Startup events over recent years have increased in popularity as more founders and entrepreneurs attend to hear industry trends and network with others in the ecosystem. Looking ahead to 2017, what events will set the agenda for Australia’s small but thriving startup community in the year to come?
Wild Digital: Tech In Asia | 20-21 February
As part of a global series, the Wild Digital Conference serves as a platform for prominent figures in the digital and internet world to put forward their ambitions for how to foster and create truly innovative startups. With a regional focus, high-profile speakers include Freelancer CEO Matt Barrie, Blackbird Ventures Co-Founder Nicki Scevat and Google ANZ Manging Director Jason Pellegrino. The event provides for ample networking opportunities and the chance to hear thought leaders in the space speak on their predictions and industry trends.
Women in VC Forum | 23 February
Convened by InnovationAus.com, the Women in VC Forum aims to raise awareness of and address the entrenched and new challenges that female entrepreneurs, founders, and venture capitalists all respectively face in their business operations. Speaking from a female point of view, panellists will discuss best practice approaches to deal sourcing, portfolio management and fundraising, to name but a few of the areas covered.
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Having a specific focus on fintech and finance, the AltFi summit will see attendees ranging from regulators, service providers, and international lending platforms all gathering to examine the direction, prospects and obstacles of the sector in 2017. The event offers a wide variety of business development, educational and networking opportunities for those in the alternative finance space.
The Startup Games | 28 February
Taking its inspiration partly from the Hunger Games, the Startup Games involves early stage companies vying for an all-expense paid trip to the UK as they pitch for virtual capital and gain professional mentoring as part of the competition. The event is an initiative of the UK’s Global Entrepreneur Programme and the winner is placed in an immersion program within the local ecosystem, where they meet with experts, visit accelerators and learn about doing business the market.
Startup Weekend: H2 Ventures | 3-5 March
Running participants through the whole array of business processes involved in a startup’s life cycle, H2 Ventures’ startup weekend dedicates 52 hrs to providing insights into, amongst other things, developing a business plan, pitching and investment attraction strategies. For prospective founders considering whether they should take this first step, Startup Weekend acts as an ideal testing ground to gauge if they should launch a venture.
Myriad | 29-31 March
Hosted at the Brisbane Powerhouse, the Myriad conference is part of a successful franchise of innovation conferences coming to QLD. The event is part of the effort to re-enforce the state’s welcoming entrepreneurial environment and follows the extremely well-received Advance Queensland Innovation, and Investment Summit held last year. The guest list is expected to include a broad range of international and Australian delegates invited to experience the commercial benefits QLD has to offer for founders.
Spark Festival | 13-22 October
Spark Festival comprises 15 types of startup events, encompassing workshops, information sessions, presentations, pitching competitions and hackathons. The event is an open to all audiences, encouraging attendance from both veteran and aspiring entrepreneurs whether they be students or established corporate professionals or curious souls looking to discover the scene.
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Australia’s startup ecosystem is still in its infancy, and it’s all the more important for those already involved or wanting to join it to build engagement and a sense of community within it. If you would like your event added to this list or would like to request assistance from a startup lawyer, get in touch with the form on this page.
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