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We are a digital innovation studio for startups and growing tech companies.
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We translate complicated requirements into enjoyable, easy-to-use software and mobile applications that drive measurable business value. Our tailored approach ensures cost-effective results, fast.
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New Zealand’s first fully integrated, instant, and secure contactless mobile payment platform.
The first company in the world to implement a GNSS/cellular-based road charging solution across an entire country.
Helping businesses complete secure and seamless AML verification as part of customer due diligence processes.




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technology companies.


Recent Thoughts & Ideas

Venture Studios: The New Way to Build a Tech Startup
Building a technology company from the ground up is a challenging endeavour. From raising your first round of venture capital to assembling a world-class team, there are myriad challenges, especially for those lacking industry expertise. Given that 90% of startups fail, exploring ways to increase your chances of success is essential.
Enter the venture studio; a collaborative working model first adopted by Idealab in 1996. By combining industry expertise, resources, hands-on support, and valuable learnings from success stories and failures, venture studios offer more than traditional funding avenues. They provide a supportive environment for tech entrepreneurs on a tight budget, facilitating capital raising and collaborative approaches to launching new ventures successfully. Across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia this model is gaining traction, helping startups achieve higher valuations and sustainable growth.
What is a Venture Studio?
A venture studio (or startup studio) collaborates closely with founders and founding teams to build new companies and help them find product-market fit. They often assist in assembling the founding team of early-stage startups to scale the business. Unlike traditional venture capital funds, a venture studio embeds itself within the startup's operations and strategic decision-making, acting as a co-founder actively participating in the company's expansion.
The venture studio business model, popularised in Silicon Valley, leverages deep industry know-how and a financial model designed to yield a higher success rate. This approach can result in an increased rate of successful startups compared to traditional venture capital methods. By integrating resources, expertise, and hands-on support, venture studios offer a comprehensive framework that nurtures startups from inception to market success.
How do Venture Studios Work?
The venture studio model offers a unique approach to turning innovative ideas into successful businesses, distinguishing themselves from traditional startup support systems through an active, holistic process.
Here's a general overview of how they work:
Ideation & Investigation
- Process: Venture studios serve as hubs for creative ideas to be challenged and evolve further. These ideas might be sourced from within the studio itself, come from founders and startup teams outside the studio, or external collaborators. Ideas undergo meticulous evaluation for market potential, feasibility, and alignment with the studio's expertise.
- Outcome: A well-defined concept with a clear understanding of the target market, potential challenges, and opportunities. Concludes with a comprehensive concept ready for further exploration and market validation.
Validation
- Process: Ideas undergo rigorous testing against market realities. This involves in-depth competitor research, user interviews, business model consideration, and feasibility studies to assess the viability of the proposed venture — ensuring the concept holds promise and aligns with real user needs and market opportunities.
- Outcome: The outcome of the validation phase is to gain a better understanding of whether the idea can meet genuine market needs before further time, energy, and resources are committed. This helps a new startup de-risk itself and increases the likelihood of success for the venture.
MVP Design & Development
- Process: The venture studio (or venture builder) will shift into execution, prioritising key components of a first release based on a defined budget and desired timelines before bringing the idea to life. Founders collaborate with in-house experts across product design, product development, marketing, and strategic planning to refine an MVP solution and launch strategy, establishing a solid foundation for future growth.
- Outcome: A tangible MVP – a digital product or service ready for market entry, like the first version of a generative AI mobile app designed to translate Kiwi slang for newcomers and tourists. By leveraging the expertise of the studio and focusing on core features, the MVP is designed to address user pain points and provide immediate value to the target audience. Choice as.
Launch
- Process: Once an MVP is built, venture studios assist in preparing the startup for market entry. This may involve branding, development a marketing website, and social media presence. Some startups will opt for a soft launch, conducting closed beta trials with potential customers while others will launch to the public from day one. The goal is to create a compelling market presence and generate initial traction for the product.
- Outcome: The outcome of the launch phase is market entry. The venture studio aims to position the product for maximum impact and user adoption when the product steps onto the market stage, ready to captivate its audience.
Scaling
- Process: As the venture gains traction and demonstrates scalability, venture studios will typically play a role in supporting its continued growth. This can involve support securing additional funding, evolving the MVP into a more polished solution based on user feedback, and expanding the team. It's important to note that venture studios typically don't accompany ventures to the point of an IPO; rather, they facilitate growth until the venture is independently flourishing.
