News In Brief

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 April 13 till the end of the week.
This article updates throughout the week

Co-Living Rises

Sydney, April 13: About 4.1 million Australians have moved in with someone or stayed in a shared living arrangement over the past year to save money, according to new research from Finder.
A survey of 1,011 respondents found 19% had turned to co-living for financial reasons, with parents or grandparents the most common option at 10%, followed by siblings at 7%, friends at 4% and ex-partners at 3%.
Finder said the trend was most common among younger Australians and in Victoria, where 33% reported shacking up to cut accommodation costs. That compared with 16% in Queensland, 15% in NSW, 14% in WA and 11% in South Australia.
Taylor Blackburn, personal finance specialist at Finder, said more Australians were being forced into difficult trade-offs to maintain housing security.
“Between soaring rents, rising interest rates and general cost-of-living pressures, the ability to live alone is slipping out of reach for many.”
“Unconventional living arrangements are fast becoming the norm as financial pressures leave Australians with little choice but to prioritise affordability over comfort.”

Rally Safety Upgrade

Jakarta, April 13: TransTRACK has again supported the Indonesian Motor Association at the 2026 North Sumatra Sprint Rally, bringing its locally developed Rally Tracking System to improve real-time vehicle monitoring and on-track safety.
The system allows organisers to track rally cars every second and includes emergency buttons such as SOS, Fire and Blocked Road alerts to help speed up responses to incidents. TransTRACK first introduced the technology at the 2024 North Sumatra Rally and has continued developing it for motorsport use.
Anggia Meisesari, Founder and CEO of TransTRACK, said, “Since we first introduced this technology in 2024, we have continuously developed it to meet the increasingly complex needs of the motorsport industry. Our commitment is to provide technology-based solutions that not only increase efficiency but also ensure the safety of all participants is a top priority.”
Race leader Poedio Oetojo said the technology marked a significant step forward for rally safety in Indonesia.

ACCC Probes Black Friday

Perth, April 14: The ACCC is investigating several retailers over potentially misleading advertising during last year’s Black Friday sales, after a sweep found about half of 50 retailers reviewed had made concerning claims. Issues identified included inaccurate countdown timers, ‘sitewide’ sale claims with hidden exclusions, and fine-print disclaimers that may have misled shoppers.
“We are concerned that retailers appear to be increasingly relying on tactics that manipulate consumers by creating a false sense of urgency that they will miss out on a discount if they don’t buy the product now,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
The regulator said it had launched several investigations following the 2025 sales sweep and would take enforcement action where conduct was found to breach Australian Consumer Law.
The ACCC also noted it had already taken action after its 2024 sweep, with Michael Hill, MyHouse and Hairhouse Online paying penalties over misleading ‘sitewide’ sales claims.
“Retailers have an obligation under the Australian Consumer Law to not mislead consumers. We will continue to prioritise taking action against unlawful conduct that seeks to take advantage of consumers during sales events,” Lowe said.

Choco Up Secures Facility

Singapore, April 14: Choco Up has launched a US$30 million private credit facility from CHUAN to provide faster financing for small and medium-sized enterprises across the Asia Pacific, as businesses face tighter cash flow and growing funding pressure.
The company said the facility was designed to help SMEs access working capital more quickly, with approvals possible in as little as a few hours, compared with traditional lending timelines that can stretch to months. The first drawdown from the facility has already been completed.
“SMEs today don’t just need access to capital. They need financing that keeps pace with how their businesses operate,” said Percy Hung, CEO and Founder of Choco Up. “We’re excited to partner with CHUAN to provide disciplined, transparent, and carefully managed capital, helping businesses continue to grow and innovate even when traditional lending options are limited.”
CHUAN said the partnership would also give capital providers near real-time visibility into the performance of underlying assets, while improving access to diversified credit opportunities in the digital economy.
“This partnership is also central to CHUAN’s strategy of curating a network of proven tech partners, providing global investors with access to diversified credit assets with attractive yields that have largely been untapped by the capital markets,” added Lin Tun, Founding Partner and Chief Investment Officer of CHUAN. “By combining our tech-driven approach with Choco Up’s expertise in SME financing, we can deliver scalable, transparent, and responsible working capital solutions that create meaningful impact among SMEs regionally .”

