Puralink has successfully closed a $2.3 million oversubscribed seed funding round, accelerating the commercialisation of its groundbreaking autonomous pipe inspection robot, Ferret.
The round was led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia’s APAC seed fund), with additional participation from Startmate, Side Stage Ventures, NZ VC, and Wollemi Capital Group, the family office of Robyn and Victoria Denholm. Notably, angel investors from Australian success stories Deputy and Four Pillars Gin, as well as professional basketball player Matthew Dellavedova, also contributed.
“The Startmate team just visited Puralink’s new Surry Hills office post-raise and it was a reminder of the possibility we saw when we first invested. Only now, it’s real,” said Michael Batko, CEO of Startmate.
Side Stage Ventures partner Markus Kahlbetzer praised the team’s innovation as “world-class,” adding:
“Their robotics technology enables service providers to deliver superior outcomes across ageing water networks that are difficult and costly to access. We backed an exceptional team tackling a complex global challenge with a solution that promises significant long-term value.”
Puralink was supported early in its journey by the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer and in 2024 joined the NSW Deep Tech Commercialisation Training Program’s Fast Start cohort, delivered by Cicada Innovations.
With pipes in Australia as its first challenge, Puralink is eyeing a global market opportunity. The team, now rapidly growing, is determined to redefine how critical infrastructure challenges are solved using robotics.
“We’ve assembled and brought on the Avengers of investors,” said co-founder Delnawaz, reflecting the strong support behind the company’s mission.
We look forward to seeing where their innovation journey takes them next.
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