DJAARA, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, has bought the Yung Balug Museum and its associated Cultural Heritage site at Boort. The site is an important cultural landmark for Dja Dja Wurrung People and the wider community. Its unique collection of cultural items and its role in sharing knowledge, stories and history were considered before the acquisition. The purchase will allow the place to be cared for, protected and developed under Dja Dja Wurrung stewardship.
Bose has acquired headphone brand Skullcandy from a fund managed by Mill Road Capital, though the price has not been disclosed. Skullcandy will remain a separate brand within Bose's Premium Consumer Audio business and stay based in Park City, Utah. The two companies have already worked together on products such as the Crusher 1080 ANC headphones, which combine Skullcandy's bass with Bose noise cancellation. Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow has said the brand is stronger at community building than engineering, and says its sound has improved.
Audio company Bose has announced it is buying Skullcandy, the lifestyle brand known for bass-heavy headphones. Skullcandy will operate as a separate company within Bose's premium consumer audio business and stay based in Park City, Utah. The two firms have already worked together since 2025 on earbuds and headphones, with Bose providing audio engineering. Bose chief executive Lila Snyder said Skullcandy gives access to a customer group the Bose brand has largely missed. Skullcandy's products are also more affordable than most Bose products.
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OpenAI has acquired Orchestra Bio, a four-year-old AI biotech software startup, the company announced on its website. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Orchestra builds AI agents that help biotech companies manage drug discovery operations, from tracking finances to resolving clinical trial scheduling problems. OpenAI says it is adding the Orchestra team and technology to Rosalind, its AI model for life sciences research, and to the Rosalind Workbench tool that helps researchers plan experiments and analyse results. OpenAI says Moderna and Novo Nordisk are among its Rosalind customers.
Atmos Renewables has acquired the proposed Bullawah Wind Farm near Hay from BayWa r.e., taking control of the major South West Renewable Energy Zone project. The development, about 40 kilometres south-east of Hay, plans 141 wind turbines producing around 800 megawatts and a 359-megawatt battery storage system. Construction could create up to 380 local jobs. Atmos has said it will honour existing landowner and community agreements, and aims to make the project investment-ready by 2027. The deal also includes the Yatpool Solar Farm near Mildura and the Hughenden Solar Farm in central Queensland.
Character.AI has declared bankruptcy as part of a deal with Disney. The agreement allows Disney to hire most of Character.AI's staff, including its former CEO Karandeep Anand, and potentially acquire much of its technology. The bankruptcy aims to resolve ongoing legal battles while maximizing the value of Character.AI's assets. Disney has agreed to pay $12.5 million if the deal is approved, with the bankruptcy proceedings set to clarify that Character.AI remains responsible for its liabilities.
Suncorp Bank customers face potential mortgage repayment increases following ANZ's acquisition. The bank notified borrowers that minimum repayments may rise by hundreds of dollars due to policy differences between the institutions. ANZ's approach to calculating repayments differs from Suncorp's, potentially impacting customers who have made advance payments. Suncorp CEO Malcolm Stedman assured most customers will see no change, but those with extra repayments could face higher minimum payments if no action is taken. Consumer advocates argue for stronger protections in the mortgage market to prevent such surprises.
Disney has agreed to offer jobs to at least 60 employees of chatbot startup Character.AI, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this week. A legal filing reported by Bloomberg says the offers would cover most of the workforce, with an estimated $60 million in annual pay. The filing says the vast majority of those offered positions have accepted them. The deal is a stalking horse bid, meaning another company could still make a higher offer. Character.AI has been affected by high costs and potential litigation and regulatory issues, according to the filing.
An inquiry into controlled activity orders has found that Access Canberra wanted to terminate the Big Splash lease at the start of the year, but legislation blocked it. Access Canberra head Josh Rynehart said acquiring the property would likely not meet just terms under the Self-Government Act, so termination was not viable. Big Splash holds a permissive lease, which restricts land use without requiring specific purposes. A review of Access Canberra's powers and penalties is underway. Planning Minister Chris Steel opposes acquisition, saying it would reward bad behaviour.
Apple has agreed to hire staff and license technology from personalized audio startup Huxe, which recently shut down. The tech giant disclosed the deal to the European Commission, revealing it will offer jobs to some Huxe employees and obtain a non-exclusive license to the startup's intellectual property. Huxe announced its closure on May 21, citing plans to move on to new projects. The filing did not disclose Apple's specific plans for the acquired technology.
