Forbes Australia picks out three Australian entrepreneurs who are making waves in the startup space right now.
Quick Takes appears in Issue 19 of Forbes Australia, out now. Tap here to secure your copy.
Block Earner
The rapid rise of stablecoins and digital currencies in the early 2020s signalled a clear tipping point for Charlie Karaboga.
“After spending more than a decade combined with my co-founders in the decentralised finance space, we recognised a clear gap: everyday people were not able to access the benefits of these powerful financial technologies,” he says. “It was obvious that the next financial system would be powered by stablecoins, digital currencies, and blockchain-based finance platforms, where lending and borrowing rates are global, transparent, and democratised for everyday people.”
That belief spurred Karaboga to co-found Block Earner in 2021, giving Australians a new way to put their cryptocurrency to work.
“We’ve created a platform that connects digital assets with everyday finance”, he explains. “Whether that’s buying and selling cryptocurrencies, borrowing Australian dollars against crypto holdings, or even unlocking property finance through Australia’s first Bitcoin-backed home loan, what you get is a bridge between the world of crypto and the familiar tools of traditional finance.”
The Sydney-based start-up recently closed an $8 million Series A funding round, led by CMCC Global’s Titan Fund, pushing the company’s valuation to $75 million.
“We are thrilled to lead Block Earner’s Series A funding round”, says CMCC Global’s Titan Fund co-founder and managing partner, Shiau Sin Yen. “Their ability to blend compliance, usability, and innovation into a single platform is poised to reshape the digital assets financial landscape.”
Elita
For Paloma Newton and Jackson Gritching, their mission to improve the lives of pets across Australia began with their dog, Edgar Allan Paws. A breed prone to arthritis and joint issues, Edgar pushed the pair into research that revealed a startling reality.
“We discovered that around 80% of dogs over eight suffer from arthritis, and that stem cell therapies had already been used in tens of thousands of dogs overseas,” Paloma says. “Cell banking was already common in the human world, but in pets, it wasn’t accessible in Australia. Every vet we spoke to said: ‘Great idea, but we can’t do it.’”
With backgrounds in science, deep tech and start-ups, Paloma and Jackson turned that barrier into an opportunity and Elita, Australia’s first stem cell bank for pets, was born.
“At the simplest level, we give vets and owners access to a pet’s own healthy cells so they have more options to treat common health issues like arthritis, joint and muscular conditions, either now or later in life,” Jackson explains.
The start-up raised $1 million in its pre-seed round in 2024, with backers including Side Stage Ventures, Archangel, M8 Ventures, Startmate, and the Alice Anderson Fund.
“It’s awesome to be part of Elita’s journey at such an early stage”, says Startmate CEO Michael Batko. “The potential of stem cells to transform personalised pet healthcare is enormous, and Elita is leading the way in making that future accessible for pet owners.”
Rosterfy
Cousins Bennett Merriman and Shannan Gove teamed up with Chris Grant in 2015 to launch Rosterfy, aiming to transform how organisations manage their volunteer workforces.
The problem, as they saw it, was that while volunteers can be the backbone of major events, managing them brings unique logistical issues. They saw the need for a smarter, scalable solution.
Their SaaS platform allows organisations and volunteer managers to recruit, engage, schedule, and retain volunteers more efficiently.
“Volunteers keep the wheels turning at so many organisations,” says Rosterfy co-founder and CEO Bennett Merriman. “We’re proud to be improving their experience through smarter, more sustainable volunteer management.”
Rosterfy has powered over 150 million volunteer hours and is used by over 260 organisations worldwide, including the Super Bowl, OzHarvest, British Heart Foundation, and the London Marathon.
The company recently secured $5.5 million in funding from OIF Ventures, bringing its total capital raised to $18 million. The funding will be used to scale operations, advance product development, drive international expansion, and support Rosterfy’s goal of powering 500 million volunteer hours by the end of 2027.
“Rosterfy is the clear leading solution in Volunteer Management Software globally, delivering significant cost and time savings to sporting organisations and not-for-profits,” says OIF Ventures partner Kevin Wilson. “We are excited to be backing this incredible team to continue enhancing their platform and executing on their growth both in Australia and internationally.”
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