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Prism Geo · Australia · Victoria · Melbourne · The startup picture in Melbourne
Startups · Melbourne

The startup picture in Melbourne

Everything startup in one place: who's building, how the landscape clusters, the people and investors behind it, and whether the capital is real.

Summary

Venture backing exists at scale but is not the norm. Among 17351 tracked companies, 1413 have ever raised outside money, against Sydney’s funded-startup count of 2302. Melbourne has depth, but much of its business population remains outside venture finance.

WATCH Watch whether more newly formed companies move from unfunded status to outside backing.
Summary

Company formation is lively, but survival is the harder story. Some 4043 companies were founded since 2018, while 12.3% of all tracked companies have shut down. Most businesses remain unfunded, making this a large but uneven entrepreneurial field.

WATCH Watch whether recent founders survive long enough to reduce the city’s persistent company churn.
Who's building in Melbourne
Rio Tinto logo
RT

Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto: Sustainable Mining for Global Industry

est. 1873 · 50,000 staff · raised outside money
Jean Sebastien Jacques — Ex-CEO
Simon Trott — Chief Executive
ANZ logo
A

ANZ

Commercial bank providing banking and financial products and services

est. 1835 · 44,896 staff · raised outside money
Pooja Prakash —
National Australia Bank logo
NA

National Australia Bank

Commercial bank for consumers and businesses

est. 1981 · 33,000 staff · raised outside money
Ross McEwan — CEO · BS Massey University
Amanda Angelini — Managing Director
Telstra logo
T

Telstra

Provider of broadband internet, mobile phones, and streaming services

est. 1901 · 27,015 staff · raised outside money
Vicki Brady — CEO
CSL logo
C

CSL

Specialty pharma company engaged in bio therapeutics

est. 1916 · 22,000 staff · raised outside money
Paul McKenzie — CEO
Healthscope logo
H

Healthscope

Healthscope: Traditional Private Hospital Operator

est. 1985 · 19,000 staff · raised outside money
Seow Richard — CEO & Director
Robert Cooke — CEO & Director
Crown Resorts logo
CR

Crown Resorts

Premium Casino Resort Experience

est. 1994 · 15,600 staff · raised outside money
Martha Georgiou — Group Executive General Manager · University of Melbourne
John Wielen — Chairman · MBA The University of Western Australia
JB Hi-Fi logo
JH

JB Hi-Fi

Apple: Enriching lives through innovative technology and products

est. 1974 · 12,564 staff · raised outside money
Richard Murray — Group CEO
Lendlease logo
L

Lendlease

Non-profit supporting women in construction trades

est. 1958 · 10,825 staff · raised outside money
Steve McCann — Ex:CEO
Claire Johnston — CEO
Global Health logo
GH

Global Health

Developers of software applications for the healthcare industry in Australia

est. 1985 · 10,538 staff · raised outside money
Mathew Cherian — Founder & CEO
The Just Group logo
TJ

The Just Group

Just Jeans: A Trusted Fashion Brand Since 1970

est. 1970 · 9,000 staff · raised outside money
Mark Mcinnes — CEO
Premier Investments logo
PI

Premier Investments

PE firm focused on retail, consumer products and wholesale businesses

est. 1970 · 9,000 staff · raised outside money
Solomon Lew — Chairman & Non Executive Director
Mark McInnes — Executive Director
Cleanaway logo
C

Cleanaway

Community-driven platform for sustainable future news and resources

est. 1989 · 7,500 staff · raised outside money
Vik Bansal — CEO & MD · Mba - Master Of Business Administration Deakin
La Trobe University logo
LT

La Trobe University

University's traditional program finder

est. 1967 · 7,422 staff · raised outside money
John Dewar — CEO & President
Kinetic logo
K

Kinetic

Operator of buses

est. 1978 · 7,400 staff · raised outside money
Michael Sewards — Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Adam Begg — Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Australian Unity logo
AU

Australian Unity

Australian Unity: Integrated Financial Wellbeing Platform

est. 1840 · 7,000 staff · raised outside money
David Bryant — CEO & CIO
Darren Dawson — General Manager
Computershare logo
C

Computershare

Global issuer services platform

est. 1978 · 6,317 staff · raised outside money
Steven R​othbloom — CEO
Incitec Pivot logo
IP

Incitec Pivot

Incitec Pivot: Global Resources and Agriculture Leader

est. 1919 · 5,822 staff · raised outside money
Jeanne Johns — CEO & MD
Bega Cheese logo
BC

Bega Cheese

Bega Cheese: Traditional Dairy Processing

est. 1899 · 3,900 staff · raised outside money
Paul van Heerwaarden — CEO
The Reject Shop logo
TR

The Reject Shop

Discount Variety Retailer

est. 1981 · 3,709 staff · raised outside money
Ron Hall — Co-Founder
John Shuster — Co-Founder
Altus Traffic logo
AT

