Alex Carpenter

Startup founders and supporters Startup Muster the only comprehensive survey of Australian startups and their supporters. The survey reaches throughout the ecosystem to count every person that contributes to supporting founders and startups 🎉 Calling all diverse founders - we need you and your voices and experiences to be seen and heard 📣 We can’t measure what we can’t see and we can’t change what we don’t know - this survey is so important ✊🏼 Fill in the survey today 📝https://startupmuster.com #startup #diversity #entrepreneur #founder #culturaldiversity String Nguyen Mikaela Jade FTSE Dor Akech Achiek Nirary Dacho 🌏 Usman Iftikhar UNSW Founders UTS Startups

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Scaling isn’t just about resources—it’s about networks with “boots on the ground” insight. Startup ecosystems like French Tech Australia (FT AU) connect founders to mentors, resources, and markets, offering local knowledge that is crucial for expansion. These networks lend credibility, open doors, and provide on-the-ground insights to navigate new markets with confidence. From strategic partnerships to market access, ecosystems are invaluable in a startup’s journey from local success to global presence. Tip: Use your ecosystem’s resources proactively—growth is faster with the right boots on the ground. How has your network helped you scale? Share your experiences below! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gmuYeYDB #StartupGrowth #ScaleUp #BusinessNetworking #GlobalExpansion #StartupCommunity #EcosystemSupport #InnovationHub #EntrepreneurTips #MentorshipMatters #CrossBorderBusiness Resumption - Sales, Marketing, and Operations Consulting

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The recent Australian federal budget announcement is a major boost for small businesses, the education sector, and startups. As CEO of Ticketless Parking, a NED at Jeddle, and an investor in innovative startups, I see great opportunities for strategic growth and innovation. With increased government investment in infrastructure, the parking industry is poised to embrace more efficient, technologically advanced solutions, advancing the mission of #ticketlessparking. Meanwhile, the increased support for education will empower companies like #jeddle to further integrate technology and learning, propelling us towards a future where innovation is at the core of education. This budget resonates deeply with my belief in the power of vision, strategy, and execution to drive growth. Let us leverage these developments to push boundaries, innovate, and build a resilient future. #FederalBudget #GrowthStrategy #Education #Innovation #StartupInvesting #ParkingIndustry #jeddAI

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Did you know that Australia is the home of 2.3% of the world's tech unicorns ($1b plus valuation companies). Deep tech is clear strength of Australia and it is why Japanese corporates are looking at Australia. The Australian Japan Business Cooperation Committee (AJBCC) is lifting the lid on what is driving Japanese businesses and Australian startups. If you are interested, then this webinar could be for you. Richard Andrews, Cristina Merino Ishizuka, Jonathan Raju, Annie Jiang, Emily Doran, Takero Izuhara, Tim Mclennan, Ken Jefferd, Invest Victoria

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🚀 Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪ talks about his entrepreneurial journey in this short clip from the full podcast episode out this Friday. Discover the ups and downs, and how AI and technology are revolutionizing business strategies. 🎥 https://lnkd.in/gJMp6ARk 📅 Full episode drops Friday! Subscribe on YouTube and major podcast platforms for more insights. #Entrepreneurship #AI #Podcast #Business #Technology #Inspiration

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We have two strongly-held values at Something New ✨ — reinforced at the start of each dinner. 1) confidentiality: this is all totally "off the record" .. we run these events under chatham house rules / cone of silence, safe space for folks who aren't yet "open" about their plans to leave and start something new (i.e. with current employer, colleagues) 🤫 👀 2) spirit of service: don't come in asking "what's in it for me" ... join us and ask "what can I do for someone else here." The chances the exact person you need (co-founder, early believer, etc) is in the room at that moment is ultimately fairly low... but the chances someone in that room knows someone outside it they can introduce you to are much higher. Rising tides lift all boats 💪 ✨

