Your weekly dose of everything you need to know about ANZ Tech & Innovation.
Welcome to the new Financial Year!
We’re starting FY 26 off with a bang at Hype Man Media, with not one but two events for our Melbourne community in July. Both about connecting Australia with Global Startup ecosystems:
- 23 July - Melbourne - Taking your Startup to the US - We’re partnering with Vanta for a networking breakfast about expanding to the US. With speakers from the US Commercial Service and Founders who’ve been there and done it!
- 30 July - Melbourne - Global Immersion Series: China - The first of a new event series where we go deeper on a region of the world and explore the business culture, cuisine and opportunities for collaboration in China.
If you’re in town that week we’d love you to join us at one or both!
Until then, read on to hear everything else that’s happened in ANZ Startups this week including the best events, opportunities, Startups and headlines!
Dickie Currer - Author & Founder of Hype Man Media
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Top headlines from Australia
Everything you need to know about Australian Startups in the last week
Tropical Innovation Festival, a reminder why regional Innovation ecosystems matter
Last week all eyes were on TIF as it’s affectionately known, as the Australian Innovation ecosystem descended upon tropical Cairns for 11 days of inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, networking events, and opportunities to meet industry leaders, investors, and changemakers from across the globe.
Plus a day snorkelling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef!
We had our man on the ground, Desmond John, telling us everything that we needed to know about the Tropical Innovation Festival. Read the full article here on Hype Man Media.
South Australia to get an “Innovation Centre” at their Lot Fourteen precinct
The 16-storey office tower will be ready for tenants to move in by late 2028 and will be costing the South Australian Government $100 million.
The Innovation Centre, which will live at Lot Fourteen in downtown Adelaide (the redevelopment of the Old Adelaide Hospital), is already 77% full with anchor tenants including BAE Systems Australia, the $60 million Australian Defence Technologies Academy, $20 million Innovation Hub – both supported by the federal government too – and $20 million Space Assembly Integration and Testing facility.
Australian Tech Giving Report 2025 highlights the growth of philanthropy in the sector
The report published this week by StartGiving and in collaboration with the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia (CSI UWA), reveals how and why founders give, unpacks the opportunities and challenges tech givers face and provides actionable insights for other founders who may want to start their giving journey.
The key takeaways from the report highlighted:
- Growing Impact: In just a few years, tech founders’ contribution to major philanthropy has grown from 1% to 21% of total grants made by Australia’s Top 50 givers.
- Higher giving rates: 67.8% of survey respondents said they donate their money, compared to 27.5% of Australian taxpayers.
- Significant untapped potential: The 30 wealthiest people in Australian tech could easily contribute well over $25 billion to philanthropy, with nearly $19 billion already committed by a handful of this group.
Read the report in full here and connect with StartGiving if you’re ready to start your philanthropy journey.
Kia ora from Aotearoa! Here’s what’s happening across the startup ecosystem, thanks to our NZ correspondent Pauli Sosa:
Startup Weekend Taranaki kicks off this weekend, giving aspiring founders the chance to validate their ideas, meet potential co-founders, and learn from experienced mentors, all in just 54 hours.
Auckland Fintech Expo 2025 is coming up later this month, bringing together 25+ fintech startups under one roof to showcase the latest innovations transforming the future of financial services in Aotearoa.
Kiwibank has launched StartUp+, a flexible, progress-based funding solution designed specifically for startups, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Awesome to better support early-stage founders on their growth journey.
Startup Queenstown Lakes has opened applications for its Microgrants Program, offering $500–$3,000 in funding plus mentoring to help local startups reach key milestones like product development and market validation.
Flying Kiwi Angels are running weekly ADI Clinics across the country, providing startups with traction a unique chance to get real feedback from one of NZ’s friendliest and most active angel investment groups.
Want more updates like these? Check out Startup Digest New Zealand to stay in the loop with events, opportunities, and ecosystem news.
6 Startups that caught our eye this week
Our weekly spotlight on some of the region’s most exciting emerging Startups. If you’re reading this and you can help them out then don’t hesitate!
This week we’re featuring the six Startups that took part in the Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program and pitched at their final showcase at Taronga Zoo in Sydney last week.
Hatch, now in its fifth year, is the world’s only accelerator program led by a conservation zoo.
1.ALBON: Addressing water pollution, carbon emissions and soil degradation, this modular photobioreactor (PBR) system, converts industrial and agricultural waste into valuable resources.
Founders: John Phipps and Tom Bessell.
2. Beyond Best Before: Dedicated to reducing food waste by rescuing short-dated pantry items and surplus stock from going to landfill. They provide high-quality, affordable food to everyday consumers, making food rescue accessible to all and driving real change in food waste and sustainability. Rescuing today, preserving tomorrow.
Founder: Maggie Quach.
3. Owls Eat Rats: A landscape-level approach to supporting Barn Owl populations in agriculture as a natural, long-term rodent control solution. The goal isn’t to eliminate rodenticides overnight but to support farmers embracing more sustainable farming practices – leading to healthier farms and a food system less reliant on chemical inputs.
Founder: Alastair Duncan.
4. Reusably: Software system that simplifies managing reusable packaging. This isn’t just about replacing single-use packaging with reusables—it’s about giving companies, consumers and communities the systems and insights to do it seamlessly and cost-effectively.
Founders: Matt Bowie and Mary Kelly.
5. Sustainable Floristry Network: Evidence-based, sustainability training to drive behaviour change in floristry. Students explore the problems facing floristry, identify solutions and learn how they can play a powerful role in shaping a nature-positive future industry through business.
