Background Image

The Startup Ecosystem of Melbourne

Melbourne has 863 startups in our sample database. This represents about 24% of Australia’s startups. Melbourne is the 2nd best startup ecosystem in Australia.

CITY RANKING

While Melbourne decreased by 2 spots in its global rank in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index of 2024, its ranking in Australia remained stable at 2 nationally since 2023.

National Ranking

2nd
0
In Australia

Regional Ranking

2nd
0
In Australia and Oceania

Global Ranking

44th
-
2
Worldwide

Ecosystem

Startup Ecosystem Overview

city skyline during day time


Melbourne is home to world-class educational institutions that contribute to the city’s startup success. Globally renowned universities, such as the University of Melbourne and Monash University, consistently produce top-tier talent in fields like technology, engineering, and business. These institutions also actively support entrepreneurship through incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurship programs, providing young aspiring founders with valuable resources and mentorship.


The government of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, has also played a crucial role in fostering the startup ecosystem. It has implemented various initiatives, such as the LaunchVic program, which provides funding and support for startups, and the Victorian Innovation Hub, a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs. These efforts have helped attract both local and international entrepreneurs to Melbourne, fueling the city’s startup growth.


Melbourne has a strong network of co-working spaces, incubators, and accelerators that provide startups with the necessary infrastructure and support. Prominent organizations such as The Goods Shed, The Cluster, and York Butter Factory offer collaborative workspaces, mentoring programs, and access to industry experts, facilitating collaboration and knowledge-sharing among entrepreneurs.


The city’s vibrant startup community is further strengthened by numerous industry events, conferences, and meetups that bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders. Events like Pause Fest, StartCon, and Melbourne Startup Week provide platforms for startups to showcase their products, connect with investors, and gain exposure to potential customers. These gatherings not only facilitate networking but also foster a sense of community and collaboration within the Melbourne startup ecosystem.


In recent years, Melbourne’s startup ecosystem has witnessed remarkable success stories, with several startups achieving significant funding rounds, acquisitions, and international expansions across multiple sectors. Companies like Airwallex (fintech), Culture Amp (HR tech), and Rokt (marketing technology) are motivating and encouraging the upcoming wave of entrepreneurs within the city.

Startups

Melbourne Top Startup Industries

Energy & Environment icon
Energy & Environment
#27 worldwide

26 startups

Ecommerce & Retail icon
Ecommerce & Retail
#29 worldwide

81 startups

Fintech icon
Fintech
#35 worldwide

73 startups

Ecosystem HealthCheck

Melbourne Ecosystem Health Check

The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Melbourne has in each of the parameters that are part of StartupBlink's ranking algorithm. There are five tables, corresponding to the three subscores, the subscore analysis and industry ana...

  • Overperformance
  • Performance equal to global ranking
  • Underperformance
IndustryGlobal rankMomentum YoYNumber of Startups
Global444863
Energy & Environment27-1028
Ecommerce & Retail00.0000.0000.00
Fintech00.0000.0000.00
Software & Data00.0000.0000.00
Marketing & Sales00.0000.0000.00
Social & Leisure00.0000.0000.00
Edtech00.0000.0000.00

ECOSYSTEM

Browse the startup ecosystem database of Melbourne

Download list
Rio Tinto startup logo
Hardware & IoT | Manufacturing
Unranked
Mr Yum startup logo
Software & Data | Apps
Unranked
HotDoc startup logo
Healthtech | Health Care
Unranked
rome2rio startup logo
Software & Data | Software
Unranked
Edrolo startup logo
Edtech | Edtech
Unranked
mod.io startup logo
Software & Data | Software
Unranked
Unranked
Jora startup logo
Software & Data | Enterprise Technology
Unranked
Zeller startup logo
Fintech | Online Banking
Unranked
CarExpert.com.au startup logo
Transportation | Automotive
Unranked
Property Exchange Australia (PEXA) startup logo
Software & Data | Enterprise Technology
Unranked

Browse 852 more startups in Melbourne with the pro account.

Explore StartupBlink Pro

Become our Melbourne Ecosystem Partner

Apply to join hundreds of leading ecosystem developers and represent the Melbourne startup ecosystem at no cost.

Startup Ecosystem Charts

Startup Funding in Melbourne2017 - 2024

Startup Funding in Melbourne 2017 - 2024

From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Melbourne has decreased by 59.98%. During this period, the number of deals in Melbourne has decreased by 36.76%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Melbourne exceeded US$ $7.85B.

