In this episode, we explore the seed phase of the Australian startup ecosystem, tracing its roots to some of the earliest catalysts to what we see today. Australian pioneers started innovating well before anything resembled an ecosystem and before the term "startup" was used. We tell the story of trailblazers like the Nucleus Group in 1964, Fairlight in 1975, Computershare in 1978 and much more.

We look at how the macroeconomic conditions in the late 70s and early 80s encouraged the "first great wave" of Australian startups, only for global capital markets to collapse suddenly in 1987. As the new millennium approached, we highlight how the mainstream adoption of the internet gave rise to some of our most recognisable dot com juggernauts, the likes of Seek, REA and Carsales, leading up to the dot com boom.

Episode 2 begins in the aftermath of the dot com bust. We explore the story of LookSmart through the lens of its co-founder, Evan Thornley and the tough choices he had to make. Up until this point, founders largely worked in isolation, however, they began to meet up more frequently after the bust, often in pubs or cafes, thanks to community groups like Innovation Bay. Conferences such as TinSHED and Web Directions would shine a spotlight on the fledgling startup ecosystem. We tell the story of some of Australia's first high growth startups in the early 2000s. The likes of Atlassian in 2003, Campaign Monitor in 2004, Red Bubble in 2006 and many more. Startup infrastructure followed shortly after and we saw the country's first incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces emerge.

Just as things were finally looking up, another economic crisis had gripped the world once again. The Global Financial Crisis in 2008 undoubtedly caused a lot of grief, however, Australia was spared the worst of it. We highlight how the GFC held some unexpected benefits for Australian startups. As the end of the decade approached, new inventions like smartphones and social media and the mainstream adoption of Wi-Fi would come to touch every aspect of our lives, laying the foundation for a new wave of Australian startups - some of the most disruptive that Australia and the world would come to see.

In episode 3, we take a deep dive into the birth of the Australian startup ecosystem. Although everyone may have a different perspective on what caused this "cambrian explosion", we discuss 7 key catalysts in this episode.

We shine a spotlight on the who, what, when, where and why of this critical event that formed much of what we see around us today. But underneath all this growth and excitement, we highlight that the ecosystem may perhaps still be far from perfect.

This episode kicks off in September 2015, when Malcolm Turnbull was elected as the 29th Prime Minister of Australia. Unveiling the National Innovation and Science Agenda as the cornerstone of his "Ideas Boom", we unpack the contents of this policy and explore the myriad of ways it impacted the startup ecosystem.

The Australian startup ecosystem continued to enjoy significant growth in the second half of the 2010’s. We look at the increasing visibility of startups during this time, the establishment of prominent diversity and impact-focused organisations, startup conferences and many more.

Episode 5 begins during the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic which disrupted every facet of life as we knew it. As lockdowns and other measures were enacted throughout the country, different markets and industries were affected in different, and sometimes unexpected ways.

We explore the good, the bad and the ugly, looking at the unprecedented ways in which the Australian startup ecosystem grapples with the global pandemic. From frozen immigration and talent, to remote working and digitisation, to impacts on diversity and much more, finally bringing our story to the present day. We briefly look at the identity of our startup ecosystem and current, ongoing events.

What does the future hold for the Australian startup ecosystem? After five episodes focused on the past, this episode will finally be tackling that question and look towards the future. What are our unique strengths and weaknesses as a country? What are the key challenges and opportunities we face?

From investors, to academics, to government, to corporates and finally, to entrepreneurs - we highlight a variety of perspectives, looking at the individual roles each of us can play. Regardless of what seat we occupy on the bus, there is a place for people of all backgrounds in Australia’s startup community.

This special bonus episode was recorded live at Fishburners as part of the Spark Festival in October 2022, to celebrate the launch of The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem documentary. The event included a panel of eight guests, each representing a different corner of the startup ecosystem:

- Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister

- Michelle Deaker, Founding Partner of OneVentures

- Larry Marshall, CEO of CSIRO

- Marina Wu, Co-founder of Earlywork

- Niki Scevak, Co-founder of Blackbird

- Cheryl Mack, CEO of Aussie Angels

- Preethi Mohan, Founder of Niceto

- Alan Jones, General Partner at M8 Ventures

- Panel host: Simon Thomsen, editor of Startup Daily

The episode also includes a short panel with members of the Day One.FM team, Adam Spencer, Andy Jones and William Tjo, in which they discuss the creation of the documentary.

In the Blink of AI: Conversations with AI Innovators Join Georgie Healy on 'In the Blink of AI', your weekly guide to the dynamic world of artificial intelligence. Each episode features interviews with the founders of top AI startups, creative product builders, and industry leaders. With 20 years in engineering and technology, Georgie aims to distill complex AI concepts into engaging stories.

The show covers business building, cutting-edge AI technology, and guests' approaches to developing AI products, finishing with rapid-fire questions for quick insights. Connect with Georgie on LinkedIn, Instagram, or via email to share your thoughts and suggestions for future guests.

00:00 Introduction to In the Blink of AI

00:10 Meet Your Host: Georgie Healy

00:56 Podcast Format and Content

01:11 Engage with Us

To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new In The Blink of AI episodes and upcoming shows.

Rocking Horse: Rocking Horse helps startups access their R&D tax rebate early. Get up to $3M in non-dilutive finance, solve cash flow challenges, and accelerate growth. Easy application, fast approval. Smart investment for innovative startups.

https://dayone.fm/rockinghorse

Mentioned in this episode:

PMB Trailer

PMB Trailer