Top Australian tech and business news highlights from the week of September 15–21, 2025, covering innovation, startups, finance, and government actions.
Tech and Innovation Headlines
- UNSW is set to offer ChatGPT Edu to 10,000 staff following a 10-month trial, marking a further push for university-led AI adoption.
- Kmart Australia's use of facial recognition was found to breach privacy laws, mirroring a prior ruling against Bunnings.
- Australian startups continue their international expansion, as Melbourne City’s partnership with Nanjing, China, strengthens cross-border innovation programs; eight startups showcased at the Nexus Summit.
- NBN Co moved forward with a new five-year security strategy, integrating AI and automation throughout its operational processes and joining Amazon’s Project Kuiper as a Sky Muster replacement.
Business and Finance News
- ANZ admitted to widespread misconduct, affecting nearly 65,000 customers through incorrect reporting, misleading statements, and failing to refund fees to thousands of deceased customers. ASIC is recommending a $240 million penalty as a deterrent.
- Blackbird, Australia’s leading venture capital firm, reported its startup portfolio valuation rose to $9.9 billion, with eight companies valued above $1 billion, signaling renewed ecosystem growth after recent funding challenges.
- Employment Hero and Seek entered a court dispute as the new Startup and Scale-up Salary Guide revealed Australian startup valuations now exceed pre-COVID levels.
Government and Regulatory Actions
- A productivity summit saw calls for long-term reform across tech, skills, tax, trade, and investment, as government and industry leaders acknowledged anaemic growth and business conditions, with a renewed push to make business the engine of national growth.
- EPA Victoria focused on strategic workforce planning to address talent shortages in the tech sector.
- NSW government reported a quadrupling of cyber incidents involving third-party vendors over two years and shook up its technology outsourcing model.
Startup and VC Updates
- Triple Bubble, a new fintech venture fund, announced a partnership with Commonwealth Bank’s x15ventures, focusing on a talent exchange and mutual mentorship between bank staff and high-growth startups.
- Blackbird’s latest investment statistics highlight continued gender gap issues, with women-only founder teams receiving only 2% of new capital.
- Several Australian startups gained international recognition and funding, scaling operations and innovating across sectors from fintech to deep tech.