Rohan Silva

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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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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One of the big topics at the #Longevity Ecosystem meetup PrimeLife Partners hosted at ACS (Australian Computer Society) on Thursday was housing, and how it needs to evolve to meet the needs of a nation that has shifted substantially in its needs. Here's a great Guardian piece about "co-housing" which is one of the best solutions to this problem (and how they had to fight to get it past council) https://lnkd.in/gtX3m5rf

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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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A one-dimensional view of China’s economic and social transformations leads to simplistic conclusions. China’s economic structure is going through a multi-dimensional change with a series of interrelated rotations of the capital structure. Three key dimensions stand out: 1. Sectoral composition change. This has been obvious for a few years already with a policy-induced deflation of the previously growing real estate bubble and the shift of capital to high tech and manufacturing. Green energy remains a strong growth sector as well. 2. Geographic. Growth is also being driven into the third, fourth and fifth tier cities. Western focus on the first and second tier cities misses the growth that’s taking place outside of the well-known cities. A growing number of graduates are moving to these lower cost cities. 3. Demographic. Associated with the spatial dimensions is a shift towards income growth amongst those in the lower income segments - the genuine average income earning households. This is underpinning ongoing household income growth, and consumption growth. The GINI coefficient continues to trend downwards as a result of these changes. Meanwhile, those in the top 1-10% of the income distribution are paring back their consumption. This becomes most noticeable for exporters of high end products. Lastly, talk of China reducing imports is patently untrue. The data shows ongoing import growth. #china

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Quantum computing start-up Q-CTRL has set multiple records with its latest funding round, with rugby legend John Eales joining heavyweight global investors in tipping $167 million into the futuristic Sydney-based technology company. “This funding raise, which sets multiple global records, says that Australia has something exceptionally special built right here at home,” Q-CTRL chief executive Michael Biercuk said. “We leverage our special expertise in quantum control and solve the problems no one else can. We have great local peer companies and collaborators like Diraq and Quantum Brilliance also operating at global scale, and we are excited for this reality to sink in with the local investor community and government.” New investors backing Q-CTRL in the round include GP Bullhound, Alpha Edison, Lockheed Martin Ventures, NTT Finance Corporation, Salus Group and TISI, who join existing repeat investors Alumni Ventures, DCVC, ICM Allectus, Main Sequence, Salesforce Ventures and rugby legend John Eales. “I met John Eales through the investor community,” Biercuk said. “He was an inspiring leader who gave no-BS views on what it takes to succeed at a global level.” “After inviting him to speak at a company event in 2022, he became engaged with the team, and we are pleased he has become a shareholder with deep connections to the Australian community. ” The local quantum computing sector has also been the subject of controversy over the past year after the federal government invested $470 million into PsiQuantum, a company that is headquartered in California but working towards building a commercially useful quantum computer in Brisbane by 2027. “It was great to see the government express real ambition to do something big,” Biercuk said of that investment. “As a next step, now it needs to do something locally that benefits the Australian industry. The government has made clear that PsiQuantum was part of a broader plan captured in the national quantum strategy. We are excited about the next phase of investment with a focus on scaling the businesses that invested in Australia from day one and promise sovereign capabilities that are globally unique.” Read more at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. https://lnkd.in/g3ENKkUA

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Last evening Drew Smith and I were lucky enough to be invited to launch Wisely AI's new "De-Risking AI" white paper at the ACS (Australian Computer Society)'s amazing Barangaroo offices, at a meeting of their Risk Discussion Group. "De-Risking AI" highlights and explains five new risks of Generative AI tools: anthropomorphising; malicious and commercially protected training data; hallucinations; privacy, data security and data sovereignty; and prompt attacks. The white paper addresses each in detail, and suggest strategies to mitigate these risks. It's part of Wisely AI's core mission to "help organisations use AI safely and wisely." Read or download "De-Risking AI" here https://lnkd.in/gV-peEKB

