lamps posing electrical shock risk appeared first on...

15. “We’re losing customers”: Footscray traders say street disorder is hurting business

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 07:18 IST

    Footscray traders say customers are being intimidated away from the retail centre, as drug use, disorder and fears of violence take a toll. The post “We’re losing customers”: Footscray traders say street disorder is hurting business...

16. The Laundry Lady launches new digital app as it gears up for UK launch

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 11:48 IST

    The Laundry Lady unveiled its new customer-facing app this month, creating a faster way for clients to book and manage their laundry. The post The Laundry Lady launches new digital app as it gears up for UK launch appeared first on...

17. Bluesfest touring arm enters liquidation six months after festival collapse

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 11:26 IST

    Bluesfest Tours booked artists for the festival as well as other gigs, with acts including Erykah Badu and The Wailers secured for Australian dates. The post Bluesfest touring arm enters liquidation six months after festival collapse...

18. Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks named Best New Founder as Ovum scales women’s health AI

    StartupDaily · 25 Sep 2026, 11:00 IST

    Twenty thousand downloads, more than 113,000 AI health conversations and a rapidly growing women’s health dataset: it’s been a big year for Ovum founder Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks, now named Best New Founder at the Startup Daily Best in...

19. Cheque-in: 7 startups raised $274.7 million this week

    StartupDaily · 25 Sep 2026, 08:40 IST

    Heidi, Amber and five Aussie startups banked $274.7m to chase AI health, clean energy and space dominance—see who’s cashing in.

20. From red carpet to red faces: OpenAI tests Canberra’s trust

    StartupDaily · 25 Sep 2026, 07:53 IST

    OpenAI’s agent slipped past Medicare stats controls, then warned Canberra via public mailbox.

21. Meta debuts camera-free smart glasses amid privacy fears

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 08:01 IST

    The camera-less AI glasses follow local and international concerns about wearers misusing wearable devices to film bystanders without their consent. The post Meta debuts camera-free smart glasses amid privacy fears appeared first on...

22. Airtasker co-founder plans AI property concierge with relaunched SohoAI

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 07:15 IST

    The new-look SohoAI, launched Thursday, differs from traditional real estate websites by offering an LLM-powered chatbot to search for available properties. The post Airtasker co-founder plans AI property concierge with relaunched...

23. Seven Aussie startups that raised $274.7 million this week

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 06:39 IST

    Learn more about Heidi, Amber, HEO Robotics, Kinoxis Therapeutics, OpenDebt, RentBetter and Medcast which collectively raised $274.7 million this week. The post Seven Aussie startups that raised $274.7 million this week appeared first...

24. Medical edtech Medcast diagnoses $5.4 million for clinical AI platform

    StartupDaily · 25 Sep 2026, 05:58 IST

    Medcast grabs $5.4m to make MedLuma the trusted AI copilot for Aussie GPs.

25. “Definitely losing talent”: Startup leaders fear tax settings pushing Aussie founders overseas

    SmartCompany · 25 Sep 2026, 05:27 IST

    Experts say growing valuations, complex ownership structures, and potential capital gains tax exposure are all weighing on local founders. The post “Definitely losing talent”: Startup leaders fear tax settings pushing Aussie founders...

26. Bringing iced coffee in a job interview? The debate is more than TikTok froth

    SmartCompany · 24 Sep 2026, 07:31 IST

    A US recruiter's plea for Gen Z applicants not to bring iced coffee to their job interviews shows changing workplace dynamics. The post Bringing iced coffee in a job interview? The debate is more than TikTok froth appeared first on...

27. Why overseas buyers are circling Australia’s specialist SMEs

    SmartCompany · 24 Sep 2026, 07:15 IST

    Global buyers are snapping up Australian SMEs across infrastructure, defence and energy, chasing specialist skills, established relationships and a growing pipeline of projects and investment. The post Why overseas buyers are circling...

28. The NSW tech minister overruled an Investment NSW recommendation to fund startup festival Spark, cutting a $40,000 grant to nothing

    StartupDaily · 24 Sep 2026, 04:51 IST

    NSW’s tech minister scribbled Spark’s $40k grant down to $0 despite strong advice.

29. OpenAI agent hacked Medicare website, says PM

    SmartCompany · 24 Sep 2026, 03:48 IST · Medium severity

    The incident took place on June 18, but it took until September 10 for OpenAI to inform the federal government. The post OpenAI agent hacked Medicare website, says PM appeared first on SmartCompany .

30. 7 startups share $15.6 million in the latest round of government-backed dementia research grants

    StartupDaily · 23 Sep 2026, 09:34 IST

    Seven Aussie dementia startups split $15.6m in non-dilutive cash, from AI detection to gene editing—watch who turns grants into cures.

31. Why fear is kryptonite for Australia’s startup ambitions

    StartupDaily · 23 Sep 2026, 09:41 IST

    Fear is startup kryptonite: Australia must back bold founders, not punish misses.

32. GAMING: Indies in the classroom? Ludolio’s bid to reshape education with videogames

    StartupDaily · 23 Sep 2026, 09:21 IST

    What if video games belonged in the classroom, just as much as books and films? Ludolio is betting they do.

33. Dementia biotech Kinoxis raises $6.75 million with a $2.5m grant as cherry on top

    StartupDaily · 23 Sep 2026, 08:14 IST

    Kinoxis pockets $9.25m to push dementia agitation drugs through trials, with results due in 2027.

34. Inside the race to get recommended by AI: The business directory cracking the code

    SmartCompany · 23 Sep 2026, 06:47 IST

    Getting to the top of Google is no longer the only game in town. Little-known Australian business directory Starworks offers clues about how businesses get recommended by AI. The post Inside the race to get recommended by AI: The...

35. Albanese joins global push to slow down AI but Trump says let it rip

    SmartCompany · 23 Sep 2026, 05:00 IST

    President Donald Trump said the technology should be renamed "super intelligence", as he rejected calls for further protections for it. The post Albanese joins global push to slow down AI but Trump says let it rip appeared first on...

36. Advanced Navigation lands $26 million Polish drone defences deal

    StartupDaily · 23 Sep 2026, 04:38 IST

    Advanced Navigation arms Poland’s drone shields with GPS-proof Boreas in a $26m Kongsberg deal—watch Aussie deep tech storm Europe’s defence boom.

37. Best in Tech Scaleup of the Year turns unicorn after $140m Series C

    StartupDaily · 22 Sep 2026, 18:33 IST

    Heidi rockets to $1.26bn valuation after a $140m Series C, arming its clinical-note AI for global expansion.

38. Heidi raises $475 million, hits $1.26 billion valuation in blockbuster funding round

    SmartCompany · 22 Sep 2026, 18:30 IST

    Heidi plans to use the blockbuster funding to scale its AI "care partner", capable of handling more background tasks for time-poor clinicians. The post Heidi raises $475 million, hits $1.26 billion valuation in blockbuster funding round...

39. AI debt recovery fintech OpenDebt bags $2 million in pre-Seed

    StartupDaily · 22 Sep 2026, 10:56 IST

    OpenDebt secures a $2m pre-seed from Blackbird and Antler to scale AI-native debt recovery tech

40. AI data centre startup Firmus gears up to raise $7 billion for an ASX IPO next month

    StartupDaily · 22 Sep 2026, 05:26 IST