Average Funding in 2023

$4.39M

Melbourne
Australia
-36.72% YoY

Funding in 2023

$513.14M

Melbourne
Australia
-59.98% YoY

Deals in 2023

117

Melbourne
Australia
-36.76% YoY

USD

Amount of Funding (USD)

Number of Deals

20172018201920202021202220232024$0.00$15.00B$30.00B$45.00B$60.00B055110165220

Ecosystem

The Startup Ecosystem in Melbourne

Our startup ecosystem map for Melbourne includes a sample of 863 tech companies. We have identified as unicorns 4 startups that have passed the USD 1 billion valuations. Get the Pro account for unrestricted insights on this ecosystem.

Global Rank

Melbourne is ranked within the top 50 startup ecosystems globally.

Top Industries

Melbourne’s startups excel particularly in Energy & Environment where it ranks 27 and in Ecommerce & Retail, and Fintech. Find out more

Top Cities for Startups in Australia - Ranked by StartupBlink

StartupBlink ranks the startup ecosystems of more than 100 countries and 1,000 cities. Download our latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report.
Pro
Pro
Pro
Pro
2024 National Rank CityGlobal Rank
informational icon
Total Score

Access subscores for 1000 cities and 100 countries

informational icon
Quantity Score
informational icon
Quality Score
informational icon
Business Score
1st
0
36th
+
2
22.235
00.00
00.00
00.00
2nd
0
44th
-
2
17.577
00.00
00.00
00.00
3rd
0
102nd
-
4
7.393
00.00
00.00
00.00
4th
0
183rd
+
8
3.056
00.00
00.00
00.00
5th
+
1
232nd
+
14
2.013
00.00
00.00
00.00
6th
-
1
258th
-
28
1.627
00.00
00.00
00.00
7th
0
324th
+
30
1.130
00.00
00.00
00.00
8th
0
379th
+
25
0.912
00.00
00.00
00.00
9th
0
576th
-
22
0.356
00.00
00.00
00.00
10th
+
1
661st
+
10
0.275
00.00
00.00
00.00
Microsoft Excel icon
Download CSV file
Pro

Startups

Notable Startups in Melbourne
Rio Tinto startup icon
Rio Tinto
Mr Yum startup icon
Mr Yum
HotDoc startup icon
HotDoc

ECOSYSTEM

Why should you join Melbourne's Startup Ecosystem?

Overview

Within Melbourne there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs to set up their startups in industries such as Energy & Environment, Ecommerce & Retail, Fintech. These three industries represent about 21% of the startups represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Melbourne.

2nd

National Rank

2nd

Regional Rank

Overview

Melbourne is Australia's 2nd best startup ecosystem and is ranked 2nd in Australia and Oceania. With a population of 2M - 10M people, Melbourne is ranked 44th in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories including Rio Tinto.

ECOSYSTEM
Startup Infrastructure in Melbourne
With a large variety of initiatives, Melbourne's startup ecosystem stands out from other cities in Australia and Oceania. Melbourne offers a number of funding opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups. Below is a list of Melbourne's most prominent support initiatives:

BLOG

Recent Posts

Wed Apr 02 2025

Corporate Startup Activity Index 2025

For the first time ever, 372 corporations across 30 countries, 11 major industries, and 10 sub-industries have been ranked based on how actively they engage with startups. StartupBlink’s Corporate Startup Activity Index  is the world’s first benchmark for corporate startup engagement — powered by real data, global partnerships with top corporations, governments and data sources, […]

Thu Mar 06 2025

The Impact of Government Support on Startups

A robust startup ecosystem creates a sense of community that brings entrepreneurs together and helps them feel less isolated. It gives them access to mentors, advisors, fellow entrepreneurs, and talents. The foundation of such an ecosystem largely relies on government support. Good policies create a fair and supportive environment that helps startups grow. Bad policies […]

Thu Feb 20 2025

Learning from Bulgaria: Stakeholder Engagement in Startup Ecosystems

In this episode of the Startup Ecosystem Podcast, we’re traveling back in time by revisiting an old recording to explore the state of Bulgaria’s startup ecosystem in 2022. This episode features an interview by Eli David Rokah, CEO of StartupBlink, with Momchil Vassilev, the Managing Director of Endeavor Bulgaria, discussing how different stakeholders’ engagement in […]