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At the Launch Vic Awards Nights, there was a lot of talk about the VC’s in our ecosystem, and quite a bit of mention of Angel Syndicates, but no mention of Venture Studios. In fact when people ask me what I do, I often have to explain what a Venture Studio is. So let me make the Venture Studio pitch. Firstly, what is a Venture Studio? Venture Studios give life to startups in two main ways. 1. Ideas are incubated and validated within the Venture Studio, once validated, the team finds the external resources/ people needed to bring the idea to life. 2. External founders brings ideas to Venture Studios, in which the Venture Studio provides services and resources to the founder in exchange for equity. So who is a Venture Studio good for? High Quality Founders, with scalable ideas: The success of a Venture Studio relies on the success of the startups they work with so naturally Venture Studios are looking for the highest quality founders / startups. Early stage founders who are missing a technical partner: During the early days of your startup, if you don’t have a technical partner, you generally require investment or you need to take significant financial risk to fund your MVP build. While most investors won’t want to invest until you have a functional MVP, this is the exact stage many Venture Studio’s like to play in. Why choose a Venture Studio over a development agency? Your developers will have skin in the game The app development process often goes wrong, because building apps is hard. If things go wrong, it’s easy for relationships to sour, and shortcuts to be made. Since Venture Studio’s success is so heavily tied into the success of their startups, by choosing a Venture Studio you have the peace of mind that your developers are so heavily incentivised to deliver an awesome product. Support beyond development Again because the success of the Venture Studios are so heavily tied to the success of the startup, it’s in the our best interest to ensure you are supported beyond your product build. So when it comes to GTM, capital raising and beyond, we aim to provide support and introductions where we. De-risk your financial position So this is the obvious benefit, get to launch without paying or paying a lot less. All of this is not to say, VC’s, Angel’s, Dev Shops all don’t play an important role in this ecosystem, I just feel the Venture Studio voice needs to be heard a bit louder.

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The cap on international students means fewer startup founders and less employee talent for early stage startups in Australia. The risk appetite it takes to uproot your life and move to another country to study is exactly the mindset that drives people to take the risk to start (or join) a new company. I talked about this in a recent podcast with Will Richards where we discussed the impact of the controversial cap on international students and what it could mean for Australia’s startup ecosystem, universities, and economy. Full conversation from the ~24 minute mark here: https://lnkd.in/gNsH46VN UNSW Founders #entrepreneurship

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Truth, right here. I am elated to have just hired See Me Please's first full-time employee. He just retired from a career as a professional athlete. I hired him because he has grit and works hard. He tells me, if given an opportunity, he will eat bricks for lunch. By choice, I'm bootstrapping See Me Please. At least for the first year. I'm of the view that proven demand and growth, based on the exceptional value we deliver to our early partners, is in the best interest of the business's long-term success. It provides choice, flexibility and negotiation leverage when (if) the time comes to explore potential investment partners. Time will tell if See Me Please will move at the velocity I'd like it to. But if it does, I care too much to give my business away. I have my eyes wide open, this approach means working VERY hard to get it out of the gates. There is absolutely nothing wrong with flexible work and work-life balance depending on your priorities. At the same time, there's immense value in hard work. Hard work can give a sense of purpose and direction, helping a team feel like they are contributing meaningfully to something larger than themselves. Richard Joffe you're singing to me. Thanks for sharing Claudia Levi Pat Jensen

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🎬 New Episode Alert! 🎬 This week on The Growth Cartel's Weekly Wrap, we dove into the latest insights on startup investments and the importance of diversity in leadership. 📊 The release of the Cut Through Venture's report and its impact on the Australian startup ecosystem 👩‍💼 Why diversity in leadership is not just important but essential for driving innovation and success in the startup world. 🚀 Watch the full conversation for even more on AI, Quantum tech, and major investments shaping the future! We cover the biggest developments of the week, what we have coming up and you won’t want to miss it. 👉 Catch the full episode here and stay up-to-date with all things startups, funding, and leadership: 📺 YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gV3vb3cb 🎧 Spotify - https://lnkd.in/gzUMQVH7 🍎 Apple - https://lnkd.in/gg_wuMQ3 #InvestmentTrends #Diversity #Leadership #GrowthCartel #StartupCommunity #Innovation #CutThroughVentures

