The Startup Ecosystem of Australia

Australia has 14 cities in the top 1000 and has a vibrant startup scene that ranks 9th within the competitive global top 10.

COUNTRY RANKING

Since 2023, Australia lost 1 spot in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, having now positioned itself as 9th worldwide.

Population

25.9
Million

Regional Ranking

1st
0
In Australia and Oceania

Global Ranking

9th
-
1
Worldwide

Ecosystem

Startup Ecosystem Overview

Sydney, Opera House during daytime
Australia has a solid startup ecosystem with some of the country’s startups producing well known global brands, such as Canva and Atlassian. While Australia has a fairly small population considering the country’s geographical size, it still manages to attract overseas talent. Australia enjoys a smart and proactive approach from its federal and state governments, both supporting the growth of its startup ecosystems. Multiple public sector organizations are actively involved in the startup scene. Some of the most notable initiatives come from organizations such as the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, the NSW Government, LaunchVvic, and Sunshine Coast Innovation Hub.
When it comes to advantages for entrepreneurs, Australia offers the Provisional visa for Business Innovation and Investment, which allows startup entrepreneurs to stay in the country for up to 5 years. Another advantage of Australia is the direct involvement of universities in the development of the city ecosystems, which adds to the inertia of creating an entrepreneurial culture. The universities also play an important role in forging connections that improve funding and opportunities for startups.
The time zone difference and the traveling time between Australia, the United States and Europe creates challenges when it comes to partnerships and integrated remote teams. On the other hand, opportunities are coming in from Asian markets which operate within similar time zones and are in relatively close proximity. All in all, Australia has several factors that make a thriving startup scene, including a talented and educated workforce, excellent business environment, investment, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

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ECOSYSTEM

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Ecosystem

The Startup Ecosystem in Australia

Our startup ecosystem map for Australia includes a sample of 1721 tech companies. We have identified as unicorns 9 startups that have passed the USD 1 billion valuations. Contributing to the vitality of this startup ecosystem are the 2 pantheon member entities.

Global Rank

Australia is ranked within the top 10 startup ecosystems globally.

Top Industries

Australia’s startup scene is best represented in Education, Marketing & Sales, and in Software and and Data.

Top Cities for Startups in Australia - Ranked by StartupBlink
StartupBlink ranks the startup ecosystems of 100 countries and 1,000 cities. Download our latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report.
Rows:
2023 National Rank & Change ▲
Access subscores for 1000 cities and 100 countries
2023 National Rank & Change City
search leaderboards icon
Global Rank & ChangeTotal ScoreQuantity ScoreQuality ScoreBusiness Score
1st
0
38th
0
19.121
00.00
00.00
00.00
2nd
0
42nd
0
16.554
00.00
00.00
00.00
3rd
0
98th
+
3
7.253
00.00
00.00
00.00
4th
0
191st
-
25
3.139
00.00
00.00
00.00
5th
+
1
230th
+
13
2.191
00.00
00.00
00.00
6th
-
1
246th
-
7
1.997
00.00
00.00
00.00
7th
0
354th
+
1
0.985
00.00
00.00
00.00
8th
0
404th
-
37
0.794
00.00
00.00
00.00
9th
+
1
554th
+
68
0.412
00.00
00.00
00.00
10th
-
1
567th
-
24
0.390
00.00
00.00
00.00
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Startups

Notable Startups in Australia
Employment Hero startup icon
Employment Hero
Paws for Life startup icon
Paws for Life
Campaign Monitor startup icon
Campaign Monitor

Startups

Successful Education startups in Australia
Edrolo startup icon
Edrolo
Moodle startup icon
Moodle
Cluey Learning startup icon
Cluey Learning

Startups

Startups Ranking by Industry

Education icon
Education
#5 worldwide

On our map, you can explore a total of 564 startups for Education.

Marketing & Sales icon
Marketing & Sales
#7 worldwide

In Australia and Oceania, Australia's Marketing & Sales is in top 7. Australia has a concentration of about 218 of the region's total Marketing & Sales startups that are represented on our map.

Software and Data icon
Software and Data
#7 worldwide

Australia's Software and Data is ranked 7th in the world. Our database contains 184 for this industry.

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