I recently returned from Silicon Valley where I had insightful conversations with a diverse range of founders and investors. These discussions shed light on the challenges faced by technology startups in the current funding landscape. With venture capitalists (VCs) taking longer to respond and valuations subdued, it is crucial for founders to approach these obstacles… Read more »
Kirstin Hunter, the managing director of Techstars Tech Central Sydney, knows how it feels to navigate the chaos and ambiguity of running a startup. As co-founder and former CEO of Future Super, former Chief People, Risk and Legal Officer at Brighte, and former Chief of Staff at Human, she has lived it from the inside, several times over.… Read more »
I feel like every day I walk across the grass to my little office, and I sit down and my desk, and I fire up the laptop, and open my apps, and I wrestle with this question: “Can I save Good Empire, or should I just let it die?” And my chest tightens, and my… Read more »
Running your own small business is often a herculean task. There is pressure to find customers and turn a profit, build your brand, manage your online website and social presence, and motivate your employees. And that’s before you consider that many female entrepreneurs aren’t just running a business, but often a home and supporting a… Read more »
It took 10 years from the time I hoped to become a venture capital investor until the time I actually became one. Ten long years of hanging by the hoops, trying to crack in, a VC desperado. It’s a fairly typical story: I studied books and articles, listened to podcasts about the greats, built spreadsheets… Read more »
The conservatism of Australian business profoundly shapes its startup industry from the way it supports young startups to the way it tears them down. Big business and the technology industry are focussed on boosting investment and talent to achieve growth and productivity. Our more elusive business culture should also be up for discussion. This… Read more »
The Sydney and Melbourne tech ecosystems may not like to hear it, but Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley may well be the new Silicon Valley. With Advance Queensland and its partners investing $1.7 billion into Queensland’s innovation future, and Brisbane birthing its first unicorn, learning software platform GO1, in 2021, the Brisbane buzz is only getting louder.… Read more »
This article is part of a series on big ideas for the Universities Accord. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and a final report in December… Read more »
Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Tech Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers. Don’t forget you can catch Gavin Appel regularly… Read more »
With no end in sight to the freeze in venture capital funding markets and darkening economic clouds, startups have been doing everything they can to prioritise their people, hone their business models and lengthen their runways. I’ve been heartened by the determination of our community. For those considering an equity crowdfunding raise, there are five… Read more »
Jessy Wu, investment principal at AfterWork Ventures, is an unlikely venture capitalist. She happily admits it was “the furtherest thing from my mind” when she emerged with a ANU with a philosophy degree, also majoring in English literature. Next thing she knew, she was working at NAB Ventures. Within 18 months, Wu became part of… Read more »
Scientists recently created a meatball with the flesh of the long-extinct woolly mammoth. The meatball was the product of one of this century’s most promising technological advancements – cellular agriculture. Sometimes called “lab-grown meat,” the process involves growing animal products from animal cells in a controlled laboratory environment. The process eliminates many of the environmental,… Read more »
In today’s world, businesses are not just about making money but also about making a difference. Customers are more aware of social and environmental issues than ever before, and they expect businesses to take responsibility for their actions. So, how you ensure growth and make a difference at the same time? First, let’s take a… Read more »
“Culture” is bandied about a lot in business, but what does it mean, and why is it crucial for startup founders? When you hear someone say ‘startup culture,’ what comes to mind? Happy hours, pets in offices, ping pong tables, basketball hoops, zen rooms, unlimited paid time offs (PTOs), a big happy family? While those… Read more »
As a female founder, I’ve faced numerous challenges particularly in regard to getting investors to fund us. There is a gap in venture funding in Australia, and it’s getting worse. It seems as if Australian investors in particular are struggling at how to fund female founders equitably. Right now we get around 1.2% of funding,… Read more »
Daily startup news and insights, delivered to your inbox.
