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The Startup Ecosystem of Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast has 152 startups in our sample database. This represents about 4% of Australia’s startups. Sunshine Coast is the 6th best startup ecosystem in Australia.

CITY RANKING

Since 2024, Sunshine Coast lost 28 spots in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, having now positioned itself as 258th worldwide.

National Ranking

6th
-
1
In Australia

Regional Ranking

8th
-
2
In Australia and Oceania

Global Ranking

258th
-
28
Worldwide

In partnership with

Sunshine Coast Ecosystem Partner logo

Ecosystem

Startup Ecosystem Overview

city buildings near body of water under white clouds and blue sky during daytime
Private investment opportunities on the Sunshine Coast are particularly attractive. The region offers affordable housing compared to other Australian cities, making it an excellent choice for real estate investments. The availability of quality housing, coupled with lower interest rates, further enhances the investment potential. Additionally, the Sunshine Coast Council provides specialized services to support businesses and stimulate investment across the region, offering incentives and assistance to eligible applicants, helping projects commence sooner, and offsetting various expansion, establishment, or relocation costs.


Entrepreneurs and startups can also take advantage of the Startup Precinct, which offers modern coworking facilities and a dedicated space for innovative minds. Moreover, Sunshine Coast entrepreneurs benefit from zero payroll tax on wages and salaries below A$1.1 million, providing a favorable business environment.


Aside from this, the Sunshine Coast is home to various events that support entrepreneurship and innovation. Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast provides a platform for entrepreneurs to pitch ideas, collaborate on customer needs, develop prototypes, and present their work within a weekend timeframe. This event cultivates a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourages the rapid development of innovative solutions.


Invest Sunshine Coast, operating under the Sunshine Coast Council, serves as the investment promotion agency for the region. Their mission is to assist international companies in investing and expanding in the Sunshine Coast while facilitating local companies in finding international partnerships and expanding their global sales. Through their efforts, they contribute to the growth and prosperity of the Sunshine Coast’s business community.


With its advanced infrastructure, supportive events, private investment opportunities, public sector incentives, and dedicated investment agencies, the Sunshine Coast presents an attractive destination for businesses seeking growth and expansion.

Startups

Sunshine Coast Top Startup Industries

Foodtech icon
Foodtech
#75 worldwide

24 startups

Energy & Environment icon
Energy & Environment
#80 worldwide

24 startups

Hardware & IoT icon
Hardware & IoT
#111 worldwide

23 startups

Ecosystem HealthCheck

Sunshine Coast Ecosystem Health Check

The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Sunshine Coast 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
Global258152
Foodtech75-1524
Energy & Environment80-1924
Hardware & IoT111-1623
Transportation172-364
Marketing & Sales188-767
Fintech214354
Software & Data268-9537

ECOSYSTEM

Browse the startup ecosystem database of Sunshine Coast

Download list
Youi startup logo
Fintech | Insurance
Unranked
Zitcha startup logo
Marketing & Sales | Adtech
Unranked
Servatus startup logo
Healthtech | Biotechnology
Unranked
Unranked
Maropost  startup logo
Software & Data | Cloud
Unranked
Unranked
Super Fierce startup logo
Social & Leisure | Communities
Unranked
Aussie Soles startup logo
Ecommerce & Retail | Consumer Goods
Unranked
Ecovantage startup logo
Energy & Environment | Energy
Unranked
Commission Factory startup logo
Marketing & Sales | Marketing & Sales-Other
Unranked
GreaseBoss startup logo
Software & Data | SaaS
Unranked

Showing 1 – 20 out of 152

Startup Ecosystem Charts

Startup Funding in Sunshine Coast2017 - 2024

Startup Funding in Sunshine Coast 2017 - 2024

From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Sunshine Coast has decreased by 96.02%. During this period, the number of deals in Sunshine Coast has decreased by 33.33%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Sunshine Coast exceeded US$ $47.76M.

Average Funding in 2023

$82.61K

Sunshine Coast
Australia
-94.03% YoY

Funding in 2023

$165.22K

Sunshine Coast
Australia
-96.02% YoY

Deals in 2023

2

Sunshine Coast
Australia
-33.33% YoY

USD

Amount of Funding (USD)

Number of Deals

20172018201920202021202220232024$0.00$15.00B$30.00B$45.00B$60.00B02468

Ecosystem

The Startup Ecosystem in Sunshine Coast

Startups in Sunshine Coast excel in Foodtech, Energy & Environment, and Hardware & and IoT. There are some notable success stories contributing to the city’s growing Foodtech industry. One of the most promising startups in Sunshine Coast in 2024 is Youi, Zitcha, and Servatus.

Global Rank

Sunshine Coast is ranked within the top 300 startup ecosystems globally.

Top Industries

Sunshine Coast’s startups excel particularly in Foodtech where it ranks 75 and in Energy & Environment, and Hardware & IoT. 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.
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2024 National Rank CityGlobal Rank
informational icon
Total Score
informational icon
Quantity Score
informational icon
Quality Score
informational icon
Business Score
1st
0
36th
+
2
22.235
4.915
13.742
3.578
2nd
0
44th
-
2
17.577
3.230
10.805
3.542
3rd
0
102nd
-
4
7.393
1.277
2.598
3.518
4th
0
183rd
+
8
3.056
0.715
0.810
1.530
5th
+
1
232nd
+
14
2.013
0.556
0.450
1.007
6th
-
1
258th
-
28
1.627
0.462
0.356
0.809
7th
0
324th
+
30
1.130
0.327
0.239
0.564
8th
0
379th
+
25
0.912
0.239
0.219
0.454
9th
0
576th
-
22
0.356
0.067
0.112
0.177
10th
+
1
661st
+
10
0.275
0.083
0.056
0.137
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Startups

Notable Startups in Sunshine Coast
Youi startup icon
Youi
Zitcha startup icon
Zitcha
Servatus startup icon
Servatus

ECOSYSTEM

Why should you join Sunshine Coast's Startup Ecosystem?

Overview

Within Sunshine Coast there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs to set up their startups in industries such as Foodtech, Energy & Environment, Hardware & IoT. These three industries represent about 47% of the startups represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Sunshine Coast.

6th

National Rank

8th

Regional Rank

Overview

Sunshine Coast is Australia's 6th best startup ecosystem and is ranked 8th in Australia and Oceania. With a population of <0.1M people, Sunshine Coast is ranked 258th in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories including Youi.

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

BLOG

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