Company Interview / Scalare Partners breathes new life into Sydney start-up

Key points:

Scalare Partners (ASX:SCP) acquires Fishburners and integrates it into a national startup ecosystemBreeze plans to relaunch Fishburners pitch nights with an attached investment fund Need for stronger liquidity cycles, repeat founders and AI-driven innovation in Australia

Sydney’s startup scene is set for a shake-up as Fishburners finds a new home with Scalare Partners (ASX:SCP), according to CEO Carolyn Breeze. Breeze states the cash acquisition is not material to Scalare’s balance sheet, yet strategically significant for its growing startup ecosystem spanning ideation to exit. Fishburners, which has supported thousands of founders over 15 years, is viewed as a core part of Australia’s innovation “DNA” that Breeze is determined to preserve and expand.

Breeze outlines plans to revive Fishburners’ famous pitch nights and link them to a dedicated investment fund, aiming to back “the best tech” emerging from the community. Integration with Tank Stream Labs is expected, in her view, to give founders a national footprint, more physical spaces and a “one-stop shop” of services through brands such as Australian Technologies Competition, Tech Ready Women, Planet Startup, in-house ventures and The Founders Union.

Breeze is critical of inconsistent government support and limited domestic capital, noting only about a third of recent startup funding stems from Australian investors, with super funds allocating roughly 0.5% to startups. She sees major opportunity in improving liquidity cycles, boosting repeat founders and supporting AI-enabled startups across all sectors to drive long-term returns for Scalare shareholders.