Building Viable Companies in Australia's Evolving Market
The startup landscape shifted dramatically throughout 2024. What worked three years ago barely makes sense now. We're watching founders navigate tighter capital markets, higher expectations from investors, and regulatory frameworks that actually matter.
View September 2025 Programs
Market Conditions Founders Face Right Now
Understanding where Australian startup funding and regulation are headed helps founders make better decisions about structure, timing, and growth strategy.
Capital Access Reality
Seed rounds are taking longer to close. Angels want more traction. VCs are pushing profitability timelines earlier. The average runway discussion has changed from 18 months to 24-30 months of sustainable operation.
Regulatory Shift Impact
ASIC's updated disclosure requirements for equity crowdfunding went live in late 2024. More startups are choosing to incorporate with compliance frameworks from day one rather than retrofitting later.
Talent Competition Patterns
Tech talent moved back to larger companies during 2024's market correction. Startups competing for senior engineers now need clearer equity structures and realistic growth paths to attract experienced people.
Product-Market Validation
Investors expect actual revenue before Series A. The days of raising on a pitch deck and wireframes are mostly gone. Founders need 12-18 months of customer data showing repeatable acquisition.
Alternative Funding Routes
Revenue-based financing gained traction in Australia through 2024. SaaS companies with predictable monthly revenue are choosing this over dilutive equity rounds to maintain control.
Exit Strategy Evolution
Australian startups sold to international buyers at higher valuations when they had clear IP protection and scalable operations. Documentation quality directly affected acquisition multiples.
Different Stages Need Different Approaches
- Pre-seed founders are bootstrapping longer and proving concept viability before approaching investors. The shift toward customer-funded validation changed how early-stage companies operate.
- Seed stage expectations now include demonstrable unit economics. Investors want to see the path to profitability even if you're years away from hitting it.
- Series A requires genuine market traction. Australian VCs are looking at retention rates, customer acquisition costs, and lifetime value metrics with much closer scrutiny than they did in 2022.
- Growth stage funding considers regulatory compliance history. Companies with clean corporate structures and proper governance raise faster and at better terms.
- Exit preparation starts earlier. Buyers care about IP ownership, customer contract transferability, and financial record accuracy. Messy cap tables cost money during acquisition.
Compliance Milestones That Actually Matter
Founders sometimes treat regulatory requirements as obstacles. But investors and acquirers see proper compliance as a signal of operational maturity.
Company Formation
Setting up proper shareholder agreements and vesting schedules prevents conflicts later. Founders who skip this step often face difficult conversations when bringing in investors or key hires.
First Employee Hires
Employment contracts, equity documentation, and workplace policies need to be in place before offering positions. Fair Work regulations apply even to two-person startups.
Revenue Generation
Once you start charging customers, GST registration becomes necessary at the threshold. Tax structure decisions made here affect financial reporting for years.
Investment Rounds
Each funding round requires updated disclosure documents and shareholder communications. ASIC's regulations specify what information must be provided and how.
Scale Operations
Privacy policies, data handling procedures, and customer terms of service need legal review. The Australian Privacy Principles apply once you're handling customer information at scale.
Making Money Last Longer Than Expected
Startups that survived the 2024 funding slowdown had one thing in common: they operated as if their current capital was the last they'd ever raise. Not because they were pessimistic, but because they understood burn rate discipline.
Capital efficiency doesn't mean cheap. It means spending deliberately on activities that compound value. Some founders cut marketing spend and wondered why growth stalled. Others reduced unnecessary software subscriptions while maintaining customer acquisition channels.
Customer Acquisition
Testing multiple channels with small budgets before scaling the ones that show repeatable results.
Product Development
Building features that existing customers request rather than speculative additions that might attract new segments.
Team Structure
Hiring for demonstrated needs rather than anticipated growth, then scaling headcount as revenue justifies it.
Operational Systems
Investing in automation and processes that reduce manual work as the company grows beyond founder capacity.
What Experienced Founders Learned
I spent three years building my first company with the wrong corporate structure. When we finally raised a proper round, the legal cleanup cost us six weeks and real money. The second time around, I set up governance frameworks on day one. It felt like bureaucracy at the time, but it saved us during due diligence.
Dr. Saskia Thornberg
Former Founder, Current AdvisorThe pattern shows up repeatedly. Founders who treat legal and financial infrastructure as foundational rather than administrative move faster when opportunities emerge. They spend less time in due diligence and more time negotiating terms.
Programs Starting September 2025
We're running intensive courses for founders who want structured guidance on building companies that can attract capital, scale operations, and eventually exit on favorable terms. These aren't theoretical workshops. They're practical sessions covering real decisions founders face.
Ask About Program DetailsFinancial Modeling
Building forecasts that investors trust and you can actually use for operational decisions. Includes unit economics, cash flow projections, and scenario planning.
Regulatory Navigation
Understanding which compliance requirements apply at which stages. Covers corporate structure, employment law basics, IP protection, and investor disclosure obligations specific to Australian companies.
Capital Strategy
Evaluating funding options beyond traditional VC. When revenue-based financing makes sense, how to structure convertible notes, and what terms to negotiate in seed rounds.
Market Validation
Testing product-market fit before spending on scale. Methods for customer discovery, pricing experiments, and measuring genuine willingness to pay.