The most-read startup stories on SmartCompany in 2021

It’s been a year of big news and big numbers in the Aussie startups space, and our most-read startup stories of 2021 certainly reflect that.

The top startup story was a piece from Adam Scwab, unpacking why Canva is worth as much as it is — and why that valuation is only going to go up.

As it turns out, he was on the money, so to speak. Since we published this piece in April, Canva’s valuation has indeed shot up again from $19 billion to $55 billion.

It has also been another big year for crypto news, so a piece explaining why Bitcoin is so valuable also struck a chord with our readers.

Alas we also got your attention with a story about a period product, created and backed by men, to solve a problem that no woman wanted solved. Sigh.

As ever, however, our readers were also keen to read about the successes of local startups and tech companies.

Among our 10 most-read articles of the year are an interview with Zip’s Larry Diamond, a piece on Who Gives a Crap’s win for impact investment, and one on Octopus Deploy’s mammoth $223 million cash injection.

At the end of the year, we think all these stories are worth revisiting. After all, you lot have good taste.

You can also find the most-read stories across the whole of SmartCompany here, and the most read SmartCompany Plus pieces here.

The 10 most-read startup stories on SmartCompany in 2021

1. Canva will soon be worth more than Atlassian and Afterpay. Here’s why 
2. Arguably, Bitcoin serves none of the functions ‘money’ does, so why is it so valuable?
3. Pinky glove: The tampon removal glove created — and invested in — by men, in an “attempt to solve a problem that doesn’t exist”
4. For Zip and Afterpay, going public was about ensuring survival. What’s changed for startup founders today?
5. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to acquire digital bank Up in $116 million deal
6. Next-gen e-commerce startup Carted bags $13 million in seed funding, as co-founder Holly Cardew predicts the future of retail
7. Brisbane startup Octopus Deploy secures $223 million, after ten years of bootstrapped and profitable growth
8. Who Gives a Crap raises $41.5 million in a milestone moment for impact investment
9. Judo Bank reveals backers behind massive $284 million funding round, amid neobank competition concerns
10. From living room floor to $227 million listing: How Airtasker got to where it is today

Plus five stories from the archives that continue to resonate with readers

1. Four ways to identify more business opportunities
2. Top five government grants for startups
3. One year later: Disrupt Sports chief Gary Elphick on the real reason he went on Shark Tank
4. Five tips for dealing with impossibly tight deadlines
5. From raising $550,000 to appearing on Shark Tank: Recruitment startup iRecruit enters liquidation as founders focus on new venture