Why this Melbourne startup backed the cow while everyone else bet against it
As plant-based alternatives soared, MEQ quietly built hardware to understand real meat better. Now it’s the first tech certified by the USDA in 15 years.
Mark Whittaker
Why Terrigal might be NSW’s most underrated luxury escape
Decadent degustations, golden hour cheeseboards, and five-star suites with ocean views – this former Schoolies haunt is suddenly all grown up. The last time I was in Terrigal was Schoolies Week, 1983. Back then it was Tooheys New and noisy nights at The Florida Hotel. Today, the Norfolk pines still line the beach – a […]
Everlab raises $15 million to fight disease in ‘healthy’ people
Melbourne startup Everlab is blending AI, full-body diagnostics and deep data to transform preventive medicine — and it all began with a non-routine trip to the doctor. Key Takeaways It all started when Sam Kothari – employee number three in Airwallex’s commercial team – came in for a checkup with Dr Steven Lu at his […]
Why investors have put $100m behind Australian biotech’s ‘Trojan horse’ for cancer
From deathbed promise to cancer breakthrough: Why big pharma is watching this Aussie biotech in Phase-2 trials. Dr Jennifer MacDiarmid and Dr Himanshu Brahmbhatt are both working on animal vaccines for the CSIRO in the late 1990s when one of their best lab technicians starts coughing blood at the bench. Rushed to hospital, the 40-year-old […]
From beer to biotech: Young Henrys’ mission to save the planet
The craft brewer leverages tech that allows its inner-city brewery to produce as much oxygen as 2 hectares of bushland – while reducing emissions from your burger. Young Henrys made its name brewing tinnies for tattooed inner-city drinkers. Now, the cult beer company is spinning out a biotech startup to save the planet with cleaner […]
How two Sydney startups cracked a chilling quantum problem — one degree at a time
Two quantum breakaways have teamed up to create what they say could be the plumbing for every major quantum system — and it’s already in demand. Key Takeaways The problem Quantum bits (or ‘qubits’) must be held at cryogenic temperatures, very close to absolute zero (–273.15 °C), to preserve their information. But they also need […]
Why this Aussie-made pump could outperform a $17 billion rival
Venstra Medical’s heart pump promising better results for smaller patients – such as women – was among a raft of heart and diabetes companies to receive $12 million in grants last week. Australian start-up Venstra Medical has developed what it claims to be the world’s smallest and most powerful percutaneous ventricular assist device [pVAD] for […]
The family that beat billionaires to the top of the bridge
Scenic World and the Hammon family took on some of Australia’s wealthiest and won. Here’s how they grabbed the keys to BridgeClimb — and what they did next. When Anthea Hammon declared she wanted to be a mechanical engineer, her older brother David felt an enormous weight lift. He was off the hook. Anthea had […]
How Jim’s Mowing became a $1-billion-a-year empire – Then turned to saving the world
Best known for his beard and ubiquitous vans, Jim Penman has quietly built a franchising giant, while funnelling profits into a scientific mission. When Jim Penman’s PhD thesis was rejected in 1982, his thoughts of a career as an academic historian were dashed. Instead, his mind went to the long game. He just needed to […]
How a Melbourne teacher became the go-to for billionaire weddings
Olivia Burrows Sutherland gave up teaching to follow her own wedding playbook – now the rich and famous pay her to go viral on their big day. This story appears in Issue 17 of Forbes Australia – out Monday. Tap here to secure your copy. Olivia Burrows Sutherland is sitting across from billionaire Ankur Jain, […]