Startup Muster report shows ecosystem decline as government continues to let down Australian startups

Last year’s annual Startup Muster report painted the picture of a thriving Australian ecosystem with nothing but growth to look forward to. But this year’s report, released yesterday, tells a markedly different story.

Significant drops in the number of active startups and new startups in the scene, along with a decline in the number of women founders, has led industry experts to ask the question: what’s missing?

For the first time in its five-year tenure, the Startup Muster report has provided an overview of the number of startups active in Australia and the number of new startups launched each year, over the past four years.

From 2015 to 2017, both numbers were on the up, both peaking last year with 1,675 active startups and 1,291 new startups launched.

However, the release of the report yesterday has seen a significant decline in both numbers, with the number of active startups dropping to 1,465 and the number of new startups plummeting to 712. Read more

Dominic Powell - SmartCompany - 23 October 2018