The NSW Innovation Blueprint finally dropped on Monday – 18 months after innovation, science and technology minister Anoulack Chanthivong first announced it in September 2023. And if you’re wondering if it was worth the wait, the feeling is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The Minns government needs to get cracking, and quickly. It has lost ground to make up… Read more »
There is a prevailing belief that the 2025-2026 Federal Budget was a non-event for the majority of us in the Australian tech sector. But besides being a missed opportunity to move the dial for Australian founders, are there any risks to watch out for in the Budget? Well yes, actually. In our view, one particular… Read more »
There was next to nothing for the tech and startup sector in the 2025 federal budget as the Labor government prepares to call an election and seek a second term. For the second year in a row, the government has delivered little for the startup sector and it does not feature specifically in the budget.… Read more »
* No, SFA is not an acronym of Startup Funding Announcements. As we said last year. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Again. You won’t find the word startup in the 2025 federal budget papers. Innovation is mentioned seven times in Budget Paper 1 and an eighth time in Paper No. 2 – referencing “the 2024–25 Budget measure… Read more »
The Albanese government’s fourth budget is a pitch for the votes of a sour and alienated electorate, framed against a background of extraordinary international uncertainty. US President Donald Trump isn’t mentioned by name. But he is the colossus in the background of this budget and indeed the imminent election campaign. While the opinion polls and… Read more »
Tuesday’s budget is a cautious and responsible response to the cost-of-living pressures facing voters. As noted ahead of budget night, many of the major spending initiatives had already been announced. But, in the only major surprise, there are income tax cuts for all income taxpayers. Even if we need to be patient. The new tax… Read more »
Some of America’s most profitable tech companies have seized on their chance to join US president Donald Trump’s global trade war arguing that laws and taxes in other nations are costing them money. Industry lobby group the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google and Elon Musk’s X, among others,… Read more »
The founder of fintech PocketSmith believes ordinary Australians should be prioritised by the federal government through the Consumer Data Right (CDR) to address cost-of-living pressures. The call, by cofounder and CEO Jason Leong, follows a record 859 pre-Budget submissions to the Commonwealth Treasury, up from 789 last year, with more than a quarter highlighting the… Read more »
In a world where technology and innovation drive rapid change, young people need more than academic knowledge to thrive. They need an entrepreneurial mindset, the ability to see problems as opportunities, to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, and adapt to change. These are not future skills, they are now skills, with flexibility, resilience, agility… Read more »
FinTech Australia is calling for an urgent recalibration of Research and Development tax incentives (RDTI) and the Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership (ESVCLP) Program in its submission to treasurer Jim Chalmers ahead of the federal budget next week The peak body’s 21-page pre-Budget submission makes 11 recommendations to Treasury, arguing that with the right… Read more »
While the Tesla CEO is busy rage-tweeting, Roman saluting, dialling into far-right German political rallies, cutting aid funding and sacking US government workers, sales of his car brand in Australia, as well as the rest of the world have gone over a cliff, with January’s poor results continuing in February. The plunge for Nasdaq-listed EV… Read more »
The Greens party, which received one in every eight primary votes (12.25%) at the last federal election, want a slice of the fortunes of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, proposing a “big tech tax” as Australia gears up to head to the polls in the coming months. Greens communications spokesperson senator Sarah Hanson-Young… Read more »
The federal government will adopt all 11 recommendations of the 2024 Diversity in STEM review, industry and science minister Ed Husic has confirmed. Husic surprised the crowd at Southstart in South Australia in announcing the government’s long-awaited response to the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review, chaired by Cicada Innovations CEO Sally-Ann Williams, who was… Read more »
Welcome to the Startup 360 with Kayla Medica and Simon Thomsen. Our weekly show is all about founder fun, finding out what makes people tick and staying human. For our third show, Kayla and Simon celebrate Mardi Gras in Sydney this weekend talking about their favourite works by musicians and writers. Kayla recommends a Japanese… Read more »
Australia has banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products across government, mandating the popular antivirus suite be removed from federal government systems. Since 2017, Russia-based cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky Lab has faced a slew of international bans over perceived risks to national security – namely that the Kremlin could hold sway over the organisation and its… Read more »
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