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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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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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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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Thanks Julia French and David Lt (Lillo-Trynes) for the opportunity to join Elizabeth Henderson, Lou Conway and Wayne O'Brien on a panel about the future of Aussie AI today, as part of Spark Festival 2024. TL;DR: I think it's going to be a net positive for Australia and the Australian tech startup industry. Our economy is mostly knowledge and service industries of various kinds, which can all benefit from reducing the friction of acquiring, onboarding and maintaining customer relationships that AI offers. It promises to help health, education and social services providers to increase quality of service provision to rural and regional Australia. And it lowers the knowledge and talent bar that restricts many people from considering a career in the startup industry. Want to be better prepared to take advantage of these changes? I'd suggest you investigate the new UNE Grad Certificate in AI Innovation: https://lnkd.in/gRGFMGK5

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I’m always inspired seeing Australian consumer tech founders doing great things. Lucy Mort is no exception – as the co-founder and CEO of Sunroom, a consumer app that provides a space for women to earn money by creating content and connecting with their communities, Lucy has used product and design to create a space that feels unique, and caters to their specific community. Building a product that can sometimes confuse people (wait - I can only talk on Wednesday?!), I loved these product design insights from Lucy’s interview with Natasha Gillezeau: 📈 Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable: Pioneered by Raymond Loewy, product design should be innovative, whilst accessible and familiar. In essence, as advanced as your target customer is willing to accept. The iPhone is a great example of this, providing incremental changes over time, whilst maintaining enough of the previous design so that it is familiar. ⬇ Less is More: Build on the assumption that your users have no idea what your product is. The more features, the more complexity, the greater the barrier to adoption. Strip things back, listen to your users and your metrics, find your 1-2 key features driving value and stickiness and double down. 👌 Selective perfectionism: Work smarter. Some features will require significant A/B testing and iterating and others won’t. Have a framework to understand the demand, value and ROI you are creating to guide what will move the dial and where to invest your time. Via Missing Perspectives

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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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Artificial intelligence is tipped to be the big breakthrough to help modernise Australia's sheep sector. While other industries have benefited from greater mechanisation, grazing enterprises have not seen the same gains. But now, scientists like Mark Ferguson say AI could be the next big thing for sheep farmers. Check out the cool video in this story. It shows AI using facial recognition (no, not all sheep look the same) to work out who is who in the zoo (well, farm) and adding $$ to farm enterprises. And it's not pie in the sky stuff, the program will be released this year. https://lnkd.in/g8iUaspd

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Did you know that ChatGPT is estimated to use 564MWh of electricity a day, or about as much as 33,000 average Australian households? AI use is not only directly responsible for carbon emissions from electricity but for the consumption of millions of gallons of fresh water required to cool data servers.  Increasingly, businesses will be held to account. But what of each of us who relies daily on AI-powered apps and technology? What is your SME doing to balance data use and sustainability? #sustainability #AI #energycrisis #climatecrisis #globalwarming

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It was an honor to share insights on our Global Unicorn Investment Strategy on AFR. Since 2018, we've provided Australian investors access to top global tech unicorns like Airbnb, DJI, Klarna, and Stripe. In the AI era, we're observing significant transformations: AI performance is rapidly improving, costs are decreasing, and businesses and users are increasingly embracing AI, signaling a new era of productivity revolution. Since 2022, we've actively engaged in this space, witnessing the growth of companies like Databricks, Rich Data Corp, and OpenAI. Looking forward, we are committed to amplifying our efforts in this domain, eager to explore new applications and drive substantial economic value. #GlobalInvestment #TechUnicorns #AI #ProductivityRevolution

