TWISTA - This Week in Startups Australia

Since 2013, Australia's Startup Muster report has been an eagerly-awaited snapshot of the state of the national startup ecosystem. Murray Hurps - who oversees Startup Muster under one of the many hats he wears - joins TWISTA to talk through the insights in the report - which can be downloaded at startupmuster.com. As you can imagine, there's a lot of AI - but which states are doing the best? And how can the ecosystem do better? And finally - after more then a decade and two hundred plus episodes, I've decided to call time on THIS WEEK IN STARTUPS AUSTRALIA. This will be our last show. Big thanks to all the folks who helped me through the years to keep it going - you all know who you are. On to other challenges!

In the three years since TWISTA's last investor special we've seen the end of the zero-interest rate environment, a severe inflationary shock - and much more besides. For at least two years raising investment as a startup was harder than it had been in nearly a generation. Is that tumult over? And what have we learned from it? We talk to Aussie Angels founder Cheryl Mack and Jelix Ventures co-founder and CEO Andrea Gardner - and get some great answers.

The biggest change in Australia's tech ecosystem over the last decade has been the rise and rise of 'deep tech' - products and services from the frontiers of research. It's slow, expensive - and world-changing. Burl Aerospace co-founder and CEO Crighton Nichols reckons it's about time for a revolutionary rethink of air transportation - and Burl's transformative designs demonstrate of what's possible in aviation, when you come at it with a clear mind and deep domain knowledge. Getting from prototype to full-scale flying product? Yeah, it's doable - but it's not easy. We're going deep and flying high on THIS WEEK IN STARTUPS AUSTRALIA.

Can a startup serve a community first and still thrive? Brian Lim's PollenOne offers free, searchable database of grants and tenders - first for Australia, and eventually for every country where Australian startups can do business with governments (including the USA, UK, Singapore, and several others). Just getting the data is a big ask - once you have it, how do you monetise it - while respecting your users? Brian Lim walks the tightrope between doing good and doing well on THIS WEEK IN STARTUPS AUSTRALIA.

TWISTA tiptoes back across the Tasman to talk to another startup at the 2025 Canterbury Tech Summit. Rivir manufactures a box that provides satellite data access to field-connected sensors of the sort often found in agriculture and mining. So far so good - but what happens when your satellite provider gets bought by StarLink which 'deorbits' their constellation? We talk to Rivir co-founder Donna Henderson about negotiating satellites, telcos and investors - on this episode of THIS WEEK IN STARTUPS AUSTRALIA.

Sick of carrying a folder of SIMs as he traveled the world, Scott King reckoned he could do better - and did. ZapMe gives users a single number that's always available in any country - and always routes to their mobile. It's a great beginning - in a market filled with regulators and massive competitors. How can you build a successful startup in such a contested environment? TWISTA asks - and gets some unexpected answers.

Jevon LeRoux's startup Keeyu uses 'agentic' AI to revolutionise how online businesses work with their customers. The outcome of deep domain knowledge, LeRoux wants Keeyu to be a platform for the whole business - well beyond the sales channel. Can he get there? And what does it take to succeed an AI-centred startup? Big thanks to SxSW Sydney - where I saw Jevon pitch Keeyu!

TWISTA swims across the ditch to talk with Steve Leftly, founder of Kiwi startup Myovolt - (https://myovolt.com/). Straddling the line between medtech and consumer wearable, Myovolt offers both pain relief and faster rehabilitation for folks with muscle strains and injuries. But building a startup with a medical focus means regulations, certifications - and investors prepared to bide their time. How's that work? Recorded live from the show floor at the 2025 Canterbury Tech Summit - big thanks to those folks for making it all come together!

After a bit of a pause, THIS WEEK IN STARTUPS AUSTRALIA returns with its annual preview of Spark Festival - sparkfestival.co - with Spark Festival board member and TWISTA 'guardian angel' Murray Hurps, and communications director Paul Wallbank. We go through the festival, then pivot to an examination of the state of the startup community, following the closure of the York Street startup hub. Spark Festival - https://sparkfestival.co

In TWISTA's Series 10 final, Playful Purpose MD Julie Trell joins us to highlight some of the most impressive WORLDCHANGING startups. Then, LAUNCH's Molly Wood tells us how she approaches the task of investing in WORLDCHANGING climatech businesses. Finally, we unveil the BIG theme for TWISTA Series 11. We're reviewing, summing up, and looking forward. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista

Pioneera's Danielle Owen Whitford and Tahnee Claeys wanted to find a way to alleviate workplace stress and burnout. Their solution, 'Indi', helps employees recognise stressful moments and situations - and offers guidance to them. TWISTA asks whether can managers integrate Pioneera to make workplaces more positive - and more productive? That's why Pioneera is TWISTA's tenth and final WORLDCHANGING startup of Series 10. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista

Cheryl Mack spent the long 2021 lockdown developing all of the infrastructure to allow any sophisticated Australian investor to create or join a syndicate. Aussie Angeles provides a new, radically open platform to connect investors to early-stage startups - revolutionising the investment landscape. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia

Has 2022 gone to plan? We ask Galileo Ventures co-founder James Alexander and Tech Central Executive Director Annie Parker for their reflections and insights. Then SPARK Festival director Maxine Sherrin shares the high points of an incredible program for anyone interested in startups. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista

TWISTA talks to Slurry Tub Chairman Angus Hudson. Angus dreamed up a solution to 'wet slurry' generated in nearly all construction work, methodically developed a solution, and now looks to scaling into global growth with his WORLDCHANGING innovation. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia

TWISTA talks to Like Family co-founder Mat Bertrand about a WORLDCHANGING idea - we can use technology to help us coordinate the web of caring for those we love. Can Like Family scale caring into a profitable global enterprise? Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista

TWISTA talks to Tide co-founder and CEO Michael Loewy about his startup's revolutionary new technology - one that could promise highly secure and tamper-resistant data stores - for businesses, for users - and for the world in search of good solutions to accelerating cyber-threats. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/australia UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey created defense startup Anduril Industries as a fast, cheap and out-of-control response to the slow-moving and technologically backward defense 'primes'. Can Anduril really earn billions while saving taxpapers hundreds of millions? Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/twista

TWISTA learns about an exciting development in Australia's startup ecosystem - Sydney's Tech Central - from Executive Director Annie Parker. How can six square kilometers become a cradle for the next generation of Australia's WORLDCHANGING startups? Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/twista UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista

TWISTA explores the potential of Australia's 47th Parliament with VCs Anne-Marie Elias (CEO, Beckon Capital) and Phil Morle (Partner, Main Sequence Ventures) - and the policy needs of a nation that demands an innovation mindset at every level. Plus: Inflationary pressures and more WORLDCHANGING startups! Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/twista UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista

Block Earner has a WORLDCHANGING idea - use decentralised finance - 'DeFi' - to offer better yields than bank deposits: banking without a bank. Co-founder Jordan Momtazi joins TWISTA to explain how it all works, how they make money, and how Block Earner navigates customer requirements for high yield amidst an ongoing 'crypto winter'. Huge thanks to our TWISTA Series 10 Sponsors: UserTesting - Put yourself in your customer's shoes - https://usertesting.com/twista Zendesk - Build lasting customer experiences from the ground up - https://zendesk.com/twista OurCrowd - Bringing you companies with the greatest growth potential - https://ourcrowd.com/twista