Four startups from Australia and New Zealand raised about $22 million between them in the week to 4 September 2026, led by a $16 million Series A for investing platform Pearler. Figures are as reported.
None of the four is an AI lab or a data centre project, the categories behind most of this year’s largest rounds. Instead the week’s capital went to consumer finance, infectious disease, communications software and fertility treatment, with government backed programs funding two of the four.
Pearler
Pearler raised $16 million in a Series A led by Portage, which also led its $7.8 million seed round four years earlier, Startup Daily reported. Altered Capital, No Brand and Chris Cuffe’s Partners Horizon Fund joined, and seed investor TEN13 followed on. The platform is pitched at long term investors rather than traders, offering ASX and US shares, micro-investing, superannuation and a first home deposit product. Pearler said it has more than 110,000 active customers and more than $3.5 billion in customer holdings, 86% of it in exchange traded funds.
ENA Respiratory
ENA Respiratory was awarded $2.98 million by Biointelect Venturer, a national vaccine and infectious disease incubator funded through the federal Medical Research Future Fund, BioSpectrum Asia reported. The money is grant funding rather than equity. ENA is developing INNA-051, a once weekly dry powder nasal spray designed to strengthen the body’s defences in the nose, where common respiratory viruses enter. A first-in-patients study in adults with asthma is expected to start in the first quarter of 2027.
Drumbeat (Auckland)
Auckland’s Drumbeat raised a NZ$2 million seed round led by Icehouse Ventures, with Brand Fund, Thinkerbell’s Adam Ferrier and Mutinex’s Henry Innis, IT Brief reported. The platform covers media relations, content, campaign tracking and media monitoring, letting fast growing companies run PR in-house rather than paying agency retainers. Founded in March 2026 by Barney Chunn, Fallon Savery and Aaron Croft, it has more than 50 customers and a team of eight, and was built inside New+Improved Ventures, the studio behind Tracksuit.
GonGlobal (Melbourne)
Melbourne’s GonGlobal raised $1.2 million: $500,000 from Innovation Victoria’s University Innovation Platform, a matching $500,000 from RMIT University and $200,000 from a private investor, Startup Daily reported. The company is developing OVULAIR, which delivers IVF medicines by inhalation instead of injection using RMIT’s patented HYDRA inhalation technology. Chief executive Ellen Gonda started the company after her own IVF experience left her feeling like “a human pin cushion”, according to Startup Daily. Her father, Dr Igor Gonda, is co-founder, executive chair and chief scientist.
Jack’s take
These are small cheques next to this year’s headlines, but every one of them is aimed at a specific problem people deal with: saving money, getting sick, getting noticed or getting through IVF. Pearler’s numbers stand out to me. Billions in holdings, most of it in ETFs, is a sign that boring, long term investing can build a real business.