In recent interviews, PlantMiner Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Michael Trusler and RedEye Apps Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Wayne Gerard both expressed the sharp trajectory in growth the tech startup sector has gone through over the past two years. They both also touched on the awareness of the industry, its trends, themes and stories that will continue to activate more interested parties in the ecosystem. Chris Titley, a stockbroker with Morgans based in Brisbane, is one in particular driving ongoing awareness through his Morgans Startup Series Podcast.
Titley’s podcast has seen him interview tech startup entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, gaining critical insight into the success, barriers and challenges of their journeys and what the future holds for their projects and the sector. In his short time running the podcast, Titley has spoken to Stephen Baxter of River City Labs and Shark Tank, Mark Cantoni of the Outbound App, Joel McDonald of Swift and former AFL fame, Elaine Stead of BlueSky Investments, and more recently Andre Elkmeier of Vinomofo to name a few. To check out some of Titley’s videos and podcasts head here.
Titley took some time out to reflect on the Series thus far, highlighting some key areas for progress across the industry. In particular, one key theme he’s identified with the industry’s success is the people driving these startups. “There’s a common trait of entrepreneurial spirit, drive, desire and enthusiasm in the startup founders I’ve spoken to who’ve attained some level of success,” he said. “They’ve got a genuine passion in their product and their drive matches their aspirations.”
Another industry notion Titley has identified lies in the startup founder – investor gap. He spoke of the potential access to capital dilemma the industry may face as the sector embarks on its continued upward trajectory, but that education and collaboration could forge the gap here and aid in its prosperity. “There seems to be a slow approach to investment in Australia with VCs and investors looking at opportunity with their risk hat on,” he noted. “It is probably a little expected given the sharp growth in startups but I think there’s an opportunity for better connectivity between entrepreneurs, founders and the people wanting to invest in the industry.”
An interesting observation Titley has noticed in his discussions is the bullish aspirational nature he is witnessing in New Zealand based startups. “Two out of two New Zealand startups I’ve spoken to recently are aggressively looking to take their platforms global and as fast as possible,” he said. He touched on the nature of the market in NZ as a key reason for this. “The population in New Zealand and potential local customer base is just not scalable to the extent of Australian, American or European businesses, so thinking global seems to paramount in their plans,” he said.
Chris Titley is hosting the Fireside Chat on May 18th at River City Labs, Brisbane. He’ll be speaking with Michael Trusler, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of PlantMiner and Wayne Gerard, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of RedEye Apps. To register your interest for the event, please email RSVP@stellartechnology.com.au.
Interview by Trent Clulow