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Here's my 2024 LinkedIn RE:wind, by Coauthor: 2024 Waz quite the reset! Key transformations during ther year that shaped our collective extraordinary: → Developed "Missions Co-Lab" approach for tackling major industry problems like Net Zero and Mental Health → Landed role on Australia's largest IT transformation project (650+ sites!) → Added Project Management to my toolkit while studying Responsible AI → Achieved 1 year alcohol-free milestone (turns out nature is the best medicine) → Taught Startup Governance and Ethics in Tech at La Trobe University Three posts that resonated most with our community: "2024 Year-End Reflection" On transforming crisis into opportunity and reaching peak well-being https://lnkd.in/gCxrPkke "Job Search & Capabilities Announcement" Why adaptive leadership means speaking Gen-Alpha through Boomer https://lnkd.in/gppjvx8i "Meeting Mariana Mazzucato" Three steps to economic transformation in Australia https://lnkd.in/g_95S78c Looking ahead to 2025: Ready to launch a new tech venture combining responsible AI with community impact. Plus more Missions Co-Lab sessions tackling the big problems - Net Zero, Mental Health, Social Procurement. To every innovator navigating transformation: your resilience matters more than your resume. The future needs our collective extraordinary, and sometimes the biggest resets lead to the most powerful impact. Oh the serenity #ResponsibleAI #Innovation #Ethics

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Have constrained resources impacted your digital strategy for 2025? Achievability doesn't mean scaled down ambition. A digital strategy that prioritises achievable outcomes ensures that your digital transformation, and your business, are sustainable. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gNPK-ivG

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The problem with this article, starting with interesting stats, is that the simplistic interpretation of two types of people has a starting point and the silliness of extrapolating from that entire economic outcomes. One seems to miss the people really needed - those few that rise above the animal instinct, have broader intellectual capacity, and are neither villagers nor riverers but who listen to, understand, and can see the long-term consequences of uncontrolled vision over and above personal gain and therefore pursue a cleverer path that anticipates these, having a better sense of managing that. The fact is the 1950s saw much greater economic growth and Australia's rise including the formation of Australia's largest businesses, some of which are a shell of their former self today, despite that era being perhaps largely a "villager" era with all the regulatory control of a "socialist democracy" that is non-existent in today's excess "neoliberal world" which it would be a stretch to say is democratic in function. It's arguably the same neoliberal world that saw Argentina fall earlier from grace in the 1950s in the same manner we appear to be now doing, for example. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the simplistic nature of this interpretation of Nate Silver's thesis (assuming he has more merit ... than is being given credit - yo' dont knock the impact of a poeet!).

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We can’t manage what we don’t measure and we can’t grow what we don’t fund. While the sucking sound of Aus super and VC investment going to US companies is becoming deafening, the Australian Business Growth Fund backing an ambitious cohort of innovator companies has flown under the radar. If Aus has a sovereign future, as opposed to vassal state dependence writ large and irreversible, we need 10 more commercially and globally funds to acknowledge a long forgotten asset class.

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AmixTech Expands Strategic Acceleration Programme to New Zealand AmixTech Lab, the renowned technology business accelerator, is excited to announce the inclusion of New Zealand in its Strategic Acceleration Programme. This expansion aims to scale up founders, startups and companies in specialising sectors such as AgTech, WineTech, FinTech, FoodTech and ClimaTech. Spearheading this initiative is a multidisciplinary team led by Max Morales, with the support of London-based PR and business consultant Fran Bridgewater FCIM. The programme’s primary objective is to foster collaboration with New Zealand companies aiming to penetrate the Chilean and Texan markets by leveraging AmixTech’s extensive network. Another key goal is to expand AmixTech’s talent base in London, enabling the creation of bespoke strategies for business development. Strategic focuses include Dairy, High Tech, Agricultural Machinery and Wine, providing Chilean companies with access to cutting-edge innovative practices from New Zealand. AmixTech also plans to connect with New Zealand’s vibrant startup ecosystem by engaging with local incubators, accelerators and hubs to facilitate market entry into Chile and Texas. The origins of the collaboration between New Zealand and Chile can be traced back to a number of years ago when Isabel Estate participated in the Wine Salon at Colchagua Valley, organised by Max Morales, CEO of AndesWines.com. This event laid the foundations for a robust connection between the two countries. Why Chile and New Zealand? Eva Pemper, a third-generation winemaker from Croatia now leading the field in New Zealand, has received widespread acclaim for her wines in both the US and across Europe. She serves as a mentor to Max Morales and her expertise is instrumental in bridging the connections with local wine producers, fostering a new phase of technological exchange based on the climatic and soil similarities between the two countries. Max Morales, who has 23 years of experience in the re-establishment of old vineyards in Chile, recently concluded the ‘Wine Innova Tech 2024’ seminar series at the Palacio Rioja in Viña del Mar. Supported by the Regional Productive Development Committee of Valparaíso through the Viraliza CORFO program, this initiative aims to boost the creation of the WineTech Investment Fund. Read at Harpers Wine & Spirit Magazine: https://lnkd.in/ebWRTtgs In terms of context, Morales founded AmixTech Lab as a spin-off from Andes Wines in 2017, creating a platform to accelerate startups and their founders. This initiative led to the creation of the Hub Texas LatAm, partnering with professionals from Texas, Mexico and London to focus on innovative strategies in BioTech, AgTech, TravelTech, FinTech and PropTech sectors. Continue reading: https://lnkd.in/endwDFgP You can join the movement by reaching out at: [email protected].

