Startup Sector Predictions for 2026
3:18 mins
Key Insights
We asked five of the top investors in Victoria, Betty Zhang (Boson Ventures), Hugh Stephens (Galileo Ventures), Samantha Ng (Pacific Channel), Brett Ogilvie (Pacific Channel), and Nicholas Ooi (Investible), what they expect from the startup sector in 2026. Their outlook points to leaner AI-enabled company building, more founder path options, and continued opportunity for capital-intensive ventures with strong long-term potential.
- AI tooling is increasing the number of solo and very lean founder-led startups.
- Bootstrapping software businesses is becoming more viable due to lower build costs.
- Venture still suits capital-intensive opportunities where hard upfront investment drives defensible outcomes.
- Founders now have more path options, angels, revenue-funded growth, part-time starts, and VC.
- University-linked pre-seed programs and accelerators are expanding the next wave of founders.
- Victoria is positioned to produce stronger deep-tech and research-commercialization startups over the next few years.
Video Transcript
How can founders best prepare for investment?
Hugh Stephens, General Partner, Galileo Ventures
I think the thing that we want to really see is where you see yourself going in the next six to 18 months, and then what your 10-year vision looks like if everything works. Those are very distinct horizons. The really important part is being succinct in what you are trying to say. Even when helping founders with Series A decks, we ask: what is the one message you want this slide to get across, and is that obvious? Founders often keep adding more information, but that can dilute the message.
Brett Ogilvie, Pacific Channel
Key for us is a genuine customer problem, not just a flick of dust in the eye, but an urgent problem that needs to be solved. We want founders to understand that problem and explain how they will serve it, then show they can scale a business from Australia.
Betty Zhang, Investment Manager, Boson Ventures
Think about an investment campaign much like a marketing campaign. Do your research and understand your audience. Start mapping the investor landscape early and identify your highest-likelihood investors. Do practice runs before approaching dream investors. Also look globally, not just locally, because specialist investors can bring deep expertise as well as capital.
Nicholas Ooi, Investor, Investible
Think introspectively about why you want to raise, how much you want to raise, and who you want to raise from. Who you raise from matters, because venture firms and high-net-worth investors bring different expectations and profiles.
