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Sydney bars and clubs are celebrating the formal end of lockout laws, a suite of reforms designed to curb alcohol-fuelled violence that fundamentally changed the city's nightlife economy. The post “Bedtime is over” for Sydney businesses as 12-yea...

Apple is preparing a major overhaul of Siri, transforming the voice assistant into a conversational AI chatbot across iPhone, iPad and Mac The post Apple to give Siri a ChatGPT-style glow-up appeared first on SmartCompany.

The Paris-based organisation praised the government's efforts so far to take up the mantle on reform, citing work aimed at boosting competition and the energy transition. The post Spend less, reform taxes: OECD tells Chalmers appeared first on Sma...

Whether it’s been a slow start or a whirlwind arrival into 2026, the new year signals a time to reflect, reset and refine your business goals for the year ahead. The post ‘To discount or not discount’: How to map out a successful sales strategy fo...

Evaporating gender barriers, an influx of young buyers influenced by social media, and resilient spending on small luxuries are benefiting local businesses. The post Dollars and scents: Niche Australian perfume businesses are coming up roses appea...

Legal AI startup Ivo has raised $81 million in Series B funding, as demand grows for tools that help in-house teams review and manage contracts. The post New Zealand legal AI startup Ivo raises $81 million in Series B funding appeared first on Sma...

Dam Secure has raised $6.1 million to help enterprises catch security flaws in AI-generated code before it reaches production. The post Dam Secure raises $6.1 million to tackle AI code security risks appeared first on SmartCompany.

Sendle staff with deep knowledge of its operations feared for the business’ trajectory long before its merger with two US businesses and subsequent closure. The post Sendle insiders questioned US expansion and growth plans before merger appeared f...

The IMF still expects Australia's GDP to grow by 2.1% this calendar year and 2.2% in 2027, but noted it is "projected to see some drawn-out persistence in above-target inflation". The post IMF warns: “Disappointing outcomes” await if AI bubble bur...

While personal AI use boosted confidence, almost half of the workers surveyed said they wanted greater transparency and control of AI tools in the workplace and strict rules about security and privacy.  The post Aussies want workplaces to cat...

Gilmour Space has raised $217 million in a Series E round, lifting the Australian rocket maker to a $1 billion valuation. The post Gilmour Space hits unicorn status with $217 million Series E raise appeared first on SmartCompany.

OpenAI has finally confirmed ads for ChatGPT, which raises questions about trust, transparency and AI monetisation for e-commerce. The post Neural Notes: OpenAI’s move into ChatGPT ads was inevitable appeared first on SmartCompany.

Leadership, energy and decision-making don’t start at the office. Jessica Hatzis explains why personal systems matter as much as business ones for success. The post Run your life like a company and your business will thank you appeared first on Sm...

Omniscient’s proprietary platform Quicktome has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and is already in use at major hospitals and research institutions around the world. The post NRF leads $36 million raise for AI brain mappi...

Small business owners are slightly more confident they can identify AI-generated scams compared to everyday Australians, but both appear just as likely to fall for deepfakes. The post These deepfakes fooled SME owners. Can you tell the difference?...

This week Australian startups saw $55.75 million raised across the neuroscience fitness and deceased estate management spaces. The post Three Aussie startups that raised $55.8 million this week appeared first on SmartCompany.

ChatGPT Health is launching in Australia, raising new questions about regulation, data storage, accountability and AI’s role in healthcare. The post Neural Notes: ChatGPT Health’s Australian launch raises hard regulatory questions appeared first o...

After the early end to SXSW Sydney, the NSW Opposition is demanding answers and pushing for reinvestment into grassroots innovation. The post NSW Opposition demands answers on SXSW Sydney funds appeared first on SmartCompany.

This is not a Victorian story. The closure of LaunchVic is a national signal about risk, ambition, and whether the Commonwealth still underwrites the future. The post LaunchVic’s closure is a warning about Australia’s innovation future appeared fi...

Touch Ventures, which invested more than $36 million into Sendle over several years, wrote down the value of its stake to nil in the weeks before the logistics startup's abrupt closure. The post Sendle investor wrote holdings down to zero weeks be...