Ambitious new podcast examines the history of the Australian startup ecosystem

With every year that passes, it seems that there are more and more exciting startup stories coming from Australia. And while there are some excellent resources online for the latest headlines, there’s little in the way of a comprehensive resource telling the entire story.

That all changes now with the launch of The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem podcast. In more than 100 episodes to be published across 2022, this ambitious podcast series tells a story of this country’s startup journey; a story that’s been decades in the making.

The series has involved interviews with over 150 people and been created by the team at Welcome to Day One, spearheaded by podcaster and Managing Director, Adam Spencer.

Adam said, “After months and months of working round the clock on this project, I’m excited to be able to share it with the world. We’ve spoken to some of the most prominent people in the Australian startup scene which has been fascinating, enriching and inspiring.

“I’ve found the startup community to be incredibly kind and generous and I believe this is a hallmark of the Aussie startup community. I’ve learnt so much in every discussion and I’m sure entrepreneurs will find something of value too.”

Adam Spencer, Managing Director, Welcome To Day One

The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem, presented by Day One alongside major sponsors MYOB and Amazon Web Services, speaks to some of the most important founders, investors, academics and policy makers.

The series includes conversations with Colette Grgic (AWS Startups), Matt Barrie (Freelancer), Kate Cornick (LaunchVic), Andrea Gardiner (Jelix Ventures), Cheryl Mack (Aussie Angels) and Niki Scevak (Blackbird), and includes some of the most respected names in Australian business including Cameron Adams (Canva), Tim Fung (Airtasker) and Steve Baxter (Shark Tank). Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is also a guest in the series.

A project of this size wouldn’t be possible in isolation, and the team at Welcome to Day One (W2D1 Media) has had an impressive number of backers as it created  this first-of-its-kind series in Australia.

“Of course, this couldn’t have happened without our sponsors,” Adam says. “A big thanks goes to our major sponsors, MYOB and AWS, as well as more than a dozen other businesses, Patreons and universities who have pushed to have this series created, including our amazing advertising partners, LegalVision and Startup Galaxy.”

“Being able to speak to so many of the big names in Australian business has been a life-changing experience for me. I’m sure that listeners will share that feeling as they hear the stories and advice from the people who have founded successful startups and those who have pushed for Australia to be a force on the world stage.”

Launching on Monday 24 January 2022. this podcast interview series will publish three episodes each week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – throughout the year.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Listen to the trailer now:

The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem is supported by partners, Startup Daily, Fishburners, Spark Festival, Spacecubed, Stone & Chalk & River City Labs.

Other sponsors include UTS Startups, The Guild of Entrepreneurs, Western Sydney University – Launch Pad, Canberra Innovation Network, Curtin University, CSIRO, University of South Australia, LaunchVic, The Office of the South Australian Chief Entrepreneur, ANSTO, University of Newcastle – Integrated Innovation Network, University of Adelaide – ThincLab, Flinders University – New Venture Institute, UNSW Founders, UQ Ventures and James Cook University.