Tech startups

Working with industry and government partners to support entrepreneurs start and grow successful global businesses.

Why we’re doing this

Encouraging tech startups will create more jobs, boost Sydney’s economy and strengthen global connections. It will also make our city a more desirable place to live, work and visit.

Our tech startups action plan details how we will work with industry and government partners to create an environment that enables technology entrepreneurs to start and grow successful global businesses.

Sydney’s tech startup ecosystem is in its early stages of development and its needs are very different from those of small businesses. Entrepreneurs and tech startup companies need a local environment that provides support networks, business and entrepreneurship education, infrastructure and financing opportunities.

Action areas

Our action plan focuses on creating an ecosystem that enables knowledge-based, innovation-driven businesses to flourish. To support the tech startup ecosystem in Sydney, we will focus our activities on 5 main areas:

Build a strong entrepreneurial culture and community
Create skilled and connected entrepreneurs
Increase the startup ecosystem density
Support entrepreneurs’ access to funding
Develop technology entrepreneurs’ access to markets

Strategies & action plans
Tech startups action planPublished 27 June 2016

How we can achieve this

We have a number of existing programs which encourage tech startups. Through our strategic planning, there are a number more initiatives proposed for the near future.

Business support & funding
Supporting entrepreneurs
Talks, courses & workshops
Visiting entrepreneur program
Talks, courses & workshops
Business seminars and programs

Other proposed programs

- Create an awareness campaign focused on Sydney’s entrepreneurs and the tech startup ecosystem.
- Include digital technology education activities in our programs, such as providing sessions on how to code in our youth and library programs.
- Use our engagement and communication channels to discuss and debate the impact of innovative technology, and to showcase tech startups.
- Create a visiting entrepreneur program to fast-track the business skills of technology entrepreneurs.
- Collaborate with partners to develop business and entrepreneurship education and mentoring opportunities.
- Investigate the need for an entrepreneurship centre. This will provide a critical mass of office and event space for entrepreneurs in tech startups and the organisations that support them.
- Support a Sydney tech startup festival to celebrate and promote the ecosystem.
- Host business seminars to inform the Sydney community about the tech startup ecosystem, how to fund and grow startups, and enable them to network with others.
- Assist angel investor associations or other members of the ecosystem to hold investor recruitment education events.
- Support entrepreneurs in implementing our knowledge exchange sponsorship program. This program supports education and networking activities coordinated by the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Provide innovation funding to support the development or implementation of new technologies or processes that have the potential to improve environmental sustainability.
- Leverage our international sister-city relationships to strengthen knowledge and investment exchange.

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Tech startups

Why we’re doing this

Action areas

How we can achieve this

Other proposed programs

Education and awareness

Events and centres

Funding and support