Why ANZ companies need cross-border expertise.
ANZ GOING GLOBAL
Australia's startup ecosystem is now the fastest-growing of any major hub over the past decade — producing more unicorns per dollar invested than anywhere else in the world. The Australian domestic market is small, and successfully expanding to new markets requires more than ambition.
13.7x
AU ecosystem growth vs other major hubs (decade)
48
Australian unicorns (8 decacorns)
$4.3B
Projected 2026 VC funding into AU startups
41%
Early-stage capital raised offshore — double the US/EU rate
Source: Side Stage Ventures / Dealroom Australia Venture & Startup Report 2026
THE STRUCTURAL CHALLENGE
~30 million people is a ceiling, not a runway.
To reach true scale, companies must go global early. The most successful — Canva, Atlassian, Rocket Lab, Airwallex — cracked international markets before they became household names domestically. Most companies don't have the networks to do this alone.
~30M
Combined ANZ population
$59.9B
Total AU VC-backed M&A exit value since 2010
24.4%
AU VC 5-year pooled return — nearly double US peers
1,582
Active AU scaleups, collectively raising $36B+
Sources: Dealroom 2026, Side Stage Ventures, Mind the Bridge / Crunchbase 2025, SVB ANZ Report
Companies that cracked it early.
PROOF POINTS
Canva
Atlassian
Rocket Lab
Airwallex