Altus Traffic

ALTUS TRAFFIC: Australia's Largest Traffic Control Services Provider

est. 2002 · 3,700 staff · raised outside money
Ben Marsonet — CEO
David Lundberg — Founder & Owner
AGL logo
A

AGL

Acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Lands

est. 1837 · 3,470 staff · raised outside money
Andy Vesey — CEO & MD
Damien Nicks — CEO
M2 Group logo
MG

M2 Group

Fixed-line telecom and electricity services provider

est. 1999 · 2,960 staff · raised outside money
Vaughan Garfield Bowen — Co-Founder
Peter Mac logo
PM

Peter Mac

Australia's leading cancer center empowering patients and supporting clinicians.

est. 1950 · 2,941 staff · raised outside money
Dale Fisher — CEO
The startup landscape, clustered
cluster · 3745 companies

Business Services

706 founded since 2018 · 107 funded

Sub-themes
it services · 941marketing services · 805hr services · 560management consulting services · 298legal services · 263facility management services · 155

e.g. spotless group, NTT, King & Wood Mallesons

cluster · 1846 companies

Enterprise Applications

590 founded since 2018 · 203 funded

Sub-themes
hrtech · 459marketingtech · 341saas · 254enterprise software · 251sales force automation · 91grc software · 88

e.g. Orica, SEEK, First Impression

cluster · 1796 companies

Consumer

494 founded since 2018 · 131 funded

Sub-themes
fashion tech · 277b2c e-commerce · 266professional consumer services · 237local services · 158sports tech · 129online travel · 119

e.g. australia post, repco, Carsales

cluster · 1232 companies

Retail

394 founded since 2018 · 112 funded

Sub-themes
fashion tech · 279mom & baby care · 133b2c e-commerce · 121beauty tech · 117horizontal e-commerce · 92home improvements · 78

e.g. JB Hi-Fi, The Just Group, The Reject Shop

cluster · 910 companies

Real Estate And Construction

117 founded since 2018 · 25 funded

Sub-themes
real estate & infrastructure developers · 189real estate brokers · 132architects · 100facility management services · 93building materials · 87construction management services · 78

e.g. Lendlease, Aurecon, sinclair knight merz

cluster · 895 companies

Fintech

305 founded since 2018 · 174 funded

Sub-themes
investment tech · 265cryptocurrencies · 136finance & accounting tech · 131payments · 119alternative lending · 94banking tech · 56

e.g. Coles Financials service, Computershare, Keycorp

cluster · 875 companies

Consumer Goods

178 founded since 2018 · 53 funded

Sub-themes
food & beverage products · 216beauty & personal care products · 133apparel brands · 105home furnishing products · 83alcoholic beverage products · 59baby & kids products · 54

e.g. Obela, The Just Group, Bega Cheese

cluster · 864 companies

Financial Services

97 founded since 2018 · 41 funded

Sub-themes
asset management · 304finance & accounting services · 133services for investment industry · 92consumer and sme loans · 90nbfc lenders · 81service providers to banks · 67

e.g. ANZ, National Australia Bank, Australian Unity

cluster · 723 companies

Healthcare

94 founded since 2018 · 63 funded

Sub-themes
clinic chains · 109rehabilitation and long-term care · 105clinics · 72services for healthcare providers · 56fitness and wellness centers · 45biopharma outsourcing · 39

e.g. CSL, Healthscope, Monash Health

cluster · 685 companies

Healthtech

265 founded since 2018 · 108 funded

Sub-themes
healthcare it · 232fitness & wellness tech · 154healthcare booking platforms · 130disease self management · 96wearable technology · 47employee health it · 43

