Blackbird closes record $1 billion fund, but turns ‘cautious’ on AI
Blackbird has raised $1.05b from prestigious global institutions like Morgan Stanley and Schroders to establish the biggest Australian VC fund yet.
Artificial Intelligence
Canva bet millions on data centre play Sharon AI before becoming its ‘major customer’
Filings lodged with the SEC show Canva invested in Sharon AI during its December 2025 pre-IPO raise alongside the likes of Regal Funds Management and Ellerston Capital.
Canva founder says AI costs down 90% after skyrocketing bills delayed product rollout
Canva had to delay its Canva AI 2.0 rollout after the booming costs of compute made the products uneconomical. The company has cut its AI costs and is ready to scale back up, founder Cliff Obrecht says.
‘We risk importing intelligence itself’: Labor moves to open Big Tech’s data centres to Australian startups
Labor tech lieutenant Andrew Charlton will on Tuesday warn data centres alone will not enable Australia to capture enough economic value from AI.
NSW pushes Goodman to back fresh power for $5.5 billion AI factory
Goodman Group’s 500MW Project Atlas campus will be one of Australia’s biggest data centres. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is pressing it to explain where it’ll get its power from. Key Takeaways The NSW Government is pushing property giant Goodman Group to support new renewable energy projects to power its […]
‘Nary a blip’: Mike Cannon-Brookes says Atlassian is taming AI costs
As Canva struggles with rising AI bills, Atlassian told investors that Rovo AI usage will impact margins for FY27. But CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes maintains AI is the “best thing” to happen to Atlassian.
Atlassian defies ‘SaaSpocalypse’ fears, jumps 35% after strong earnings
Mike Cannon-Brookes handed down what could be a landmark earnings report for Atlassian, with the company swinging from a US$24 million loss a year ago to US$139 million of profit. Key Takeaways Key background It has been a tough year for Atlassian investors – before these earnings, its stock was down 40 per cent over […]
Atlassian warns more AI use will not magically lift productivity
Fortune 500 companies are embracing AI, but few can measure a tangible return. Atlassian’s chief people and AI enablement officer says widespread adoption means little unless businesses redesign the processes around it. The executive in charge of Atlassian’s internal AI tooling says the world’s biggest companies are struggling to see productivity gains from AI, and […]
Albanese creates Office of AI so Australia can be ‘more than a data warehouse’
“We should not treat AI as a threat to good jobs, we must use it as an instrument to create them,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, pledging to legislate national AI standards – including copyright protections – by early 2027. A swaggering Anthony Albanese declared Australia the best place in the world to invest in […]
Australia doesn’t need copyright change to win data centre billions, AI boss says
Copyright law has become the central flashpoint of Australia’s AI and data centre policy. Sharon AI chief executive James Manning says no changes are needed.