Founders: Rita Feldmann with support from Ginger Briggs and Sandy Coull.
6. Win for Nature: What if you could get rewarded for helping the planet? That’s what Win for Nature does. Subscribe and get immediate access to exclusive discounts at our partner businesses, and tickets to win high value, sustainable prizes. Subscriber funding is then used to purchase land for restoration. It’s a win for you and a win for nature.
Founder: Josh Pilalis.
Events to watch out for
The biggest and best events across our ecosystem, bringing our incredible community together.
Hype Man Media events
23 July - Melbourne - Taking your Startup to the US - We’re partnering with Vanta for a networking breakfast about expanding to the United States of America.
30 July - Melbourne - Global Immersion Series: China - The first of a new event series where we go deeper on a region of the world and explore the business culture, cuisine and opportunities for collaboration.
Other Ecosystem events
8 July - Online - Compliance as a Catalyst for Startup Growth - Compliance is no longer just a checkbox—it's a growth strategy. In this webinar, we’ll show how early-stage startups can use compliance frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 to build trust, unlock larger deals, and accelerate go-to-market timelines.
8 July - Melbourne - Startup Victoria Reunion: Stories from the Community that built it - Join us for a storytelling-style celebration of TSN’s journey, with reflections from founders, board members & early community builders.
10 July - Hawke’s Bay - Hawke’s Bay Innovators Meetup - Spotlighting local food innovators blending sustainability, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Attendees will hear from Foodeast tenants and guest speaker Sabrina Nagel, who will share insights from Germany on building resilient innovation ecosystems.
10 July - VIC secret location - AI Hackathon By Antler and MLAI - Antler and MLAI are curating 10 of the most promising AI builders for a 24-hour retreat-style Hackathon!
10 July - Melbourne - Crafting your value - From Idea to Sales is a workshop series designed to help founders, leaders, and innovators bridge the gap between a great idea and real B2B sales traction.yu
10 July - Byron Bay - Show Her the Money screening - a powerful, multi-award-winning documentary that shines a light on the gender investment gap and the barriers faced by women founders seeking funding.
10 July - Auckland - Side Hustles & Mahjong - A casual meetup for Aucklanders building something on the side - whether it's a business, a start-up, or an idea that won't leave you alone - everyone here is welcome.
10 July - Melbourne - Charity Trivia Night - Forever Projects x Overnight Success - All proceeds from this evening will be donated to Forever Projects.
11 July - Auckland - Empower Her Networking - The Power of Collaboration - Empower Her, a female networking group that offers a welcoming and safe environment for women of all business backgrounds and experiences
17 July - Sydney - Australia China Cleantech Innovation Roundtable - bringing together senior decision-makers from industry, government, and research institutions for focused, solutions-oriented dialogue on accelerating the clean energy transition and strengthening Australia - China ties.
22 July - Melbourne - Startup World Cup - The Melbourne regional event for the Startup World Cup, the world's leading startup competition in collaboration with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a global venture capital firm from the US.
24 July - Melbourne - Launchvic Startup Gala - an annual event bringing together more than 800 entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders to celebrate the continued growth of Victoria’s startup ecosystem.
24 July - Gold Coast - LuminaX Accelerator Demo Night 2025 - Get ready for the most exciting event of the year, filled with innovation pitches hosted by LX Health as part of the 2025 LuminaX Accelerator.
30 July - Melbourne - CDH Clubhouse Community Day - Join us at Cremorne Digital Hub for a full-day Community workday experience designed for founders, ecosystem builders, and startup enthusiasts.
31 July - Melbourne - Community Collective 3rd Birthday - bringing together founders, operators, community builders and everyone in the startup space to celebrate our industry and key milestones.
4 August - Sydney - Startup World Cup - The Sydney regional event for the Startup World Cup, the world's leading startup competition in collaboration with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a global venture capital firm from the US.
13 August - Sydney - Community Collective 3rd Birthday - the Sydney edition of the above.
28 August - Brisbane - SomethingTech - a two day showcase that puts a spotlight on Queensland and Australian companies who are developing emerging technology.
10 September - Sydney - Cicada x Tech23 2025 - Australia's Biggest Deep Tech Festival is back, providing a gateway to real Australian ventures delivering global impact and commercial success.
Opportunities to help you grow
Programs, competitions and Accelerators to help you thrive and grow
Apply for the Taiwan Soft Landing Pad program
Startup Terrace is ready to welcome excellent international startups to get easy access to the Taiwan market, business environment, local resources, and key persons through a short visit to the country in October 2025.
- Guidance to Taiwan market
- Real-site visits & Business tours
- Targeted Matchmaking
- Iconic Startup Event
With successful participants being offered travel reimbursements and logistics support. Open to HealthTech Startups only. Deadline is 18th July, apply here
Applications for Verge are now open
If you’re a female student founder with an idea and some early traction, Verge is for you. Here’s why:
- You’ll spend 7 weeks with Australia’s most ambitious young women like you!
- Try the growth ideas you’ve been sitting on, with no pressure to succeed. Share what worked, and what didn’t.
- Sit in the “hot seat” and unpack your biggest challenges with your peers, learning from each other's experiences.
- In-person dinners in Sydney and Melbourne with good food and even better company.
- Backed by Blackbird and Female-Led Ventures, so you can focus on building.
Apply to pitch at River Rival in Brisbane
River Rival our evolution from the original Riverpitch part of the Something Tech festival is landing August 29th, 2025.
Join a room of enablers, activators, industry and tell us about the product, business and impact you are making to the world.
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Until next week, Dickie
