Two ANZ startups that raised $21 million this week

Two ANZ startups have raised a combined $21 million this week, with Superhero securing $20 million to fuel new products and AI-powered investing tools. New Zealand law enforcement startup Azonic also raised $1 million to expand its online crime intelligence platform.

Digital investing platform Superhero has raised $20 million of what it hopes will be a $30 million funding round, according to The Australian Financial Review (AFR).

The $20 million capital raise was led by Melbourne-based private equity and credit firm Salter Brothers, alongside a large family office in Europe and a small number of high-net-worth individuals, according to the report.

It values Superhero at $176 million, which is up from a post-money valuation of $150 million in June 2025.

The AFR cited an email sent to Superhero investors this week, which said the fintech’s valuation would climb to $186 million if it completes the full $30 million round.

Superhero’s digital share trading and superannuation platform is used by more than 450,000 investors, with around $4 billion in platform assets.

The company’s investors include Perennial Private and Regal Funds Management, as well as Zip co-founder Larry Diamond and Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar.

The new funding will reportedly go towards five new products, as Superhero looks to branch out into different forms of trading and AI-powered investing products.

A New Zealand law enforcement startup for online crime has raised NZ$1 million (AU$830,000) in a pre-seed round that values it at NZ$6.1 million (AU$5.05 million).

The round was led by Blackbird, with support from Antler and several founders, including Crimson Education CEO Jamie Beaton, Pushpay’s Eliot Crowther and Emerge’s Jovan Pavlicevic.

Azonic is building an intelligence platform for law enforcement and intelligence agencies investigating online crime, bringing reports, case files and intelligence that typically sit across separate systems into a single platform.

Its software includes a “virtual analyst” designed to work alongside investigators, running down leads, connecting current investigations with previous cases and drafting material required to progress cases.

Investigators in Australia, New Zealand and the US are already using the platform.

CEO Caden Scott and CTO Thomas Holdom founded Azonic this year.

Scott previously founded the International Online Crime Coordination Center (IOC3), a non-profit connecting law enforcement agencies with major online platforms to combat online crime, while Holdom worked on AI systems.

The startup has also added former CIA and Palantir executive Michael Hurley and Brad Brekke, founding director of the FBI’s Office of the Private Sector, to its advisory board.

The startup is targeting areas including child sexual exploitation, sextortion, fraud and violent extremism.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly included a funding round from Pay.com.au.

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