The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Interview Series

DayOne.fm

In 'The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem' podcast, join host Adam Spencer as they delve into the fascinating history of the Australian startup ecosystem. From the earliest tech companies to the success stories of today, this series covers it all. Each episode will feature interviews with industry pioneers, entrepreneurs, and experts, as well as a deep dive into the events and cultural shifts that have shaped the Australian startup scene. From the dot-com boom to the rise of fintech, this podcast will provide a unique and informative look at the past, present, and future of the Australian startup ecosystem. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out in the world of startups, this podcast is sure to provide valuable insights and inspiration. Tune in to 'The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem' to learn more about the trailblazers who have paved the way for today's innovators. Want to go deeper? Listen to one of the 100+ interviews published in their entirety at dayone.fm/guests Sign up for the newsletter at https://dayone.fm/newsletter and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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Episodes

Tis the season to be reflective - 2023 in review on First Cheque - First Cheque
Dec 22 2023
Tis the season to be reflective - 2023 in review on First Cheque - First Cheque
SummaryCheryl Mack and Maxine Minter reflect on the year 2023 and discuss the challenges and trends in the startup ecosystem. They talk about the tough environment for founders and investors, with many companies struggling to raise funds and facing down rounds. However, they also highlight the resilience and determination of founders who were able to survive and even thrive in the face of adversity.The hosts discuss the increase in funding for female founders, although there is still a long way to go in achieving gender parity in the industry. They also touch on the growth of climate tech and AI as key areas of investment, with these sectors propping up the funding ecosystem.Cheryl and Maxine express cautious optimism for the year 2024, noting the need for continued creativity and resilience in the face of challenges. They also highlight the importance of addressing issues of behaviour and inclusivity in the startup ecosystem.Key TakeawaysChallenges in the Startup Ecosystem (2023): The year was marked by difficulties for many companies in raising funds, with instances of down rounds reflecting a challenging environment for the startup ecosystem.Resilience of Founders: Success in these tough times was often attributed to the resilience and determination of founders, who demonstrated the ability to navigate through the demanding market conditions effectively.Funding for Female Founders: While there was a notable increase in funding for female founders, reaching a historical high, the conversation acknowledges that more efforts are necessary to achieve gender parity in funding.Growth of Climate Tech and AI: Both climate tech and AI emerged as standout sectors, drawing significant investments and spearheading innovation despite the broader economic challenges.Outlook for 2024: The year ahead is approached with cautious optimism. The emphasis is on the necessity for ongoing creativity and resilience to address and overcome upcoming challenges.Quotes- "I think ingenuity was a real theme. I'm excited to dive in today, obviously. Tis the season to be reflecting." - Cheryl Mack- "The founders that survive this are the ones that we are so excited to back as investors." - Maxine Minter- "I think optimism and holding on to a sense of optimism won this year. Pairing it with creativity, also really effective." - Maxine Minter- "I think 2024 is looking cautiously optimistic. Cautiously optimistic." - Maxine MinterChapters00:05 - Introduction to the podcast00:25 - Reflecting on the year and the challenges faced02:02 - Difficulty of raising funds and the resilience of founders04:32 - Founders' determination to survive and adapt05:08 - Employment Hero becoming a unicorn06:31 - Tentative re-entry of international investors into the Australian ecosystem07:38 - Gap between top founders and average deals narrowing08:49 - Overpaying in the early stages of funding09:05 - Australian tech facing criticism from the media10:46 - Turning point in sentiment with SVB collapse and Milk Run11:18 - Discussion about the impact of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried's sentencing12:13 - AI and climate tech propping up the funding industry in 202313:56 - AI adoption curve and its impact on the legal tech industry15:01 - Tight capital environment in Q1 and Q2 of 202315:32 - Increase in interest and funding for climate tech17:10 - Rise of climate tech-focused funds in Australia18:19 - Lack of AI-focused funds in Australia20:06 - Creativity in funding and rise of professionalized fund management21:30 - Optimism about more fund raising in 202421:52 - Increase in funding for female founders, but still low overall22:33 - Matching population demographics22:48 - Lack of data on women-led...
