When the Victorian government announced plans to disband LaunchVic, and distribute some of its roles to other agencies, like Breakthrough Victoria, there’s a temptation to treat it as an administrative change: a reshuffle of functions, a rebadging of programs, a matter for insiders. That temptation is comforting – and profoundly wrong. I don’t want to… Read more »
With LaunchVic now dissolved into Breakthrough Victoria, it feels like the right moment to revisit the themes I explored in Melbourne’s innovation crisis is about culture – and what comes next and take a more personal look at what went wrong, what could have been built instead and perhaps what can come next. When LaunchVic… Read more »
Australians love reminding ourselves we invented Wi-Fi, the black box and the Hills Hoist. But those stories are outdated. The challenges we face today are new. Nostalgia won’t build the systems we need to turn our next breakthrough into something the world buys. No wonder we rank 68 out of 69 countries for entrepreneurship in… Read more »
A pet food startup making dog treats from feral buffalo in the Northern Territory (NT) has banked around $30,000 to develop the idea thanks to the NT government’s Innovation Grants program. Peco Pet Food makes Buff Jerky and Buff Jellies treats for dogs. The startup will expand its range to Buff Bites an all-natural gelatin… 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 »
What goes up must come down, and last week yet another of SpaceX’s Starships, the biggest and most powerful type of rocket ever built, came back down to Earth in spectacular fashion. In the sky above the Indian Ocean, it exploded. This was the ninth test flight for the rocket, and the third catastrophic failure… Read more »
On Wednesday, Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt and economics professor Richard Holden gave a joint address to the National Press Club in Canberra. Their key message? Australia isn’t spending enough money on university research. Schmidt wants to ensure Australia can undertake research vital to our national interests. “I look around and I am scared,” Schmidt said.… Read more »
Australia needs to reduce its “risk aversion” in order to improve its lagging research and development (R&D) sector and fragmented innovation ecosystem, according to industry experts. The nation has struggled to capitalise on innovations developed by universities and startups, and has seen their intellectual property taken overseas in search of greater funding, a panel of… Read more »
Looking at the NSW Innovation Blueprint 2035, it’s disappointing to see how disconnected it is from the day-to-day realities of being an innovator. Just like magic beans – big on promises, but scant on mechanisms. Without knowing the responsible government executives, the funding, the timelines and specific actions, it’s very hard to believe it will… Read more »
This week marks a year since the NSW government opened consultation on an Innovation Blueprint for the state. That, in turn, was four months after NSW innovation, science and technology minister Anoulack Chanthivong first announced the project in September 2023. The government had pledged to release it by July 2024. But when Startup Daily asked… Read more »
Australia is “virtually giving [its] world-class science away for free” according to the nation’s industry and science minister, as a panel of experts reviews the country’s struggling Research and Development (R&D) system. The independent review by four industry experts, announced in December and led by Australian-born Tesla chair Robyn Denholm, released a discussion paper on Wednesday as… Read more »
A report into the state of play for Western Australia’s startup sector has warned the state risks slipping behind its East Cost rivals unless there’s a great focus on reforms and funding for the sector. The report, ‘Dare to Venture: Startups and the innovation ecosystem in Western Australia’, by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre argues… Read more »
Corey Keats and his father, Brendon, launched Ampd Bros with more than just business in mind—they aimed to create an electric bike brand that would take the market by storm. Driven by a shared love for biking, the Keats have now built an eye-catching and innovative business. Harnessing the father and son’s unique blend of… Read more »
While Queensland is busy backing startups with a $130 million fund that’s luring NSW VCs north of the border, and Victoria is backing NSW startups to set up shop to the South, it’s been all quiet on the Macquarie Street front when it comes to state government support for startups. After a disappointing federal budget… Read more »
The Australian economy would be $100 billion bigger and boosted by 42,000 new jobs if investment in research and development (R&D) was increased to 3% of GDP, according to Science & Technology Australia, the peak body for science and tech. STA president Professor Sharath Srira spoke at the National Press Club in Canberra this week, prosecuting… Read more »
Daily startup news and insights, delivered to your inbox.
