Explore the biggest Australian tech and business stories from October 13–19, 2025 — from AI and digital transformation to major investments, acquisitions, and leadership changes across key industries.
Technology News Highlights
🏆 Netball Victoria wins the 2025 Qlik ANZ Digital Transformation Award Netball Victoria was recognised for its data analytics overhaul that now supports over 119,000 participants, showcasing how data-driven insights are enhancing community sport performance and engagement.
🚀 Ingram Micro launches Xvantage to accelerate local IT growth The new Xvantage platform aims to empower Australian IT businesses with improved visibility, automation, and growth opportunities in the cloud and distribution ecosystem.
🤖 Zoho rolls out free agentic AI upgrades Zoho announced agentic AI enhancements across its suite of business apps—offering automation, workflow assistance, and decision support to millions of SMBs at no extra cost.
🌏 Telstra International boosts Asia-Pacific network capacity by 30% Using 400G technology, Telstra expanded its regional capacity, strengthening connectivity and latency performance for enterprises across the Asia-Pacific corridor.
💻 Coder unveils Blink — a CLI tool for AI agent development The open-source Blink tool simplifies building and managing AI agents directly from the command line, helping developers accelerate AI automation projects.
🏦 RDC.AI wins global recognition for transforming banking with AI Australian fintech RDC.AI secured a major international award for revolutionising banking operations with its advanced AI automation and compliance technologies.
🏗 Austrade to upgrade core network infrastructure by 2026 Austrade announced plans to replace its data centre core network by mid-to-late 2026, ensuring greater scalability, resilience, and performance for government systems.
🛡 AI & cybersecurity developments intensify Microsoft pulled fraudulent certificates linked to fake Teams installers spreading ransomware, while AI-driven phishing attacks continue to grow faster than many enterprise defences can adapt.
👥 Major leadership moves The week saw key appointments, including Macquarie Bank’s digital chief joining Westpac, alongside new AI leadership roles at several Australian tech firms—signalling continued investment in AI-led strategy.
💼 Business News Highlights
🖤 Yarn’n secures national B2B partnership Indigenous-owned startup Yarn’n signed a distribution deal with Bunzl ANZ to expand supply of its eco-friendly toilet paper products, marking a major milestone in Indigenous entrepreneurship.
🏙 Dexus acquires 25% of Westfield Chermside for $683 million The real estate giant’s investment underscores renewed confidence in Australian retail property markets and long-term consumer spending.
🐾 Mad Paws receives $62 million takeover offer from Rover Seattle-based pet services marketplace Rover is set to acquire Mad Paws, highlighting the growing global appetite for Australian digital-first service businesses.
⚖ Slater & Gordon explores class action Law firm Slater and Gordon is investigating a potential class action against First Guardian and Shield Master Fund, reflecting ongoing scrutiny in the managed investment sector.
🚀 LaunchVic invests $3.75 million into startup ecosystem The Victorian Government’s startup agency announced a new funding round to support innovation hubs and early-stage founders across the state.
💊 Brandon Capital raises $439 million for medical science ventures Australia’s leading life sciences investor will channel new funds into biotech and medtech startups, reinforcing the nation’s role in global health innovation.
Stay tuned for next week’s roundup of Australia’s most important tech and business stories — brought to you by QRco.au, your trusted partner for smart QR and barcode solutions.