The most popular startup stories on SmartCompany in 2024

2024 was another big one for the Australian startup ecosystem. Between a funding bounce back, acquisitions, and a sprinkle of drama, there was plenty that captured readers’ attention. Here are our most-read startup stories of the year.

Our weekly startup funding roundups continue to be a massive hit. But a few notable from 2024 include the $118 million week we saw back in June and a $21 million week in May.

While it’s still a tough market, things have been looking up in 2024. By our calculations, startup funding has surpassed the $3.5 billion tallied in 2023. And you love to see it.

Some big deals also made waves with AirTrunk’s $23 billion sale, Quad Lock’s $500 million exit to Thule, and Canva acquiring Leonardo.ai.

But it wasn’t all wins across the landscape.

Finder’s redundancy round in February saw 60 employees lose their jobs. This was the fourth round of redundancies for the startup since April 2023. 

You were also very interested in Blackbird finally speaking about Kiki’s pivot to a NYC ‘girls’ club’ before it quickly returned to short-term rentals.

Thanks for joining us on the startup beat this year.

Spoiler alert: there are already some big things on the horizon for 2025 so stay tuned.

The 10 most-read startup stories on SmartCompany in 2024

1. Eight Aussie startups that raised $118.8 million this week
2. Quad Lock, Australian phone case innovator, sold to Thule in $500 million deal
3. Three Aussie startups that raised $21.1 million this week
4. Canva snaps up Leonardo.AI in blockbuster acquisition
5. “It’s like a sinking ship”: Inside Finder’s latest redundancy round
6. Eight Aussie startups that raised $36 million this week
7. AirTrunk’s $23 billion sale buoys the South Asian Australian startup community
8. Four Aussie startups that have raised $94.5 million already in January
9. Destined for growth: Healthtech startup Kismet adds $20 million to close $32.5 million seed round
10. Blackbird breaks silence on Kiki’s pivot to NYC ‘girls’ club’

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