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.
Since 2024, Sunshine Coast lost 28 spots in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, having now positioned itself as 258th worldwide.
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$1.1 million, providing a favorable business environment.
Aside from this, the Sunshine Coast is home to various events that support entrepreneurship and innovation. Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast provides a platform for entrepreneurs to pitch ideas, collaborate on customer needs, develop prototypes, and present their work within a weekend timeframe. This event cultivates a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourages the rapid development of innovative solutions.
Invest Sunshine Coast, operating under the Sunshine Coast Council, serves as the investment promotion agency for the region. Their mission is to assist international companies in investing and expanding in the Sunshine Coast while facilitating local companies in finding international partnerships and expanding their global sales. Through their efforts, they contribute to the growth and prosperity of the Sunshine Coast’s business community.
With its advanced infrastructure, supportive events, private investment opportunities, public sector incentives, and dedicated investment agencies, the Sunshine Coast presents an attractive destination for businesses seeking growth and expansion.
24 startups
24 startups
23 startups
The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Sunshine Coast has in each of the parameters that are part of StartupBlink's ranking algorithm. There are five tables, corresponding to the three subscores, the subscore analysis and industry ana...
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Startup Funding in Sunshine Coast 2017 - 2024
From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Sunshine Coast has decreased by 96.02%. During this period, the number of deals in Sunshine Coast has decreased by 33.33%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Sunshine Coast exceeded US$ $47.76M.
Average Funding in 2023
$82.61K
Funding in 2023
$165.22K
Deals in 2023
2
USD
Amount of Funding (USD)
Number of Deals
Sunshine Coast is ranked within the top 300 startup ecosystems globally.
Sunshine Coast’s startups excel particularly in Foodtech where it ranks 75 and in Energy & Environment, and Hardware & IoT. Find out more
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.
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.
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