e.g. Global Health, catapult, Seer

Business models in play
diversified · 2961horizontal · 1613suite · 965full service marketing agency · 743internet first brand · 655multi category · 613multi-category · 436retailer · 395application development · 354marketplace · 352b2c commerce · 346end to end services · 294
The people behind them
Founder & BackgroundRoleCompany
Ross McEwan
Ex-CEO RBS, Commonwealth Bank, AXA, National Mutual. Massey University BS
CEONational Australia Bank
Amanda Angelini
Nab Ventures, ex-Rtgs, ex-Mastercard, New York University, 2006
Managing DirectorNational Australia Bank
Martha Georgiou
Crown Resorts, ex-Westpac, National Australia Bank. University of Melbourne LLB 1995
Group Executive General ManagerCrown Resorts
John Wielen
Ex-Friends Life, Lloyds Banking Group, The Blackstone Group. The University of Western Australia MBA 2001
ChairmanCrown Resorts
Mathew Cherian
Global Health, ex-Medical Software Industry Association, ex-Working Systems Solutions, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, 198
Founder & CEOGlobal Health
Vik Bansal
Ex-Valmont, OneSteel. Deakin University MBA 1996
CEO & MDCleanaway
Michael Clarke
Ex-Quiksilver, Wolseley, CEO Premier Foods, President Kraft Foods. University of Cape Town BComm
CEO & MDTWE Global
Daniel Agostinelli
Ghetto Shoes, Sanity.
CEOAccent Group
Michael O'Keeffe
CEO Aesop, ex-N M Rothschild & Sons, Accenture, Philips. La Trobe University BSc 1992, London Business School MBA 1998
CEOAesop
Andrew Walsh
ex-Vision FPS, Mercer. University of Sydney
CEOIress
Michael Harrison
Ex-Reuters,Bridge Information Systems,Dow Jones Telerate.
Managing DirectorIress
Ian Kadish
Integral Diagnostics, ex-CEO Laverty Pathology, Global Healthcare Consulting Solutions, Greencross. University of the Witwatersran
CEO & MDIntegral Diagnostics
Scott Wyatt
Ex-Shell. Victoria University of Wellington BCA 1987
CEOViva Energy
Darcy McLennan
Ex-Linklaters. Monash University B.A 2015
Viva Energy
Scott Charlton
Ex-Lend Lease, Leighton Holdings, Deutsche Bank.
CEOTransurban
Xavier Simonet
Ex- CEO Radley + Co, DBApparel Group, Seafolly. HEC Paris, Sciences Po
CEO & Managing DirectorKathmandu
Bob Belan
Ex-Bain, Symple Loans, ANZ, JPMorgan Chase, American Express. Western University BA 2000, Columbia Business School MBA 2008
CEO & MDLatitude Financial Services
Ahmed Fahour
Chairman Pro-Pac Packaging, BCG Digital Ventures, ex-Director Boston Consulting, MD iFormation. La Trobe University, University of
CEO & MDLatitude Financial Services
John Paitaridis
Airlock Digital, ex-Tandem, MD Optus, Telstra. Monash University BEc
Chief Executive Officer and FounderCyberCX
Greg Roebuck
Chargefox, Pentana Solutions, Walkinshaw Automotive Group, ex-Reynolds & Reynolds. RMIT 1980
Ex-CEO & Managing DirectorCarsales

backgrounds shown where available

Investors active in Melbourne

83 investors are on record backing Melbourne companies. The most committed:

Most active — backed 2+ companies
Institutional
One Ventures · VC fundELM Responsible Investments · VC fundGandel Invest · VC fundMagnetar · VC fundClearsign Capital · VC fund
Private & corporate backers
Argo InvestmentsAUIDjerriwarrhWhitefieldGreyrock InvestmentsAMCILCarlton InvestmentsCVCNorthStar ImpactEuropa+ 68 more

hover a name to see who they backed

Venture capital
Funded startups — peer cities
Companies that have raised
CompanyIndustryRoundsLatest RoundFounded
Transurbantransportation/trucking/railroad12016-101995
Incitec Pivotchemicals22010-111919
Affinity Healthhospital & health care12004-032003
Latitude Financial Servicesother financial services22015-012015
Witcheryretail12006-061972
Oricamining & metals12009-031874
QuickFeefinancial services12015-06
AusNet Servicesutilities32018-022005
AmazingCoevents services32019-092016
La Trobe Universityhigher education22018-121967
Milk & Cohealth, wellness and fitness12012-072008
Bluethumbarts and crafts22017-042009
Femtekhealth, wellness and fitness22024-032019
Doshiiinformation technology and services12017-012015
microFleetautomotive12023-082021
Livac Ptymedical devices12021-052010
Molopo Energyoil & energy12010-041986
Recova Wearapparel & fashion22019-012016
Yume Foodbusiness/productivity software12024-012014
Zamirapharmaceuticals0—2008
Zaqinternet0—2012
Zebra Braine-learning0—2023
Zed Technologieshospital & health care12014-022011
Zenith-ComCinformation technology and services0—2018
Zenith Investment Partnersfinancial services1—2002

round amounts sparse for tier-3 cities — counts shown, dollar totals withheld

Founded by year
2026: 3200820263
Stages
Recent founds (2018+)
CompanyIndustryFoundedEmployees
Relyablecomputer software2026—
AV Consultingconsulting services (b2b)2026—
Hatched Digital Agencymarketing and advertising2026—
Facet Laneluxury goods & jewelry2025—
Twinscribeinternet2025—
Know Your Marketmarketing and advertising2025—
Studytwineducation management2025—
CrowdVisioninformation technology and services2025—
Sales Chatbotscomputer software2025—
Canonikainformation technology and services2025—
ExpandIQinformation technology and services2025—
A2Z Cleaning Servicesconsumer services2025—
Anzo Capitalfinancial services2025—
AO Venturesventure capital & private equity2025—
Arch Aethercomputer & network security2025—
Ayyzacomputer software2025—
Baraondarestaurants2025—
Cryptomeshfinancial services2025—
Cu Solutions Australiaelectrical/electronic manufacturing2025—
Dvana Realmapparel & fashion2025—

gate: ≥150 companies & ≥20 recent founds — passed (17351/4043)

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