APAC Leaders Confident On AI

Sydney, April 14: APAC leaders are confident in managing artificial intelligence and cybersecurity risks, but less assured about succession planning and governance readiness, according to a new survey by Heidrick & Struggles.
The 2026 CEO & Board Confidence Monitor found 44% of respondents identified artificial intelligence as a key issue for 2026, while 39% cited cybersecurity risk, higher than the 31% global average. Despite this, 50% said they were confident in managing AI and 55% expressed confidence in handling cybersecurity risks.
“The breadth of what is landing on leadership agendas across APAC right now is significant. The real test for leaders is carrying the weight of today’s volatility while simultaneously transforming for what comes next,” said Jiat-Hui Wu, Partner-in-Charge at Heidrick & Struggles Singapore. “Technology is reshaping organisations faster than governance structures can keep pace with. The leaders who will define this region’s next chapter are those who can steer through current pressures without losing sight of where they need to take their organisations tomorrow.”
However, only 54% of respondents said they were confident in CEO succession planning, highlighting gaps in governance structures as organisations prepare for future leadership transitions.

Deputy Expands Team

Sydney, April 15: Deputy has appointed Alex Concannon as Vice President, Global Marketing, and Conor O’Sullivan as Creative Director, as it strengthens its global marketing function and pushes further into AI-powered workforce management for shift-based industries.
Concannon joins from Valiant Finance and previously held a senior growth role at Employment Hero, while O’Sullivan has led brand teams at Finder and Dext. Both will help build Deputy’s in-house global marketing operation as the company enters its next phase of growth.
“There is a clear difference in how AI is showing up for frontline workers compared to white-collar environments,” said Emma Seymour, Chief Financial Officer. “The opportunity now is to clearly communicate that difference.”
“There is a lot of noise around AI, but much of the conversation is centred on knowledge work,” said Concannon. “Deputy has built a strong product and continues to evolve its offering, but there is an opportunity to sharpen how that story is told.”

Figma Rebrands Weave

Sydney, April 15: Figma has reintroduced Weavy as Figma Weave, a visual canvas that combines leading AI models with professional editing tools for creative production, alongside more than 20 new workflow templates for imagery, video, audio and 3D assets.
The company said customers including DoorDash, Lyft and NVIDIA are already using Figma Weave. Lyft used it to turn a brand photoshoot into a scalable content system, while NVIDIA used it to create a cinematic robot scene for a CES keynote.
“Figma Weave exists because we saw a need for a new paradigm in media production—one where you can combine AI models, shape every step, and scale your process, with the speed of AI and the standards of a professional workflow,” shared Itay Schiff, Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer, Figma Weave. “We’re excited to bring Weave to more Figma users, and I can’t wait to see what our community creates next.”
Figma said select users will receive 1,000 Weave credits to explore its generative AI features, with a full integration into the broader Figma platform expected later this year.

TransTRACK Eyes Expansion

Jakarta, April 15: TransTRACK is accelerating its expansion across Southeast Asia and the Middle East as the fleet intelligence company looks to strengthen its position in logistics and supply chain technology.
The company said it is targeting further growth in Vietnam and Thailand, as well as Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, after expanding into markets including Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
It currently serves more than 1,500 clients and has been named one of Southeast Asia’s three largest fleet management solution providers for two consecutive years by Berg Insight.
The Jakarta-based company said rising demand for operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and ESG reporting is driving adoption of fleet technology.
It offers an integrated platform using IoT, AI, robotics and data analytics to provide real-time visibility and control over fleets and assets across the supply chain.

Jobs Steady, AI Gap

Perth, April 15: Australia’s labour market remained stable in March, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.3 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Employment rose by 18,000 while unemployment fell by 4,000, with gains driven by full-time roles despite a drop in part-time work. Hours worked also increased by 0.5 per cent, reflecting stronger full-time activity.
Sean Crick, ABS head of labour statistics, said: “The number of employed people rose by 18,000 and the number of unemployed people fell by 4,000 in March. ‘The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3 per cent, whilst the participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 66.8 per cent. ‘Growth in employment was driven by full-time workers, which rose by 53,000 people in March. This was partly offset by a fall in part-time employment of 35,000 people.’”
At the same time, new research from Amplitude highlights a growing divide in how Australians use and trust artificial intelligence at work, with younger employees adopting AI tools far more frequently than senior leaders. The study suggests weak leadership direction is limiting AI’s impact and slowing skills development across organisations.
“The age-based discrepancy in trust around AI means senior decision-makers may inadvertently downplay its potential, limiting the value organisations derive from these tools,” said Mark Drasutis, Head of Value, Asia Pacific and Japan, Amplitude.
“Without strategic implementation, AI is more likely to fall short of its goals. At a national level, this generational trust gap risks creating a structural adoption ceiling that restricts skills development and exacerbates Australia’s existing AI skills shortage.”

