The money is easy to trace. Scroll back through tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s political donations and you’ll soon hit US$15 million worth of transfers sent to Protect Ohio Values, JD Vance’s campaign fund. The donations, made in 2022, are a staggering contribution to an individual senate race, and helped put Vance (Thiel’s former employee at… Read more »
Over my career, I’ve always preferred doing rather than talking. Building things, solving problems, creating new ventures, not giving speeches about them. But I’m here today because I believe Australia is standing at the edge of the next great industrial revolution. One powered not by steam or electricity – but by artificial intelligence. And like… Read more »
A growing number of start-ups are accessing venture debt to fund the growth of their business. With the primary appeal of limiting equity dilution, it’s easy to see why founders might jump on board the venture debt train. But venture debt has been linked to a number of collapsing startups both here and in the… Read more »
When I launched my first business in my twenties, I thought success meant sales, scale, and building a brand with cut-through. And to some extent, it did. But it took me a little longer to realise that real success – the kind that sustains you beyond your startup – also means financial independence. Not just… Read more »
As the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, many worry the increased demand could overload national power grids. In Australia, electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050. If everyone charges their car and heats water using electric systems at the same time, peak demand could rise sharply, forcing costly grid upgrades. But this would… Read more »
The majority of women entrepreneurs aren’t building software – they’re quietly launching and scaling the breakout consumer brands that will define the next decade, without a cent of venture capital (VC). According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2022/23 Report: Less than 3% of women globally are building in ICT/tech sectors. Nearly 50% of women… Read more »
While Melbourne prepares for another glossy startup gala, let’s talk about what won’t be on the menu. Victoria’s startup agency has locked away $160m+ in public funding—yet no grassroots event support since 2019. VicGov spent $7 m+ on DIF (Digital Innovation Futures)—and it quietly shut down. Melbourne Convention Bureau backs only international events (e.g., C2, GEC)… Read more »
Last week’s announcement by the RBA that it will remove surcharges on debit and credit cards and undertake a review of interchange fees is not only welcome news for Australian consumers; it is also a great opportunity for Australian fintechs to mark their territory. Understandably, the impending change has local merchants sweating about further soaring… Read more »
The recent quarterly figures on the Australian startup scene finally put numbers to what everyone has been feeling in their bones for months: the vibes are off. Venture capital investment plunged to an 18-month low, with Q2 2025 clocking in as one of the weakest funding periods in recent memory. This is a major reversal… Read more »
I recently found myself in the company of some remarkable startup founders, each one brimming with bold ideas, big dreams, and the kind of relentless drive that keeps the entrepreneurial spirit alive. Listening to their stories, the highs and lows, the wins and roadblocks, was inspiring. Whether just starting out or deep into their journey,… Read more »
While Sydney as a tech ecosystem bemoans the looming ‘relocation’ of their Sydney Startup Hub, we here in Melbourne, even as a ‘4th Most Liveable City in the world’ aren’t even currently a good place to build a tech company, period. We don’t have a ‘home’ for startups. We don’t have a thriving scene. We… Read more »
It’s often those most entrenched in existing systems (and have benefitted from them) that disparage and deny the usefulness of novel forms of doing, well, anything. While business financing isn’t the only area where this happens, it might be the sector in which this attitude is most harmful, in terms of holding back innovation in… Read more »
Last month, an MIT study confirmed what many educators feared: students leaning on AI tools like ChatGPT for quick answers could stunt their long-term cognitive development. It’s a genuine concern, but also a familiar one. We heard the same warnings when calculators arrived in maths classrooms, or when the internet replaced library catalogues and lesson plans. Each… Read more »
Images of flashy sports cars. Lavish lifestyle shots. These are just some of the red flags consumers should watch out for when they turn to social media for financial advice. Consumers should not believe everything they see on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube from the growing numbers of “finfluencers” – content creators who build their audience… Read more »
Some say it’s em dashes, dodgy apostrophes, or too many emoji. Others suggest that maybe the word “delve” is a chatbot’s calling card. It’s no longer the sight of morphed bodies or too many fingers, but it might be something just a little off in the background. Or video content that feels a little too… Read more »
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