TL;DR
- Anthropic seeks $15B for Australian data centres with decision in 6 weeks, conditional on artist copyright clarity.
- Gilmour Space becomes Australia's first space unicorn after $217M Series E raise from NRFC and Hostplus.
- Prime Minister launches Office of AI within his department as government prioritises AI regulation and standards.
- ASX hit with $20.5M penalty for misleading statements about delayed CHESS replacement project.
Politics and policy
Albanese launches Office of AI
Prime Minister takes direct control of government response as AI reshapes work, society and copyright.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an Office of AI within his own department, effective immediately. He called AI "a bigger challenge and bigger opportunity than social media" and tasked Industry Minister Tim Ayres and Technology Minister Andrew Charlton with designing new Australian standards. (via The Canberra Times)
Artist copyright rules announced. Albanese unveiled world-first copyright frameworks granting artists control and payment from AI training. The government is consulting on protections for publishers, musicians and media companies whose content AI systems use. Anthropic, wagering $15B on Australian data centres, says it will back the protections. (via The Conversation)
Business and economy
ASX fined for misleading CHESS disclosures
Federal Court orders stock exchange penalty over delayed IT project while commodity markets shift.
Federal Court ordered ASX to pay $20.5 million plus $3 million toward ASIC costs for misleading statements about its CHESS replacement project. The exchange announced in February 2022 that the project was "progressing well"; six weeks later it revealed likely delays. The project was paused in November 2022. (via ASIC)
Oil prices collapse. Crude prices fell sharply after US-Iran peace negotiations, with West Texas Intermediate dropping 3.1% to US$89.31 per barrel and Brent falling 3.9% to US$96.78, pressuring energy stocks Santos and Woodside Energy. (via Motley Fool)
Gold prices climb. Gold futures rose 0.5% to US$4,070.8 per ounce on expectations of fewer rate hikes, supporting mining shares Capricorn Metals and Northern Star Resources. The ASX 200 is tipped to open 48 points or 0.55% higher. (via Motley Fool)
Technology and industry
Gilmour Space rockets to unicorn status
Gold Coast rocket maker joins billion-dollar club as Australian startup funding stays robust across hardware, healthtech and AI.
Gilmour Space, a Gold Coast rocket maker, raised $217 million in a Series E round, hitting a $1 billion valuation and becoming Australia's first space unicorn. The funding was co-led by the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (the government investment vehicle) and superannuation fund Hostplus, with backing from Future Fund, Blackbird and QIC. (via Smart Company)
Anthropic bets $15B on Australian capacity. Anthropic, the San Francisco AI company, is hunting 1.4 gigawatts of data centre capacity across Australia with a $15 billion investment decision expected within six weeks. It has sent requests for proposals to five operators including AirTrunk and NextDC, targeting at least 1 gigawatt operational by end of 2027. (via Phemex News)
Heidi Health wins NHS contract. Melbourne-based AI scribe Heidi has been named sole supplier of ambient voice technology under an NHS England framework covering 70,000 clinicians across 15 trusts. The deal is the largest NHS ambient technology procurement, cutting documentation time by 86% and returning over 4 million hours of clinical capacity. (via Healthcare Management)
Startup funding week dominated by mega-rounds. AdvanCell raised $450 million for radiopharmaceutical development targeting metastatic prostate cancer, while insurtech platform Cover Genius secured $143 million from Vista Credit Partners. The two deals dominated a $606.5 million fundraising week showing investors backing "real business work" over consumer novelty. (via News Harisq)
Tech exits and new launches. Qoria delisted from the ASX after completing its $1.7 billion merger with US digital safety firm Aura, while Canva released Code 2.0, its new website-generation tool letting users build sites significantly faster while maintaining design quality. (via News Harisq)
Society
Skilled migration thresholds climb
Visa salary requirements rise to attract high-income occupations as government mulls broader points system overhaul.
Salary thresholds for skilled migration rose from $76,515 to $79,499 from July 1, with the government considering broader reforms to reward direct economic productivity and concentrate on occupations with verified labour shortages. The planned changes reflect a policy shift toward prioritising high-income professionals and regional commitment incentives. (via ApplyOn)