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🇦🇺 The State of the Australian VC Market Heading into 2025 📈 🗓 Date: 28th November | ⏰ Time: 12pm-1pm AEDT 🎟 Tickets on sale now! After a challenging few years in the startup funding landscape—with reduced funding rounds and extended runways—we’re beginning to see promising signs of market recovery. Recent boosts in US investment and steady local deals under $50M could signal positive changes on the horizon. Join us along with our expert panel from Aussie Angels, Tractor Ventures, Rampersand, and Five Capital as we share insights into market trends and what investors are watching closely for in the year ahead. We’ll end with a live Q&A, so bring your questions and get the inside track on what to expect in 2025! Don’t miss out—tickets on sale now! #VCMarket #Investment #AusStartups https://hubs.li/Q02XsdTb0

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While AI and machine learning are widely recognised for their impact on finance, advertising, healthcare, and retail, their transformative power in agriculture is often overlooked. The Australian agriculture industry makes up a critical part of the economy and employs over 300,000 people. However, it has traditionally been viewed as labour-intensive and dominated by a rural workforce with lifelong on-farm experience.  The advent of agtech is rapidly working to update this image. By harnessing AI and machine learning to improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability in farming, agriculture is drawing new talent from diversified backgrounds to the sector. This evolution not only enhances the attractiveness of agricultural pursuits but also fosters a more dynamic workforce, paving the way for further innovation and growth.

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One of 2024’s biggest startup stories was Canva’s acquisition of Leonardo.ai for a reported $120 million. This was just six months after the startup raised $47 million, which earned it a spot on our startups to watch list last year. Build Club started as a small AI residency program in 2023, but the startup’s growth in the last 12 months has been impressive. The platform connects aspiring AI engineers to hands-on training and certifications while giving businesses a way to crowdsource AI-powered solutions. Founded by Grace Brown in 2022, Andromeda’s flagship robot Abi combines machine learning and AI to provide companionship and support for aged care residents and children in hospitals.  AI agents became the buzzword of late 2024, but Relevance AI was already ahead of the curve.  Founded in 2020 by Daniel Vassilev, Jacky Koh, and Daniel Palmer, the Sydney-based startup raised $15 million in Series A funding in late 2023 to scale its low-code platform for building AI agents.  Deeligence is redefining legal tech by targeting one of the most time-consuming and costly aspects of the profession: due diligence. Leonardo.Ai Deeligence Build Club Andromeda Relevance AI       https://lnkd.in/g7g3pqt4     Firms leverage AI to bolster camera capabilities - https://lnkd.in/g6MjvB3P CFO and 9% adoption of AI - https://lnkd.in/ePEcsR7J

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Navigating Seed Funding: The Essential Go-to-Market Strategy Unlock the secrets to successful seed funding as we dissect the importance of a solid business model and targeted go-to-market strategy. Discover how to effectively reach your audience in Australia and build a profitable venture without the fluff. #SeedFunding #GoToMarketStrategy #BusinessModel #StartupSuccess #Entrepreneurship #AustralianMarket #FundingTips #Profitability #MarketData #VentureCapital

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