- Outcome: The outcome of the scaling phase is to facilitate new opportunities for growth and success. By leveraging established networks and industry connections, the studio aims to open doors for the venture that might otherwise be inaccessible. This could include opportunities for acquisition, strategic partnerships, or other avenues for expansion.
Off-boarding
- Process: Off-boarding marks a pivotal moment for a startup, transitioning from venture studio-supported growth to a thriving independent company. This milestone reflects the venture's readiness to navigate the market confidently with the support of an internal team, embodying the culmination of a successful partnership that has equipped the venture for sustained success.
- Outcome: Achieving independence is a testament to the entrepreneurial venture's potential and the value of the guidance provided by the partnering venture studio. This phase celebrates the venture's journey from concept to a competitive market leader.
Benefits of Venture Studios
Venture studios offer a number of key benefits that are particularly valuable to founders navigating the complexities of launching and growing a successful technology company.
Here’s a breakdown of some of these key benefits:
Risk Reduction
Venture studios help mitigate the risks inherent in starting a tech company. Leveraging their collective experience, they validate new business ideas and provide valuable guidance to startups through the early stages, ultimately increasing the likelihood of success.
Achieve More for Less
By leveraging their expertise and often accepting sweat equity (through mechanisms like SAFE notes), venture building with a venture studio can reduce the effective hourly rate of your startup’s development. This means that with a given budget, startups can accomplish more extensive outcomes or achieve a higher quality minimum viable product (MVP) compared to traditional funding avenues.
Essentially, startups can expand their resources further, unlocking the potential for greater innovation, new business opportunities and market readiness without sacrificing equity or quality.
Easier Access to Funding
With their established networks, venture studios can make fundraising less daunting. They connect startups with outside investors, facilitating the financial backing necessary for continued growth after launch. Depending on the venture studio, they might also be able to position the new venture in a way that is more attractive to external investors; resulting in the ability to raise more from venture capitalists for less equity.
Access to a Collaborative Ecosystem
Partnering with a venture studio helps you enter an environment where collaboration is the norm. Entrepreneurs get to rub shoulders with experienced mentors, software experts, industry insiders, and fellow founders and portfolio company teams, creating a rich environment for knowledge exchange and support. Venture studios are often able to intro you to who you need to speak, like the ideal mobile app developer just when your team needs them.
Shared Resources
One of the practical perks of venture studios is their provision of shared resources. These can include but are not limited to office space, equipment, market research and essential services like marketing support or software development. This helps to not only cut down operational costs in a startup’s early stages, but also allows founders and co-founders to focus more on the strategic aspects of their business.
Accelerated Market Entry
The path from idea to go-to-market can be significantly shortened with the support of a venture studio. Thanks to their expertise and streamlined processes, startups can navigate the process of early-stage validation and product development more smoothly, to ensure a faster, more confident launch.
Types of Venture Studios
Not all venture studios are the same. They come in various forms, tailored to the unique needs of the startups they seek to support. Understanding what makes each unique can help entrepreneurs feel confident in their decision of who to partner with.
These are some of the most common types of ventures studios:
Industry-Specific vs. Industry Agnostic
Industry-Specific Venture Studios
Industry-specific venture studios, also known as niche venture studios, concentrate solely on a particular sector, such as Healthcare, Fintech, SaaS or EdTech. They choose to only offer their deep industry knowledge, insights, and specialised support to startups looking to operate in their area of expertise.
Industry-Agnostic Venture Studios
Industry-agnostic venture studios take a broader approach, welcoming startups from various sectors and industries. They focus on providing support and resources to startups with innovative ideas, regardless of the industry they operate in. This flexibility allows them to cater to a diverse range of entrepreneurs and business concepts, fostering wide-reaching innovation.
Corporate vs. Independent
Corporate Venture Studios
Established by large corporations, corporate venture studios will typically invest in and incubate new business ideas that align with their corporate goals. These startups often come from ideas generated in corporate hackathon events. While not always successful, corporate studios seek to combine the agility of startups with the resources and reach of well established companies.
Independent Venture Studios
Unlike corporate venture studios, independent venture studios are stand-alone businesses that are not affiliated with a large corporation, and operate independently - often within a credible agency that specialises in a particular field such as technology, or brand. They invest their resources into entrepreneurs and ideas they believe strongly in. These venture studios have an experienced entrepreneurship team and highly-skilled team members with a wealth of experience helping build and scale tech startups.
