Business

Business news from Australia and around the world: companies, deals, earnings, regulation and the people running them.

1822 articles · page 16 of 38

Startups

Five startups reach Startup Battlefield finals at Disrupt 2026

TechCrunch has named the five finalists who will compete in the Startup Battlefield finals at Disrupt 2026, following two days of pitches from 20 startups. The finalists span space and physical AI, energy and manufacturing, health tech and life sciences, and enterprise and security, working on everything from miniature human organs to fighting scams to computing in space. The winner, chosen by a new panel of expert judges on Thursday, will receive the Startup Battlefield Cup and $100,000, equity-free.

· 2 sources
Startups

CedarDB launches cloud database that unifies transactions and analytics as AI agents gain traction

CedarDB, a Munich-based database engine spun out of the Technical University of Munich, has announced limited availability of its cloud offering, CedarDB Cloud, at the TechCrunch Disrupt startup competition. The database, built on the research project Umbra, is designed to handle both transactional and analytical workloads, a capability cofounder and CEO Moritz Sichert said has gained new relevance with the rise of agentic AI.

· 2 sources
Business

The reclusive billionaire heiress whose fortune keeps growing: Sandra Ortega's quiet life and looming inheritance

Sandra Ortega, Spain's wealthiest woman, lives a deeply private life in the small coastal town of Oleiros in northwestern Spain, yet her fortune continues to swell. The 58-year-old holds a 5.05 percent stake in Inditex, the world's biggest fashion retailer and owner of Zara, valued at about €8.5 billion ($13.7 billion). With her 90-year-old father, founder Amancio Ortega, estimated to be worth about $US127 billion ($182.2 billion), her inheritance is expected to grow substantially under Spanish law, which guarantees at least a quarter of his estate to his descendants. That could hand Sandra, her half-sister Marta and her brother Marcos a minimum of $US10.6 billion each, potentially reshaping the ownership dynamics of the retail giant.

· 3 sources
Business

OpenAI London staff pocket average of £2.3m each as AI talent war heats up

OpenAI's London staff received an average compensation package of £2.3 million per person in 2025, according to newly filed accounts, as the San Francisco-based company poured Premier League-level salaries into its bid to dominate the global AI race. The figures highlight the escalating cost of attracting and retaining top AI talent, with the average package more than doubling from £1.1 million the previous year.

· 2 sources
Business

40 state attorneys general seek data protections in Character.AI bankruptcy sale

A bipartisan coalition of 40 state attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, has filed a notice of interest in the bankruptcy case of Character.AI, seeking to ensure protections are in place for consumer data as the company sells assets to Disney. The filing puts all parties on notice of regulatory issues that must be addressed in any sale or transfer of the chatbot startup's business or assets.

Business

Record 11.5 million Australian adults now invest outside super, ASX survey finds

A record 11.5 million Australian adults now hold investments outside their superannuation and main home, representing 54 per cent of the adult population, according to the ASX Australian Investor Study 2026. The survey of roughly 4,500 people found 2.5 million Australians have joined the investor population since 2020, with younger investors aged 18 to 29 making up 21 per cent of all investors.

· 2 sources
Business

US inflation accelerates to 3.7%, sending Wall Street lower and ASX futures down

Wall Street slumped and Australian sharemarket futures pointed lower after a US inflation report showed consumer prices rose 3.7 per cent in September from a year earlier, accelerating from August's 3.4 per cent rate and exceeding economists' expectations of 3.6 per cent. The S&P 500 fell 1.1 per cent, its fifth loss in six days since setting an all-time high, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 171 points (0.3 per cent) and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.6 per cent.

· 6 sources
Startups

Prismm builds estate planning into bank accounts to keep inherited money in house

Prismm, a startup founded by sisters Martha Underwood and Shella Sylla, is helping banks keep families' money in house after an account holder dies by building beneficiary and estate planning into accounts from day one. The company presented its mission on the Startup Battlefield stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, aiming to digitize what the founders describe as a largely manual process.

· 2 sources
Business

Done family took £30m dividend from Betfred before warning of job cuts over tax rise

The billionaire Done family has taken a £30m interim dividend from Betfred’s strong performance before warning that thousands of jobs would be lost if the government doubles tax on high-street slot machines. Chancellor John Healey is understood to be considering proposals to increase machine games duty from 20% to 40% in the upcoming budget, a move the Social Market Foundation thinktank estimates could raise up to £460m for the Treasury.

· 2 sources
Business

UK energy secretary explores ‘rising block tariff’ to ease household bills

UK energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is actively exploring a “rising block tariff” (RBT) that would give every household an initial block of cheaper gas and electricity to cover “essential” use, then charge higher rates for additional units. The move comes as industry projections point to an annual increase of around £400 in bills this January, and as the government prepares a £1bn support package for poorer households.

Business

Traders pile into 'bubble puts' on CoreWeave as AI debt selloff deepens

Options traders piled into their most bearish bets yet on CoreWeave on Wednesday, buying nearly 200,000 puts as the Nvidia-backed cloud company's shares plunged and its bonds traded at yields approaching 15 percent. One fresh $1.9 million trade, in contracts that pay off only if the stock falls another 42 percent, was described by a market watcher as a "bubble put" hedge on the center of the artificial intelligence trade.

· 3 sources
Business

Michelin Guide crowns 11 South Australian restaurants with first Australian stars

South Australia has become the first Australian destination to feature in the Michelin Guide, with 11 restaurants awarded stars at a ceremony in Adelaide on Wednesday evening. Magill Estate Restaurant, at the foot of the Adelaide Hills, received the night's only two-star honour, while ten other venues across the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills each took one star.

· 7 sources
Business

Heathrow third runway plan risks 'ghost town' if unaffordable, MPs warned

MPs have been warned that Heathrow Airport could become a “ghost town” if the government presses ahead with a third runway scheme that proves unaffordable for airlines. The warning came during a Commons Transport Committee hearing on Wednesday examining two competing proposals: a £33 billion plan from Heathrow Airport itself and a cheaper alternative from Heathrow West, a subsidiary of the Arora Group.