BONUS: TSP - The VC slaughterhouse - Don't let investors kill your dreams
Jul 19 2023
BONUS: TSP - The VC slaughterhouse - Don't let investors kill your dreams
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ episode. Yaniv and Chris are fired up about bad VC investors, and they can't hold it in any longer!Good Venture Capitalists help founders make the impossible, possible. They are the fuel that allows rocketships to defy gravity.But bad VC investors will take a founder's dream and grind it into dust.In this episode, Chris and Yaniv share the ways in which bad investors often undermine a founder's ability to pursue their vision. They then share tips how as a founder to look out for and defend against this type of "dumb money" investor, and how to show traction that is beyond just revenue.The PactHonour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg. Do it right now! It takes less than a minute.Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksThe Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGgGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2AThe Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.showLearn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Mentioned in this episode:This episode is sponsored by NTPThis episode is sponsored by NTP NTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
The Documentary: Part 6 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Dec 19 2022
The Documentary: Part 6 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
What does the future hold for the Australian startup ecosystem? After five episodes focused on the past, this episode will finally be tackling that question and look towards the future. What are our unique strengths and weaknesses as a country? What are the key challenges and opportunities we face?From investors, to academics, to government, to corporates and finally, to entrepreneurs - we highlight a variety of perspectives, looking at the individual roles each of us can play. Regardless of what seat we occupy on the bus, there is a place for people of all backgrounds in Australia’s startup community.This series was made possible by our sponsors and partners.Thanks to MYOB, AWS Startups, Investment NSW & CSIRO. We would like to acknowledge our earliest sponsors who decided to get involved with this story when it was just an idea on a piece of paper. Special thanks to UTS Startups & Murray Hurps for being our first sponsor, Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad and the Guild of Entrepreneurs.ANSTO, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The South Australian Government's Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, The University of Newcastle’s Integrated Innovation Network, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures & James Cook University.And to our promotional partners who have helped get this series in front of the startup community.Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, River City Labs, Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed. Mentioned in this episode:NTP Technology Recruitment CompanyNTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
The Documentary: Part 5 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Dec 19 2022
The Documentary: Part 5 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Episode 5 begins during the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic which disrupted every facet of life as we knew it. As lockdowns and other measures were enacted throughout the country, different markets and industries were affected in different, and sometimes unexpected ways.We explore the good, the bad and the ugly, looking at the unprecedented ways in which the Australian startup ecosystem grapples with the global pandemic. From frozen immigration and talent, to remote working and digitisation, to impacts on diversity and much more, finally bringing our story to the present day. We briefly look at the identity of our startup ecosystem and current, ongoing events.This series was made possible by our sponsors and partners.Thanks to MYOB, AWS Startups, Investment NSW & CSIRO. We would like to acknowledge our earliest sponsors who decided to get involved with this story when it was just an idea on a piece of paper. Special thanks to UTS Startups & Murray Hurps for being our first sponsor, Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad and the Guild of Entrepreneurs.ANSTO, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The South Australian Government's Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, The University of Newcastle’s Integrated Innovation Network, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures & James Cook University.And to our promotional partners who have helped get this series in front of the startup community.Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, River City Labs, Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed. Mentioned in this episode:NTP Technology Recruitment CompanyNTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
The Documentary: Part 4 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Dec 19 2022
The Documentary: Part 4 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
This episode kicks off in September 2015, when Malcolm Turnbull was elected as the 29th Prime Minister of Australia. Unveiling the National Innovation and Science Agenda as the cornerstone of his "Ideas Boom", we unpack the contents of this policy and explore the myriad of ways it impacted the startup ecosystem.The Australian startup ecosystem continued to enjoy significant growth in the second half of the 2010’s. We look at the increasing visibility of startups during this time, the establishment of prominent diversity and impact-focused organisations, startup conferences and many more.This series was made possible by our sponsors and partners.Thanks to MYOB, AWS Startups, Investment NSW & CSIRO. We would like to acknowledge our earliest sponsors who decided to get involved with this story when it was just an idea on a piece of paper. Special thanks to UTS Startups & Murray Hurps for being our first sponsor, Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad and the Guild of Entrepreneurs.ANSTO, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The South Australian Government's Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, The University of Newcastle’s Integrated Innovation Network, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures & James Cook University.And to our promotional partners who have helped get this series in front of the startup community.Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, River City Labs, Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed. Mentioned in this episode:NTP Technology Recruitment CompanyNTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