Prince Harry Talks Workplace Wellness

Melbourne, April 16: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, delivered a keynote address on workplace wellness at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne, where he also took part in a Q&A moderated by The Hon. Brendan Nelson AO. His appearance focused on the importance of psychologically safe, supportive and high-performing workplaces.
Held over two days, the summit brought together more than 18 Australian and international leaders to discuss workplace governance, culture, psychosocial safety and the pressures facing modern organisations.
All ticket proceeds from the event will go to Lifeline Narrm to help fund critical support services in Melbourne.

TeamViewer Expands OT Tools

Sydney, April 17: TeamViewer has introduced new enhancements to its Agentless Access and Assist AR solutions at Hannover Messe, targeting operational efficiency in industrial digital transformation. The updates are aimed at reducing downtime, improving security and helping manufacturers manage increasingly complex OT and IT environments.
In partnership with Bechtle, TeamViewer is showcasing a pre-configured secure access gateway hardware for its Agentless Access platform, allowing plug-and-play deployment of remote access and endpoint management across industrial systems. A new release also adds broader protocol support, enabling secure access to legacy systems such as Windows XP without exposing them directly to the internet.
TeamViewer is also adding an AI-powered extension to its Assist AR solution, combining augmented reality with its AI agent Tia and proprietary knowledge graph. The feature provides real-time suggestions during live video calls based on how similar issues were resolved in the past, helping industrial service teams troubleshoot problems faster and more consistently.
“Manufacturing companies who are accelerating their AI-driven transformation and modernise operations while keeping complexity and risk in check will stay ahead of the curve and competition. Together with strong partners like Bechtle, we focus on making secure access and AI assistance an integral part of everyday industrial workflows, so that innovation can scale across even highly heterogeneous and brownfield environments.”

Singles Hit by Living Costs

Sydney, April 17: Single Australians are facing higher living costs and lower savings compared to couples, according to a new report by Finder.
The Finder Singles Tax Report 2026 highlights the financial disadvantages of navigating life on a single income, from housing to everyday expenses.
The report found that singles have significantly lower savings, averaging $30,932 compared to $50,192 for those in a relationship. Monthly savings also lag, with singles putting away $651 compared to $1,086 for couples, leaving them less financially resilient.
Property affordability is also a major challenge, with only 31% of Australian suburbs considered affordable for a single income without mortgage stress.
Rising deposit requirements and borrowing limits are making it harder for solo buyers to enter the market.
“Many everyday expenses don’t scale down for one person, meaning singles often pay more per person just to maintain the same standard of living as couples. Those living alone are facing higher per-person costs, lower savings and a reduced ability to absorb everyday expenses.”
The report also found a gap in wellbeing, with 61% of singles reporting they feel happy compared to 82% of those in relationships, highlighting the broader social and financial impact of living alone.

UniSuper Appoints Scott Henderson

Sydney, April 17: UniSuper has appointed Scott Henderson as an Employer Representative Director on its board, following the conclusion of Nicole Gower’s term. The fund said the appointment strengthens its governance with deep experience across capital markets, infrastructure and higher education.
Henderson is currently Vice-President (Corporate Services) at Edith Cowan University, where he oversees finance, IT, facilities and commercial operations. He also serves as Accountable Executive for the university’s City Campus Program and is a director of ECU Holdings Pty Ltd.
His previous roles include chief executive and managing director positions at SkyWest Airlines, Harvey Beef, Netball WA and West Coast Fever. Earlier in his career, he served in the Royal Australian Navy and held strategy roles at Andersen Consulting and United Airlines, alongside board positions across public, private and not-for-profit organisations.
“We are delighted to welcome Scott Henderson to the UniSuper Board. His direct experience in capital markets, large-scale infrastructure investment and higher education governance makes him a strong addition to the board. We look forward to the contribution he will make to the fund’s continued focus on delivering great retirement outcomes for members.”
“I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of Nicole Gower over more than eight years on UniSuper’s board, Nicole’s contributions were invaluable over this time and on behalf of the board I thank Nicole Gower for her exemplary service.”