Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs.
Below are snippets of all the media releases we received from Nov 3 till the end of the week.
This article updates throughout the week.
LLV Backs INCREASE
Indonesia, Nov 3: Living Lab Ventures (LLV), the corporate venture arm of Sinar Mas Land, announced a strategic investment in INCREASE Laboratorium Indonesia to expand operations, strengthen research outcomes, and accelerate the company’s global network. The move comes as Indonesia’s CRO market is projected to reach USD 1 billion by 2030 at a 10.6% CAGR, according to 6Wresearch.
Headquartered in the Biomedical Campus within the D-HUB Special Economic Zone in BSD City, INCREASE provides end-to-end clinical research services spanning study design, execution, regulatory affairs, and clinical/bioanalytical testing. It is pursuing CAP, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 17025:2017, and ISO 15189:2022 certifications.
INCREASE has partnerships with Tsinghua University (China) and The University of Osaka (Japan) covering joint research, technology transfer, and talent development. Current projects involve clients in Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and China.
“As demand grows for healthier, longer lives, the health sector is becoming central to future development,” said Mulyawan Gani, CEO of Digital Business at Sinar Mas Land. “We are honored to receive LLV’s trust and investment,” added dr. Robby Hertanto, CEO of INCREASE. Bayu Seto, Partner at LLV, said the investment will help catalyze Indonesia’s clinical research ecosystem and attract global partners.
Tonga Port Upgrade
Sydney, Nov 4: Haskoning and McConnell Dowell have completed a USD$70 million upgrade of Tonga’s Queen Sālote International Wharf—one of the country’s largest-ever infrastructure investments—delivered with the Tongan government, Ministry of Infrastructure, and Ports Authority, and funded by the Asian Development Bank and Australia’s AIFFP. The modernised, climate-resilient facility now accommodates vessels up to 220 m, targets 45,000 TEU annually, and more than doubles operational efficiency.
“Every shipment of food, medicine, and goods passes through this port. By combining innovation, collaboration, and local partnership, we’re helping Tonga secure its maritime future and strengthen its connection to the world. Despite the challenges of Hunga Tonga- Hunga Ha’apai Eruption, Cyclone Tino and Harold, a global pandemic and supply chain disruptions, the project was completed on time and within budget,” said David Perbey, Business Development Director Australia, New Zealand and Pacific at Haskoning.
The project rebuilt and extended key wharf sections, prioritized local jobs (80% of workforce; 11% female), surpassed one million work hours with no Lost Time Injury, and delivered 3,000+ training hours. Environmental measures diverted 85% of waste from landfill, recycled 126 t of steel and 11 t of waste oil, and repurposed 2,160 t of concrete into erosion-protection rock bags.
“People were central to the success of the project. Eighty per cent of the workforce was from the local community, and it was pleasing to be able to achieve an eleven per cent female employment rate. Just this month we passed one million work hours without a single Lost Time Injury. The team completed more than 3,000 hours of training developing new skills and earning qualifications, which provide long term benefits for Tonga,” said Fraser Wyllie, McConnell Dowell’s Managing Director New Zealand and the Pacific.
“Delivering world-class infrastructure with the support of the local community has been incredibly rewarding. McConnell Dowell’s purpose is to provide a better life for people, and this project is a stellar example of what can be achieved when we work together,” said Wyllie.
Hullbot Raises $16m
Sydney, Nov 4: Australian ocean robotics firm Hullbot has secured AUD $16 million in Series A funding led by Regeneration.VC, joined by Katapult Ocean, Climate Tech Partners, Folklore Ventures, Trinity Ventures, Rypples, NewSouth Innovations, Artesian, and Impact Ventures/Ocean Impact Collective, to scale production, develop larger robotic systems, and expand international service hubs. The Sydney-founded company designs autonomous robots that proactively clean and inspect ship hulls—delivering average fuel savings of 15% (up to 26%)—with over 1,000 cleans completed across ferry, commercial shipping and fishing operations, and more than 82 vessels serviced in the US, EU and APAC. Customers include Sydney Ferries, with operations established in the US, Mexico, Europe, Singapore and Australia. Hullbot also won Australia’s top design honour, the Good Design Award of the Year—plus Gold and Best in Class for Commercial & Industrial Product Design—beating brands such as Tesla, Hyundai and Polestar. The raise comes as shipping emits ~1 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually and biofouling can drive >20% fuel overuse.
“We are committed to showing how Australian innovation can take on one of the world’s hardest-to-abate sectors,” said Tom Loefler, Founder and CEO of Hullbot. “Hullbot sits at the intersection of shipping efficiency, decarbonisation, and ocean health. This raise allows us to take that impact to the next level.”
“Tom Loefler struck us as someone uniquely placed to address this unsolved problem, alongside the highly technical team he has assembled. Folklore is proud to partner with Tom and the Hullbot team, as they continue to see strong traction with major marine customers globally.” — Alister Coleman, Partner, Folklore Ventures
“I’m blown away by this team of mariners, roboticists, and software engineers,” shared Destana Herring, Principal at Regeneration.VC. “This is ingenious technology ripe with commercial proof at a critical inflection point for international maritime. We see a validated multi-billion-dollar opportunity to decarbonise world-leading fleets.”
“Hullbot has a unique value proposition which leverages the strengths of its robotics with a laser focus on its customers’ problem,” said Ross Brooks, General Partner at Katapult Ocean.
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