The Documentary: Part 3 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Dec 19 2022
The Documentary: Part 3 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
In episode 3, we take a deep dive into the birth of the Australian startup ecosystem. Although everyone may have a different perspective on what caused this "cambrian explosion", we discuss 7 key catalysts in this episode.We shine a spotlight on the who, what, when, where and why of this critical event that formed much of what we see around us today. But underneath all this growth and excitement, we highlight that the ecosystem may perhaps still be far from perfect.This series was made possible by our sponsors and partners.Thanks to MYOB, AWS Startups, Investment NSW & CSIRO. We would like to acknowledge our earliest sponsors who decided to get involved with this story when it was just an idea on a piece of paper. Special thanks to UTS Startups & Murray Hurps for being our first sponsor, Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad and the Guild of Entrepreneurs.ANSTO, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The South Australian Government's Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, The University of Newcastle’s Integrated Innovation Network, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures & James Cook University.And to our promotional partners who have helped get this series in front of the startup community.Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, River City Labs, Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed. Mentioned in this episode:NTP Technology Recruitment CompanyNTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
The Documentary: Part 2 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Dec 19 2022
The Documentary: Part 2 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Episode 2 begins in the aftermath of the dot com bust. We explore the story of LookSmart through the lens of its co-founder, Evan Thornley and the tough choices he had to make. Up until this point, founders largely worked in isolation, however, they began to meet up more frequently after the bust, often in pubs or cafes, thanks to community groups like Innovation Bay. Conferences such as TinSHED and Web Directions would shine a spotlight on the fledgling startup ecosystem. We tell the story of some of Australia's first high growth startups in the early 2000s. The likes of Atlassian in 2003, Campaign Monitor in 2004, Red Bubble in 2006 and many more. Startup infrastructure followed shortly after and we saw the country's first incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces emerge. Just as things were finally looking up, another economic crisis had gripped the world once again. The Global Financial Crisis in 2008 undoubtedly caused a lot of grief, however, Australia was spared the worst of it. We highlight how the GFC held some unexpected benefits for Australian startups. As the end of the decade approached, new inventions like smartphones and social media and the mainstream adoption of Wi-Fi would come to touch every aspect of our lives, laying the foundation for a new wave of Australian startups - some of the most disruptive that Australia and the world would come to see.This series was made possible by our sponsors and partners.Thanks to MYOB, AWS Startups, Investment NSW & CSIRO. We would like to acknowledge our earliest sponsors who decided to get involved with this story when it was just an idea on a piece of paper. Special thanks to UTS Startups & Murray Hurps for being our first sponsor, Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad and the Guild of Entrepreneurs.ANSTO, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The South Australian Government's Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, The University of Newcastle’s Integrated Innovation Network, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures & James Cook University.And to our promotional partners who have helped get this series in front of the startup community.Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, River City Labs, Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed. Mentioned in this episode:NTP Technology Recruitment CompanyNTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
The Documentary: Part 1 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
Dec 19 2022
The Documentary: Part 1 - The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem: Documentary
In this episode, we explore the seed phase of the Australian startup ecosystem, tracing its roots to some of the earliest catalysts to what we see today. Australian pioneers started innovating well before anything resembled an ecosystem and before the term "startup" was used. We tell the story of trailblazers like the Nucleus Group in 1964, Fairlight in 1975, Computershare in 1978 and much more. We look at how the macroeconomic conditions in the late 70s and early 80s encouraged the "first great wave" of Australian startups, only for global capital markets to collapse suddenly in 1987. As the new millennium approached, we highlight how the mainstream adoption of the internet gave rise to some of our most recognisable dot com juggernauts, the likes of Seek, REA and Carsales, leading up to the dot com boom.This series was made possible by our sponsors and partners.Thanks to MYOB, AWS Startups, Investment NSW & CSIRO. We would like to acknowledge our earliest sponsors who decided to get involved with this story when it was just an idea on a piece of paper. Special thanks to UTS Startups & Murray Hurps for being our first sponsor, Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad and the Guild of Entrepreneurs.ANSTO, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The South Australian Government's Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, The University of Newcastle’s Integrated Innovation Network, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures & James Cook University.And to our promotional partners who have helped get this series in front of the startup community.Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, River City Labs, Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed. Mentioned in this episode:NTP Technology Recruitment CompanyNTP is the technology recruitment company that values community and who are invested in seeing the growth of Australia's local tech community. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy