_SOUTHSTART launches its 2025 program lineup, creating a space to breathe for Australian innovators and big thinkers
_SOUTHSTART, Australia’s largest festival celebrating start-ups, innovation, and new ways of thinking, has announced an extensive program for 2025 that will bring together bold thinkers and boundary pushing ideas to unpack today’s most pressing conversations; from regenerative technology and ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI), to the future of funding and how technology can be a bastion for good in industries like climate, education and food.
Supported by The Government of South Australia’s Department of State Development, _SOUTHSTART – named Australia’s best startup event for the second year running by Startup Muster – will see hundreds of founders, investors, decision-makers and industry advocates descend on the South Australian capital from March 4-6, 2025.
In an already burgeoning program, key speakers include:
- Phil Morle, Partner at Main Sequence Ventures
- Allys Todd, Co-Founder and CEO at ValAi
- Ben Pfisterer, CEO and Co-Founder at Zeller
- Paz Pisarski, Co-Founder at The Community Collective
- Rowan Simpson, investor, founder, author, and Chairman at Hoku Group
- Dom Pym, Founder of Euphemia
- Matt Loop, VP and Head of Asia at Rippling
“At _SOUTHSTART, we don’t see ourselves as a conference in the traditional sense of the word,” commented Danielle Seymour, Director, _SOUTHSTART. “At a conference, guards are often up, personal agendas are rigid and set well in advance, and there’s a very defined line between speakers and delegates. Instead, we see ourselves as more of a community offsite for founders, investors, and those who champion and create change. For us, it’s about providing the environment to grow, immerse and connect.
“In a startup ecosystem that never stops and never sleeps, we’ve spent over a decade designing an environment to help our community pause, connect, and embrace serendipity. Attendees will uncover meaningful insights, make genuine rather than transactional connections, and be an active participant in shaping what’s next. And if that’s not enough, it’s a celebration of the beauty and hospitality of Adelaide and its surrounding areas.
“In 2025, we’ll be bringing back a lot of the elements that make _SOUTHSTART so popular, but also a series of fresh focuses too. For example, in 2025 we’ll be introducing a series of carefully-curated industry summits designed to dive into the topics that will define some of our most critical sectors.”
In 2025, _SOUTHSTART will be structured around events, workshops, networking opportunities and moments to breathe, spread across three days:
- GROW (March 4): At Growth Academy in The Garden of Unearthly Delights, day one will focus on helping attendees grow as a human first, so that they can move into the future in any capacity. Three stages of expert-led masterclasses, curated by actual experts will focus on providing tangible, practical takeaways. Topics will be extensive, from graduating from dreamer to doer and leadership 101s, to brand building and navigating the fundraising process. Day 1 concludes with a garden party.
- IMMERSE (March 5): McLaren Vale will be the scene for a day of conversations, activities and mindfulness amongst the backdrop of nature. Deep, profound questions will seek to answer questions like: What does our planet look like in 2050? How do we get there? What role does the collective ‘we’ and our ideas play in protecting and pursuing that future a reality? Alongside these conversations will be restorative activities for the here and now, from sound baths and meditation to guided breathwork and mindfulness workshops.
- CONNECT (March 6): On the Fleurieu Peninsula, our Industry Summits are a rare chance to truly connect with others in your field. With thoughtfully curated content tailored to focused communities, these summits go beyond the surface, fostering meaningful conversations that lead to real collaboration. In order to drive deep, sector-specific change, it’s critical to understand what innovation looks like in practice, and on day three _SOUTHSTART will provide that in the fields of: sovereign technology, agritech and food security, creative technology, climate and clean energy, community, health and biotech, education and training.
Innovation Bay, a leading membership organisation for Australia and New Zealand’s tech founders and investors, is partnering with _SOUTHSTART to bring its Aurora community of 100+ venture capital (VC) fund partners to foster collaboration, connection, and growth.
Aurora, the only organisation representing the entire ANZ VC ecosystem, comprises more than 120 general partners from 97 unique VC funds, collectively managing over $7 billion in assets. Through its annual membership, Aurora enables venture capital firms across Australia and New Zealand to shape the future of the industry via collaboration, deeper relationships, and collective learning.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to Adelaide and partnering with _SOUTHSTART and the SA Government,” said Phaedon Stough, CEO at Innovation Bay. “_SOUTHSTART is a cornerstone of the ANZ tech community calendar, and it provides an incredible platform for our members to connect with local founders and investors. We’re proud to bring our Aurora VC community along, representing over 120 general partners from 97 funds, to foster collaboration and drive innovation together.”
