Original startup community hub Fishburners is revamping how it supports founders as it moves out of the Sydney Startup Hub, announcing new locations, plus several new products and programs to improve access to networking and connections.
CEO Majella Campbell said the new Fishburners model comprises four key products, designed to bring founders together in specialised startup environments, while also giving them better ways to stay connected when outside them.
“The way founders are building is changing, so we’re introducing a new model so that founders are always connected to the people, networks and opportunities, regardless of where they work,” she said.
“They no longer spend months or years developing products. The old ways of startup support no longer fit. This new model allows founders to connect in a way where geography is no longer a barrier for founder support.”
Campbell said “the core problem” is that it’s really difficult for founders to navigate and find good quality connections on their own terms.
“Each new part of the Fishburners ecosystem is about making those connections easier and faster,” she said.
“We’ll be doing more localised support, as well as being visible to the wider ecosystem too and helping people discover and find the support that they need. There are so many good people out there, willing to help, but often people don’t know how to find them.
“The future of startup support is about connection—how quickly and effectively we can connect founders to the people and opportunities that move them forward. Right now, the startup ecosystem lacks a way to do this effectively or at scale. This is what we’re building for.”
Meanwhile, the NSW Labor government is shutting down a key connection, the Sydney Startup Hub (SSH) in York Street, after seven years, claiming it’s not “commercially viable”, with everyone moving out next Friday, August 29. It has been home to Stone & Chalk, Antler, Tank Stream Labs, Fishburners and the Microsoft Reactor, among hundreds of startups.
While the government announced plans for a new startup hub in Tech Central last December, the Sydney Scaleup Hub at 477 Pitt Street, run by Stone & Chalk, is being rebranded as the Tech Central Innovation Hub, as that new site.
Startup Daily understands that with less than a fortnight to go – and 9 months after NSW innovation, science and technology minister Anoulack Chanthivong announced the closure – details on the move from the Sydney Startup Hub (SSH) have yet to be finalised with some outgoing tenants.
Some will move elsewhere, with Antler finding a location nearby, Tank Stream Labs focusing on its existing five sites, including its own Scaleup Hub at 24 Campbell Street, Haymarket, and Fishburners launching the first of what it calls the “Passport Hub”, opening on September 1, at 64 York Street in Sydney’s CBD – 550m from the current SSH site. More locations are planned as part of a partnership with WeWork.
Campbell said the Fishburners Residency Program – an evolution of the organisation’s 12-year-old flagship offering for high-growth potential startups – will open in the Tech Central area soon, adding that it will give founders more than a desk or a short-term program.
“We’ve taken the proven parts of accelerators – structure, accountability, and curated connections – and are embedding them into a year-round program offering founders more than just community, but a support model that ensures growth is built into their everyday,” she said.
Fishies passports
A new membership, called Founders’ Passport, is also being launched to connect founders with Fishburners’ full suite of support, regardless of where they work.
“It delivers access to newly curated events, experiences, and networks across Sydney, ensuring founders can build meaningful in-person connections and collaboration without being tied to a single office,” Campbell said.
“Wherever they choose to work, members remain seamlessly linked to the strength of Fishburners and its partner network.”
The Passport Hub is a physical membership option within the Passport Program, offering founders a full-time desk in a dedicated Fishburners area within partnered spaces, as well as an international workspaces through WeWork’s global networ
“Passport Hubs are designed to lower the barriers to joining Fishburners, enabling more founders to access the community from the locations best suited to their growth,” Campbell said.
“With startup-friendly pricing in partnered spaces, founders can work day-to-day in a Fishburners environment while also tapping into a global network of spaces that keep them connected to Fishburners wherever their business takes them.”
Ecosystem Navigator
Alongside the physical membership, Fishburners will launch a digital product, Ecosystem Navigator, for community connection via an app.
It will cover events, opportunities, and networks to keep everyone connected and find what they’re looking for.
“Instead of founders having to scan newsletters, LinkedIn or scattered channels for opportunities, they can soon turn to Fishburners’ Ecosystem Navigator, a single place to easily discover and access support across the startup entire ecosystem,” she said.
“There’s so much great support available; founders just need a way to access it seamlessly. This is about making it easy to connect, so that founders can spend less time searching and more time building.
“It’s not limited to Fishburners — the Navigator connects activity from across the wider ecosystem, so founders see what’s happening beyond any single organisation. For partners, it creates a more direct way to reach founders at the right time, when support has the most impact.”
The waitlist for Ecosystem Navigator opened today, ahead of launch later this year.
Campbell said that as AI makes everyone more self-sufficient “it’s the people that matter and that’s what we’re focused on” with the new Fishburners strategy.
“With these changes, Fishburners is laying the groundwork for a more collaborative and connected startup ecosystem,” the CEO said.
“The future of startup support is going to be all about connection and the ability to find the right people and conversations that move startups forward.
“By reshaping its physical presence and product suite, and doubling down on technology-enabled connection, it aims to give every founder, no matter their background or business, a better way to build.”
- Disclosure: Majella Campbell is the cohost of Startup Daily’s podcast, Startup360.
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