Hybrid Venture Studios
Hybrid venture studios combine elements of both corporate and independent venture studios. They have a strategic partnership with a large corporation or venture capital firm, allowing them to leverage resources and networks. These studios might evaluate investment opportunities independently, but typically have an investment committee that will make the final decision on partnerships.
Expertise-Led Venture Studios
In addition to the defining characteristics mentioned above, it’s not uncommon for a venture studio to have a specific area of expertise that influence their partnership decisions.
For example brand-led venture studios will support startups they believe they can help succeed by taking a brand-centric focus, embedding their expertise in brand strategy and identity capabilities into the business.
On the other hand, a technology-led venture studio will carefully select innovative new business ideas (such as those that utilise artificial intelligence) that they believe will have an unfair advantage if the business correctly balances it’s focus on innovation and usability; crafting world-class interfaces that encourage value delivery and retention.
The Difference Between Venture Studios and Traditional Startup Growth Methods
Of course, venture studios are not the only option available to founders looking to build and scale a successful technology company. Below we compare venture studios to some of the more traditional startup growth methods; venture capital firms, angel investors, startup accelerators, and incubators.
Venture Studios vs. Venture Capital Firms
Venture Studios offer a blend of investment (through rounds like pre-seed, seed funding, series A and so on), strategic guidance, and operational support, often actively participating in daily management. Unlike Venture Capital Firms, which primarily provide financial backing and mentorship, studios invest expertise and resources, accelerating startup growth in exchange for more equity. This model contrasts with VC firms' focus on financial investment and strategic advice, appealing to founders desiring substantial capital with minimal day-to-day external involvement.
Venture Studios vs. Angel Investors
Angel investors, investing their personal capital, often provide larger sums like venture capital firms but typically adopt a passive approach, allowing startup founders to retain management control. In contrast, venture studios actively assist with guidance and support, offering a distinct advantage for startups seeking hands-on operational help alongside investment.
Venture Studios vs. Startup Accelerators
Venture Studios differ from Startup Accelerators in their engagement depth and investment approach. Venture studios provide in-depth, long-term involvement, often co-creating businesses from the ground up, offering substantial resources, a small to medium sized equity stakes. Whereas Accelerators typically offer short-term programs with mentorship and small capital injections, focusing on rapid growth and networking opportunities, and usually require less equity.
Venture Studios vs. Incubators
Venture Studios differentiate from Incubators by offering extensive operational support and funding, often taking a larger equity stake due to their active role in startup development. Incubators, while providing a nurturing environment with mentorship and resources, usually don't involve direct funding or hands-on management. Similar to startup accelerators, this can be appealing to founders who seek support with greater autonomy.
In choosing between venture studios and traditional methods, founders should consider their specific needs, startup stage, and preference for equity and operational support, recognising each model's unique contributions to the startup ecosystem.
Venture studios can work alongside traditional VC firms and angel investors to complement financial investments with operational support, while accelerators and incubators prepare startups for further development and scaling.
Is a Venture Studio Right For Your Startup?
Having explored the concept of venture studios, you may be wondering if partnering with a venture studio is the right path for you and your new venture.
Here's why this model could be pivotal for your startup:
Early Stage Partnership
Venture studios excel in nurturing ideas from scratch. Their involvement from the ideation phase means you get more than just funding; you receive a partner who's invested in your vision and success from day one.
Hands-On Operational Support
Unlike traditional investors, venture studios offer active, hands-on guidance. They're your strategic partners, involved in daily decision-making and operational execution, providing an invaluable support system for navigating the startup landscape.
Ideation & Validation Support
Venture studios are invaluable for entrepreneurs who have a promising concept but seek expertise in evolving it into a market-ready venture. They provide a blend of resources and hands-on guidance, to rigorously validate ideas against market realities. This helps to ensure that startups they partner with are not just launching a product but addressing real user pain points and market gaps.
Access to Extensive Resources and Networks
Venture studios open doors to a wealth of resources and industry connections. This network is crucial for startups seeking to establish themselves and scale in a competitive tech ecosystem.
Risk Mitigation
With the high stakes of launching a tech startup, venture studios offer a strategic partnership to that mitigates risks. Their collective experience and support framework significantly bolster your chances of success, steering you through the complexities of the startup world.