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This is INSANE 🔥 news! Calling all Australian innovators - startups, scaleups, ecosystem enablers, operators, investors and corporate innovation leaders. We are thrilled to announce that Jumpstart Studio & Press Play Ventures are co-hosting the Australian Delegation to the world's most powerful tech event - CES - along with Capgemini! In January 2025, CES - the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50+ years and the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace, is coming back to Las Vegas . . . . and this time, Australian Innovators, you are invited 💌 Powered by the Consumer Technology Association, and with a social media reach of 28.5 BILLION in 2024, CES connects innovators, decision makers, media, influencers, visionaries, and potential customers across the entire tech ecosystem. This is where brands get business done, meet new partners and where the industry’s sharpest minds take the stage to unveil their latest releases and boldest breakthroughs. With 138,000+ attendees and 4,300+ exhibitors, this is the place to be if you want to: - Globally showcase your technology products - Stand side-by-side with the world's most disruptive innovators - Promote your brand through curated opportunities to connect with influencers and prospective partners This year, the event hosted some of the biggest household and industry brand names . . . like Amazon, Walmart, Microsoft, Lenovo, Best Buy, Costco, Siemens, Verizon, L'Oreal, Snap, Intel, Qualcomm, Belkin, Autodesk, Moderna, Hyundai, Pinterest, TikTok. . . . you name it. If you are looking to partner with any of them or looking to get a foot in the door to do business . . . .then this is where you should be next year. 42% attendees reported were from the B2B space and 20% in the B2C, with the biggest industries being AI, Vehicle Tech, IoT, Smart Homes, AR/VR, Robotics, Energy Tech, Advertising/Marketing, Digital Health, Cloud Computing, Fitness, Cybersecurity, AudioTech, Gaming, 3D Printing & Sustainability. In 2025, thanks to Chris H., Australian innovators and ecosystem enablers can access CES at a subsidised rate - this includes access to the show floors, 6-nights accommodation and exclusive closed-door meetings and events. More info here: https://lnkd.in/g-6b2n4u At Press Play Ventures and Jumpstart Studio we are keen to see more women founders and migrant founders become part of this trade mission. If you are or know a woman/migrant founder who would love to be part of the Australian Delegation to this global event, please nominate them here: https://lnkd.in/gd9WsegF Applications and nominations close on 26th October, and the delegation to Las Vegas will be from 6th-12th January 2025. Super excited to co-host this delegation and we can't wait to take Australia to the world ❤️ Dheeren Vélu Isaac Jeffries Poonam Advani Preethi Mohan Chris H. #entrepreneurship #startups #australia

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Thanks to the AJCAI 2024 conference and the AI at Melbourne Colloquium for hosting a cracking conversation about inclusive and responsible AI today. My key takeaways... - addressing harmful biases is not just a data and math problem, we it is one that needs attention across the lifecycle of the initiative - we all have biases. Some are useful and some are harmful. When designing and running AI systems we need to be aware of our biases and eliminate the harmful ones - but who determines what is harmful? - more than 50% of AI efforts fail to go past pilots, mainly because trust is lost. Without trust CSAT drops, employee churn goes up, brand reputation diminishes and the organisation may incur penalties from regulators - knowledge, skills and literacies are critical capabilities for inclusive AI. And so much more that can't fit in a linkedin post. Thanks to the fantastic speakers for sharing their wisdom: Jeannie Marie Paterson Anthony McCosker Rahil Garnavi, PhD. Rita Arrigo Geoff Webb #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AtomEthics #ResponsibleAI

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Looking to understand the #EUAIAct and impact to NZ innovators and businesses? Check out our new EU AI Act resources page! https://lnkd.in/gG7RiYAB 🌟 Available Now 📗 Overview - An overview of the AI Act, what it is and why you should care 📗 Scope - A look at how and when the AI Act applies 📗 Prohibited AI Systems - The AI systems that are banned for presenting "unacceptable risks" 🚀 Coming Soon 📒 High-risk AI Systems 📒 General Purpose AI Models 📒 How to prepare Resources authored by Frith Tweedie ✍ expert on AI Governance and Responsible AI and initiative supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, AI Forum NZ and Institute of Directors in New Zealand

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