According to The Australian Financial Review, from workplace inspection software SafetyCulture to online education platform Go1, a growing list of Australian start-ups are cracking the billion-dollar valuation and becoming fully fledged unicorns as they do.
One that has gone under the radar, until now, is Melbourne-based Helfie AI, which is working on software that will be able to screen for skin cancer and COVID-19 through a smartphone app.
Several sources close to the healthcare start-up say it is gearing up for discussions with local and international investors and hoping to raise more than $US100 million ($150 million) and up to $300 million, giving it a valuation of about $US1 billion even before its consumer-facing product is on market.

https://www.afr.com/street-talk/australian-health-start-up-chases-1-5b-valuation-with-testing-app-20240915-p5kaof

According to The Australian Financial Review, Melbourne-based developer Jinding is hoping to leverage off rising demand and an undersupply of housing in regional areas after snapping up three sites in Victoria and one at Mount Barker on the outskirts of Adelaide for about $70 million.
These four projects are expected to yield almost 2000 housing lots with an end value of nearly $700 million.
Jinding joins Victorian developers such as Wel.Co and Villawood, which have been diversifying their portfolios away from Melbourne and targeting regional hubs with strong economies and where housing remains relatively affordable compared to the capital cities.

https://www.afr.com/property/residential/melbourne-developer-snaps-up-regional-sites-with-plans-for-2000-homes-20240925-p5kddl

According to the Asahi Shimbun, daily inspections of oil refining and chemical synthesis plants are manpower intensive. NBK Marketing (Tokyo), based in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, is working on a service that enables remote monitoring using IoT cameras connected to the internet and AI, in an attempt to reduce the burden by digitising the work. The aim is to ‘free people from simple labour’.
Until now, the cost of digitising plants has been a bottleneck, as it involves large-scale construction work. Even replacing analogue gauges with digital smart gauges requires power supply, wiring and installation work, and plant operation may have to be stopped for the duration of the work.
This is why the company turned its attention to a cloud service using IoT cameras. Figures displayed by analogue gauges, such as the remaining gas tank volume or flow rate in pipes, are captured by an IoT camera and the image is transmitted, which is then read by AI and converted into a numerical value. The system allows personnel to carry out routine inspections simply by checking the images and numerical data on a PC or smartphone.
The system was developed by LiLz Gauge, a venture company based in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Mr Okamoto sympathised with the company's concept of ‘making on-site work easier by fusing machine learning and IoT technologies’, which led to NBK Marketing coming forward as a sales agent, and he has been in charge of sales since the initial launch in July 2020.
To date, 5,300 cameras have been installed at 400 business sites across the country in Japan. Major companies such as the Mitsubishi Chemical Group and Takara Shuzo have also introduced the system.

https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASS9R3DBZS9RONFB00KM.html
 

According to the Asahi Shimbun, the development and production of a ‘catalyst’, which is essential for the generation of decarbonised energy, is being accelerated in Japan.
Synthetic methane is expected to be an alternative fuel to oil and natural gas. It is produced by reacting hydrogen with carbon dioxide (CO2), so the CO2 emitted during methane combustion is offset, making it a ‘carbon-neutral fuel’ that does not increase CO2 in the atmosphere.
The development of a substance (catalyst) useful for efficiently producing this synthetic methane and hydrogen is underway at the Yamaji Plant of Itochu Ceratec (ICC) in Seto City, Japan.
This year, ICC developed a new catalyst that promotes the production of synthetic methane at 350°C, which is 10-20% lower than conventional products. The new catalyst will enable the efficient production of synthetic methane while reducing the energy costs of applying heat.

https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASS9M0HM5S9MULFA01NM.html
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, the Albanese government has approved two small gas projects off the coast of Victoria, as the ACCC warned that a supply buffer has shrunk due to more gas being shipped overseas.
The competition watchdog’s latest gas inquiry report said the projected gas surplus on the east coast had shrunk for the first quarter of next year, raising the possibility of Queensland LNG exporters needing to divert more uncontracted gas to the domestic market.
The gas supply surplus in the east coast market is forecast to be between 12 and 27 petajoules in the first three months of 2025, down from the predicted surplus of 26 to 35 petajoules outlined in June.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/new-gas-projects-approved-but-supply-buffer-shrinks-20240927-p5ke2e
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, researchers in Japan say they developed a highly accurate method to detect early signs of pancreatic cancer using artificial intelligence (AI).
This form of cancer invariably proves fatal because it is notoriously difficult to detect in the initial stages, and there is no effective treatment once it has taken hold.
A team from Kyoto University and medical equipment maker Arkray Inc. in Kyoto developed a tumor identification model via automated machine learning.
“It offers a novel way to find pancreas cancer earlier without causing much damage to the body,” said team member Akihisa Fukuda, an associate professor of gastroenterology at Kyoto University.
The next step for the researchers is to verify the effectiveness of the method on a more widespread scale so they can seek government approval to put the innovative test technique into clinical use.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15406618

According to The Australian Financial Review, Build-to-rent apartments comprise more than half of the forecast apartment supply coming into the Melbourne market in the next three years, despite commanding a premium of up to 26 per cent over the higher-end rental properties, property advisory firm Charter Keck Cramer says.
According to Charter Keck Cramer national executive director Richard Temlett, build-to-rent developers are in a better position to deliver supply compared with their peers developing build-to-sell projects.
“Build-to-rent developers don’t need pre-sales to get funding, unlike those developing to sell, so they can deliver supply faster, although they would need to prove the viability of their projects to be able to raise capital,” he said.
“While the strong rental demand will support the case for build-to-rent projects, lowering costs such as the tax imposed on foreign investors will speed up the delivery.”
The supply of build-to-rent apartments in Melbourne is expected to increase, with 4650 to be completed in the next 12 months. An average of 4100 annually is forecast in the subsequent three years, according to Charter Keck Cramer.

https://www.afr.com/property/residential/build-to-rent-apartments-to-dominate-melbourne-in-the-next-three-years-20240917-p5kb4z
 

According to The Jiji News, an organization jointly established by Jiji Press, The Japan Times Ltd. and others started accepting applications for the Traditional Japanese Culture Test, which will be held for the first time from November.
The test aims to support and develop Japan's traditional culture and industry through education. Applicants who score 70 pct or over will pass the test and receive a certificate.

https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/35612

According to The Jiji news, Lawson Inc. and its owners, major trading house Mitsubishi Corp. and telecomuniations carrier KDDI Corp., said that they will open "future" convenience stores utilizing digital technology in Tokyo next spring.
The new stores, located in the Takanawa Gateway City complex in Tokyo's Minato Ward, will feature robots that can stock shelves and cook, as well as artificial intelligence signage that recommends products to customers. A booth will also be set up where customers can consult remotely on topics such as nursing care and asset management.

https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/35569

According to The Australian Financial Review, Rio Tinto has bought 3000 hectares of grazing land near Townsville on which it plans to grow thousands of trees as the iron ore major pushes into carbon-neutral fuels.
About 750,000 pongamia trees will be planted on the property under a plan to harvest the seeds and refine their oils into a form of renewable diesel to power Rio’s trucks and generators. Rio believes carbon-neutral biofuels will play an important role in curbing emissions in the next decade, given the development of battery-powered mining equipment is expected to take longer than expected.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/rio-tinto-moves-into-green-oil-20240909-p5k94z