Student Startup

Funding Report '23

A first step in creating a platform to encourage and empower Australia's next generation of founders at the grassroots level

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"There has never been a more exciting time to be a student founder or get involved in the ecosystem. This generational trend at our universities is only going to amplify, there is no stopping it"

Mitchell Hughes, Co-Founder

Collaborators

Thank you,

to all our supporters

We are committed to enhancing understanding of the university innovation landscape, breaking down biases, fostering more informed decision-making, and amplifying support at the grassroots level. As Australia’s ecosystem evolves, it is crucial that the expansion of support infrastructure within our universities keeps pace with the rapid development of the broader ecosystem. After all, the future generation of Australian investors, operators, and founders is currently ascending through our educational institutions.

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The exciting thing about student founders is that they are creative and have fresh ideas. They know lots of problems faced by young people first hand. They are fearless and ambitious. Students are natives with emerging technology, and have a strong learning mindset. 
Jodie Imam
Co-founder at Tractor Ventures
As the Australian startup ecosystem grows it’s critically important we support young entrepreneurs with pathways to get in, whether that’s as a founder, employee or supporter. Young, inquisitive minds are critical for challenging the status quo and finding new and improved ways to operate and solve big problems.
Paul Naphtali
Co-founder at Rampersand
It’s truly exciting to see students no longer confined to traditional career paths their parents tell them to pursue such as law, consulting, or banking. Today, they can embrace the world of startups, building out incredible skillsets and autonomy from Day 1. Students should be the ones starting companies as it is their own and Australia’s future they are now able to shape.
Michael Batko
CEO at Startmate
Investing in young entrepreneurs, either during university or immediately after graduation, offers a unique opportunity for investors. These young founders often question established systems, challenge norms, and embrace new technologies, leading to fresh perspectives that their more experienced counterparts will miss. The Australian venture capital and angel investor ecosystem has, to date, shown reluctance to invest in entrepreneurs without professional runs on the board; however, as more student-led startup success stories emerge, I expect a shift in this attitude.
Chris Gillings
Venture Capital at Five V Capital - Founder at Cut Through Venture
First things first, I must say that the state of the student founder ecosystem is looking pretty damn good. It's come a long way in the last 10 years, and I believe that we are just getting started with another major growth spurt. So students, if you're interested in becoming an entrepreneur or working for a startup, now is the time to start exploring your options.
Tom Smalley
Investment Director at Skalata Ventures
History tells us that first-time student founders are one of the most valuable ingredients of any innovation ecosystem – just look at the biggest companies in the world and how they got started from Apple to Atlassian, Canva to Google. From the experience gained through success and failure, I'm excited to see more students take the riskier path
James Alexander
Co-founder and Partner at Galileo Ventures
Students and new graduates are students of the theoretical future, and spend all their time thinking about what the future might hold - because it will be theirs. This places them at a huge advantage to build companies for that future, and before the rest of us have ever thought about. What excites me most about this founder ecosystem is the opportunity to help them build that future
Maxine Minter
GP at Co Ventures

The exciting thing about student founders is that they are creative and have fresh ideas. They know lots of problems faced by young people first hand. They are fearless and ambitious. Students are natives with emerging technology, and have a strong learning mindset. 
Jodie Imam
Co-founder at Tractor Ventures
As the Australian startup ecosystem grows it’s critically important we support young entrepreneurs with pathways to get in, whether that’s as a founder, employee or supporter. Young, inquisitive minds are critical for challenging the status quo and finding new and improved ways to operate and solve big problems.
Paul Naphtali
Co-founder at Rampersand
It’s truly exciting to see students no longer confined to traditional career paths their parents tell them to pursue such as law, consulting, or banking. Today, they can embrace the world of startups, building out incredible skillsets and autonomy from Day 1. Students should be the ones starting companies as it is their own and Australia’s future they are now able to shape.
Michael Batko
CEO at Startmate
Investing in young entrepreneurs, either during university or immediately after graduation, offers a unique opportunity for investors. These young founders often question established systems, challenge norms, and embrace new technologies, leading to fresh perspectives that their more experienced counterparts will miss. The Australian venture capital and angel investor ecosystem has, to date, shown reluctance to invest in entrepreneurs without professional runs on the board; however, as more student-led startup success stories emerge, I expect a shift in this attitude.
Chris Gillings
Venture Capital at Five V Capital - Founder at Cut Through Venture
First things first, I must say that the state of the student founder ecosystem is looking pretty damn good. It's come a long way in the last 10 years, and I believe that we are just getting started with another major growth spurt. So students, if you're interested in becoming an entrepreneur or working for a startup, now is the time to start exploring your options.
Tom Smalley
Investment Director at Skalata Ventures
History tells us that first-time student founders are one of the most valuable ingredients of any innovation ecosystem – just look at the biggest companies in the world and how they got started from Apple to Atlassian, Canva to Google. From the experience gained through success and failure, I'm excited to see more students take the riskier path
James Alexander
Co-founder and Partner at Galileo Ventures
Students and new graduates are students of the theoretical future, and spend all their time thinking about what the future might hold - because it will be theirs. This places them at a huge advantage to build companies for that future, and before the rest of us have ever thought about. What excites me most about this founder ecosystem is the opportunity to help them build that future
Maxine Minter
GP at Co Ventures

The Rise of Student Entrepreneurship and Startups

Transformational movements can be particularly seen in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, which are also known hubs within the greater Australian startup ecosystem.

3x

As many Australian university students intend on becoming founders during or directly after their studies than a decade ago

57%

of Australian university students express desires to create or join a startup

5x

increase in student inquiries at ecosystem champions like Fishburners

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Are you looking for investment?

Our doors (or inboxes) are always open! If you're a young Aussie founder bursting with ambition, we want to hear from you. Even if it's just a kernel of an idea, please don't think it's too early to reach out.

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NextGen sits at the forefront of the acceleration of our ecosystem at the grassroots level, creating a ripple effect that both financially benefits our LPs and transforms our startup ecosystem into a hub for ambitious young Aussies to thrive.

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