Market Fit & Product Development
With their expertise, venture studios guide startups through the critical stages of market validation and MVP development. They ensure that your product enters the market with a strong value proposition and fit.
Operational Involvement
For those who prefer an immersive support system, venture studios offer a unique advantage. Their active role in the early and crucial stages of your startup, from developing an MVP to accelerating your path to They can help you make key decisions faster and significantly expedite your journey to market resonance.
For those who prefer an immersive support system, venture studios offer a unique advantage. Their active role in the early and crucial stages of your startup, from developing an MVP to accelerating your path to product market fit, includes leveraging a proven playbook. This playbook helps you make key decisions faster and significantly expedites your journey to market resonance.
Access to Resources
If you would benefit from shared resources such as office space, marketing expertise, and a collaborative ecosystem of industry experts, a venture studio can offer you tailored infrastructure to help facilitate your growth.
Risk Mitigation & Increased Success Potential
With the high stakes of launching a tech startup, venture studios offer a strategic partnership to that mitigates risks. Their collective experience and support framework significantly reduce the inherent risks of starting a tech company and amplify your chances of success.
It's important to note that joining a venture studio requires a certain level of commitment, flexibility, and openness to collaboration. While venture studios provide powerful support, they also expect founders to actively engage and contribute to growing a successful venture.
Whether as a simple fee-for-service or a combination of both fee-for-service and sweat equity, working with Edition offers your startup a unique opportunity to leverage our expertise, resources, and collaborative ways of working to propel your venture. With a track record of nurturing early-stage and high-growth ventures, and a commitment to driving innovation, Edition provides a dynamic and supportive environment for ambitious founders and technology teams ready to bring their ideas to life. From our studio in Auckland to Sydney and New York, we support global growth and success. If you'd like to discuss a potential partnership, let's talk.
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Branding for Tech Startups: Why it's Essential for Success
Building a successful technology company is hard work. There are endless challenges to overcome, from prioritising your product backlog and securing investment to attracting new customers. But there's one often-overlooked factor that can make all the difference between success and failure: branding. It's not just for big corporations like Apple and Airbnb and influencer-driven skincare products.
Uniqueness and loyalty are king, and branding has become a non-negotiable for tech companies. With so many competing for attention, early-stage startups need to have a strong and memorable brand that refuses to blend in. A well-crafted brand can create a competitive edge, helping you rise above the market chatter, imprint a memorable image in the minds of potential customers, and find product-market fit.
What is Branding?
Before we jump headfirst into branding for tech startups, let's define what we mean by "branding". Put simply, the branding process is the creation of a compelling identity for your company that resonates with your target customer and sets it apart from the competition.
Branding encompasses a wide range of elements that all work together to create a cohesive and memorable image for your company. This includes everything from your company name, logo design, typography/fonts, and colour palette, to your brand message, tone of voice, marketing material, web design, and overall customer experience. One of the key benefits of branding is that it helps to establish trust with your target audience. By creating a consistent and professional image, you can build credibility and make it easier for customers to recognise and remember your brand.
But startup branding isn't just about creating a pretty logo or catchy tagline. It's about communicating who you are as a company, what you stand for, and what makes you different from your competitors. This can be achieved through a variety of unique strategies, such as developing a unique brand voice, compelling content marketing, and embedding your brand values into how you approach customer service.
Customer Acquisition
One of the most powerful applications of branding is in customer acquisition. A strong brand can help you to attract the attention of your target audience, and encourage them to engage with your product or service. How? By creating a connection and emotional resonance with your potential customers that goes beyond mere features and benefits.
People are more likely to buy from companies they feel aligned with, that they share values with, and that they believe understand them. A strong brand will cultivate an emotional connection and build trust with potential customers, making it more likely that they will choose you over your competitors.
But how do you go about building a strong brand? It starts with understanding your target audience and what they value. What are their pain points? What motivates them? What are their aspirations? Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, you can bring to life a well-crafted brand story and create an emotional connection with potential customers.
Your marketing strategy should aim for consistency across all brand touch-points, from your website design and social media channels, to your email marketing and customer service interactions. This consistency builds trust and reinforces your identity.
Retention & Loyalty
Branding is a powerful tool that can help technology companies build loyalty and retain customers. In today's competitive marketplace, it's more important than ever to create a lasting impression in the minds of your customers, a strong brand can help you to achieve this.
One of the key benefits of branding is that it can help to build a sense of community and belonging among your customers. When customers feel like they are part of something bigger than just a product or service, they are more likely to develop a strong sense of loyalty to your brand. This loyalty protects you from your competitors, leading to increased customer retention and ultimately a higher lifetime customer value.
Not only are loyal customers more profitable, but those that feel a strong connection to your brand are also more likely to recommend it to others. By helping you spread the word and attract new customers without the input of direct marketing costs, loyal customers help you lower your cost per acquisition.
Attracting & Retaining Talent
Building and retaining a talented team is a substantial challenge for young technology companies. The scarcity of skilled professionals, coupled with an increasing number of technology companies competing for their attention, makes it a daunting task. When your brand values and mission are clear, and you have a compelling identity to go with these, you are more likely to attract and retain the right employees for your business.
Branding isn't just important to customers; it's a beacon for prospective employees. A strong brand identity sends a clear message about your company culture, ethos, and what you stand for. It helps tech professionals envision what working with you entails. For example, if your brand clearly differentiates itself and demonstrates a commitment to leveraging technology for social good, you're likely to attract individuals with shared values.
When it comes to talent retention, a strong brand can also be an invaluable asset. Employees derive pride from associating with and contributing to a strong, reputable brand. Being part of a brand they respect and align with plays a crucial role in employee loyalty. For instance, if your brand design is inclusive and emphasises diversity, it can lead to better retention of diverse workforce. They're likely to feel more valued and understood in an environment that actively appreciates their unique insights and experiences.
Securing Investment
When it comes to securing investment and establishing partnerships, your brand identity plays an even larger role than you might think. A strong, consistent brand not only communicates your company's potential and unique market position but also resonates with investors on a deeper, personal level. This is particularly important when there are so many other early-stage technology companies also competing for investors' attention.
Early-stage technology investors look beyond functionality, financial projections and market dynamics; they want to invest in companies and startup founders that align with their personal values and visions. The story your brand tells, its mission, values, and the impact it aims to create, becomes an integral part of the investment decision. A brand that showcases a commitment to social responsibility, environmental sustainability, or technological advancement, for example, might attract investors who share these values.
Additionally, a strong brand can reflect your company's potential for the long-term success that comes from customer loyalty. Investors want to see that you have, or have the potential to, cultivate a strong connection with your audience - realising that this often translates to customer retention and consistent growth. Your ability to demonstrate this connection through your tech startup branding can significantly increase your chances of securing investment.
How to Build a Strong Brand Identity
So, we've established that branding is critical for early-stage tech startups. But how do you go about building a powerful brand from scratch? Really this is another article in itself, but below is a high-level overview of key considerations.
Firstly, take the time to define your brand strategy. This includes your company's mission, core values, and unique selling proposition (USP). These are your building blocks, and will help you to differentiate yourself from your competitors and connect with your target audience.
Next, craft your messaging and tone of voice. How do you want to communicate with your target audience, and what language and style will resonate with them?
From there, develop your visual identity, including your company name, logo, and brand colours. These should be aligned with your mission and values, and should reflect the personality and tone of your brand – ultimately reflected in your brand guidelines.
Finally, ensure that your identity is consistently represented across all brand touch-points, from your website and social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), to your digital product design, email marketing campaigns and customer service.
Conclusion
In early-stage tech startups, where product development often takes the front seat, don't forget about the importance of branding. Your brand identity is not just what you do, but who you are and why you do it. A strong and differentiated brand can be a powerful force for success, helping you to stand out, connect with customers, and attract the resources you need to grow.
If you're an early-stage technology company, you need to take the time to invest in your brand. Carve out your brand positioning, craft your identity design, hone your messaging, and ensure consistency across all touch-points. After all, a powerful brand identity could be the difference between popping champagne and, well, going back to the drawing board!
Brand building can seem daunting, but remember that you don't have to do it alone. At Edition, we are a branding agency committed to helping early-stage technology companies find their unique DNA, define their brand strategy, and create a compelling visual identity that stands out. If you want help, let's talk!

Grants for Australian Startups
Building a startup in Australia requires more than just resilience and a great idea. It also requires capital. Whether you're investing in R&D, launching a new product, or navigating a competitive market, financial support can be the key to accelerating your growth.
To support innovation and small business growth, the Australian government offers a range of grants tailored for startup businesses. We've compiled a comprehensive guide to the top funding opportunities available, focusing on tech startups across Australia.
What is a Startup Grant?
A startup grant is a sum of money for business support that is awarded to businesses that meet the eligibility criteria to support their idea or growth initiatives. These funds are not usually provided as a loan, and therefore repayment is not required. However, this is not free money in the sense that recipients of the funding opportunities are often required to detail in their submission how the funds will be spent and demonstrate the grant's impact on their business.
Nationwide Grants
Industry Growth Program
The Industry Growth Program provides substantial funding and support to help innovative startups and SMEs commercialise their projects and scale operations.
Application Criteria
To be eligible for the Industry Growth Program, applicants must:
- Be a high-growth SME or innovative startup
- Have a project with strong commercial potential in a priority industry
What you get
Funding of up to $5 million, which can be used for:
- Commercialisation activities
- Scaling operations
- Market expansion efforts
Learn more about the Industry Growth Program
CSIRO Kick-Start Program
The CSIRO Kick-Start Program provides matched funding to help startups and small businesses access CSIRO's expertise and capabilities for R&D activities.
Application Criteria
To be eligible for the CSIRO Kick-Start Program, applicants must:
- Be an Australian startup or SME
- Have an annual turnover of less than $10 million
What you get
Matched funding of $10,000 to $50,000.
This funding can be applied towards:
- R&D activities to develop new products, processes, or services
- Administrative and overhead costs
Learn more about the CSIRO Kick-Start Program
R&D Tax Incentive
The R&D Tax Incentive is a government initiative that provides tax offsets to eligible businesses undertaking research and development activities.
Application Criteria
For eligibility of the R&D Tax Incentive, applicants must:
- Be an Australian company conducting R&D activities
- Spend at least $20,000 annually on eligible R&D
What you get
Tax offsets of 38.5% or 43.5%, depending on the company’s turnover.
This incentive can offset costs related to:
- Wages for R&D staff
- Development of prototypes and experimental activities
Learn more about the R&D Tax Incentive
AgriFutures Australia RD&E
The AgriFutures Australia RD&E fund supports projects in the agriculture sector that aim to improve sustainability and innovation.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be involved in agriculture or agribusiness
- Focus on research, development, or extension activities
What you get
Funding varies based on the scope of the project.
This grant can be used for:
- Research to improve agricultural practices
- Development of new farming technologies
Learn more about AgriFutures Australia RD&E
New South Wales Grants
MVP Ventures Program
The MVP Ventures Program supports startups and scaleups in New South Wales by funding the development and commercialisation of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
Application Criteria
To be eligible for the MVP Ventures Program, applicants must:
- Be based in New South Wales, Australia
- Be developing a new product, service, or technology with a strong market potential and a clear path to commercialisation
What you get
Funding of up to $200,000, covering up to 50% of eligible project costs.
This funding can be used for:
- Building and testing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)
- Conducting market validation, testing and developing go-to-market strategies and scaling efforts
Learn more about the MVP Ventures Program
NSW Future Industries Investment Program
The NSW Future Industries Investment Program supports startups and SMEs in emerging industries within New South Wales.
Application Criteria
To be eligible for this program, applicants must:
- Be a startup or SME located in NSW
- Work in industries identified as future-focused, such as renewable energy or advanced manufacturing
What you get
Grants to support scaling and commercialisation.
This program focuses on:
- R&D and product development
- Creating sustainable, high-growth businesses
Learn more about the NSW Future Industries Investment Program
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Grant
The MVP Grant supports pre-revenue technology startups in developing scalable solutions.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have an ABN registered in NSW
- Be at the pre-revenue stage
- Own the IP or rights to commercialise the solution
What you get
Matched funding up to $25,000 for:
- Progressing from proof of concept to MVP
- Development and commercialisation activities
Learn more about the MVP Grant
Victoria Grants
Startup Grant – Illumina
The Startup Grant by Illumina supports startups focusing on genomics to innovate and grow.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a startup based in Melbourne
- Focus on genomics or related areas
What you get
Funding of up to USD $100,000.
This funding can be applied towards:
- Research and development in genomics
- Commercialisation of genomics-based solutions
Learn more about Illumiana’s Startup Grant
Games Release Fund
The Games Release Fund helps Victorian-based game developers bring their projects to market.
Application Criteria
To be eligible for the Games Release Fund, applicants must:
- Be a game developer or studio based in Victoria
- Have a project ready for production or release
What you get
Funding of up to $30,000.
This funding can be used for:
- Development, marketing, and promotion of games
- Bringing new games to market
Learn more about the Games Release Fund
City of Melbourne – Small Business & Social Enterprise Grants
These grants support businesses and social enterprises in the City of Melbourne that contribute to the local economy.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Operate a business within the City of Melbourne area
- Be developing innovative or sustainable business practices
What you get
Funding of up to $10,000.
This funding can be used for:
- Developing new products or services
- Implementing sustainability initiatives
Learn more about the Small Business & Social Enterprise Grants
AgTech Grants Program
The AgTech Grants Program supports Victorian AgTech startups in building business capability and scaling operations in the agriculture sector.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be an early-stage AgTech startup based in Victoria
- Focus on innovative solutions for agriculture
What you get
Funding of up to $50,000, which can be used for:
- Product development
- Marketing and sales efforts
- Business capability enhancement
Learn more about the AgTech Grants Program
Queensland Grants
Ignite Ideas Fund (QLD)
The Ignite Ideas Fund is designed to help Queensland-based businesses commercialise innovative products and services.
Application Criteria
To be eligible for the Ignite Ideas Fund, applicants must:
- Be a Queensland-based SME
- Be working on a project with strong commercial potential
What you get
Funding of up to $200,000.
This grant can be applied towards:
- Prototyping and product development
- Scaling innovative products for broader market entry
Learn more about the Ignite Ideas Fund
Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
These fellowships provide funding to researchers working with industry to tackle Queensland’s key challenges.
Application Criteria
- Be a Queensland-based researcher or industry partner
- Collaborate on innovative solutions in priority industries
What you get
- Funding of up to $300,000 over three years for research projects
Learn more about Advance Queensland Fellowships
Western Australia Grants
Innovation Booster Grant (IBG)
The Innovation Booster Grant helps WA-based startups and small businesses commercialise innovative ideas and projects.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a WA-based startup or small business
- Have an innovative project with commercial potential
What you get
Funding of up to $40,000, which can be used for:
- Research and product development
- Technology transfer and intellectual property
- Commercialisation support services
Learn more about the Innovation Booster Grant
X-TEND WA Program
The X-TEND WA program supports projects that deliver education and capability-building programs for innovators and investors.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be capable of delivering educational programs in Western Australia
- Focus on supporting regional, indigenous, or female founders
What you get
Funding of up to $150,000 for developing and delivering educational programs, including:
- Corporate or investor education
- Regional founder initiatives
Learn more about the X-TEND WA Program
Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants
The RED Grants program is designed to stimulate economic growth and job creation in regional WA.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Operate a business or project in regional Western Australia
- Propose a project that contributes to economic development and job creation
What you get
Funding amounts vary, which can be used for:
- Projects that increase or sustain jobs
- Industry expansion or diversification
- Skills development and capability building
Learn more about the RED Grants
South Australia Grants
Seed-Start Grant
The Seed-Start Grant supports early-stage startups in South Australia with high-growth potential.
Application Criteria
To be eligible for the Seed-Start Grant, applicants must:
- Be an early-stage startup located in South Australia
- Demonstrate potential for significant economic impact
What you get
Matched funding of $50,000 to $500,000.
This grant can be used for:
- Scaling innovative business models
- Commercialising new products or services
Learn more about the Seed-Start Grant
Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund (RCSF)
The RCSF supports South Australian entrepreneurs, researchers, and businesses to accelerate commercialisation and startup activity.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be based in South Australia
- Have a project that leads to research commercialisation or startup growth
What you get
Funding amounts vary, supporting:
- Commercialisation of research
- Startup establishment and growth
Australian Capital Territory Grants
Innovation Connect Grants (ICON)
The Innovation Connect Grants help Canberra-based startups commercialise innovative ideas.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a startup based in the ACT
- Demonstrate a strong commercialisation plan for their innovation
What you get
Funding of $10,000 to $30,000.
This funding can be used for:
- Prototyping and product development
- Taking innovations to market
Learn more about the Innovation Connect Grants
Social Enterprise Grant Program
The Social Enterprise Grant Program supports social enterprises in the ACT to expand their operations and enhance their impact.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a social enterprise based in the ACT
- Demonstrate a commitment to addressing social, cultural, or environmental challenges
- Have a clear plan for scaling their impact
What you get
Funding of up to $15,000 to support:
- Business planning and operational development
- Marketing, promotion, and community outreach
- Activities to increase the enterprise's capacity and impact
Learn more about the Social Enterprise Grant Program
Northern Territory Grants
Business Innovation Program (BIP)
The Business Innovation Program supports NT-based startups and entrepreneurs in developing and commercialising innovative concepts.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a startup or entrepreneur based in the Northern Territory
- Have an innovative idea with commercial potential
What you get
The program offers:
- Access to mentoring support to evaluate the potential of your innovation
- Financial assistance to develop a viable prototype
- Support in determining the market value of your product
Learn more about the Business Innovation Program
Aboriginal Business Development Program
This program supports First Nations-owned businesses in the Northern Territory to grow and create sustainable employment opportunities.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be an Aboriginal-owned business based in the Northern Territory
- Have a clear business plan and demonstrate growth potential
What you get
Funding of up to $30,000.
This funding can be used for:
- Business planning and development
- Marketing and operational improvements
Learn more about the Aboriginal Business Development Program
Business Growth Program
The Business Growth Program provides funding for NT businesses to access professional advice and services aimed at improving performance, sustainability, and profitability.
Application Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Operate a small to medium-sized business in the Northern Territory
- Have an annual turnover of more than $75,000 but less than $10 million
What you get
Funding of up to $10,000 (50/50 co-contribution).
This funding can be used for:
- Business planning and strategy development
- Financial management and operational improvements
Learn more about the Business Growth Program
Pros & Cons of Startup Grants
Startup grants offer valuable financial support to emerging businesses, but they come with advantages and challenges, like any funding option. Understanding these can help you navigate the decision-making process more effectively.

Other Government Support for Startups
Australia's government agencies support startups beyond growth grant opportunities, offering programs like the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) from Austrade. This program helps businesses expand into international markets by reimbursing export-related expenses. Keep an eye out for its next grant funding round to take advantage of this opportunity.
These programs collectively aim to enhance Australian startups' digital capabilities, international reach, and environmental sustainability, offering a holistic support system for business growth and innovation. There is no precise template for which funding avenues are right for your business, and it is important to explore many options to find the right fit.
Landing Pads Program
The Landing Pads Program helps Australian startups expand globally by providing access to coworking spaces, mentors, and networking opportunities in five international ecosystems: San Francisco, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Berlin, and Singapore. It supports startups in connecting with potential customers and investors to scale internationally.
Learn more about the Landing Pads Program
Digital Solutions – Australian Small Business Advisory Services (ASBAS)
Run by the Australian Government, ASBAS provides low-cost, high-quality advice to small businesses on a range of digital topics, including website development, social media marketing, and cybersecurity.
General Australian Business Advice
Business.gov.au offers a range of tools and expert advice for startups and small businesses, including registering trademarks, understanding tax obligations, and identifying funding opportunities.
Additional Funding Options
While Australia's government grants offer a solid foundation for funding assistance programs across many types of businesses, most startups will also need to explore additional financial avenues at some point in their journey.
Equity Financing
For startups ready to scale, equity financing presents a path to secure significant investment in exchange for a share of ownership. Not just funds essential for growth, equity financing often also comes with expertise, mentorship, and networks that can propel a business forward.
If you’re considering equity financing for your startup, take a look at these resources:
- Investor Directory: Explore leading investment groups fuelling Australia's tech startups with Edition's Investor Directory.
- Venture Capital Guide: Navigate venture capital with our comprehensive guide, from angel investors and accelerators to venture capital funds.
- Top Venture Capital Firms: Identify potential partners among Australia's leading VC firms.
- Venture Studios: Discover how venture studios reinvent startup development—read Edition's guide.
Debt Financing
Debt financing offers an alternative that can be less dilutive than equity options. Providers like Prospa and Mighty Partners offer small business loans tailored to startups' unique needs, enabling them to grow without giving up equity.
At Edition, we specialise in bringing visionary ideas to life. Whether you're a business owner navigating technology startup grants and small business grants or a co-founder seeking venture capital, our strategic design and development expertise is tailored for companies eager to make a difference—let’s talk.