LaunchVic appoints Former DoorDash GM as COO

Last Updated: Tuesday 11 February

LaunchVic has appointed Puji Fernando as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help drive the agency’s next phase of growth.

Puji joins from DoorDash, where he was the General Manager, leading the company’s expansion across Australia and entry into New Zealand. Puji grew the company to hundreds of employees, transformed its profitability and launched large partnerships with Afterpay and Amazon Prime.

His appointment comes as LaunchVic rolls out its new strategy, following the Victorian Government’s commitment to another four years of funding. In his new role, Puji will oversee programs designed to accelerate the growth of Victoria’s startup ecosystem.

This includes the 30X30 program, which aims to scale 30 Victorian startups to $1 billion valuations by 2030, and the newly launched Basecamp program, supporting seed to Series A founders to make their first executive hires.

LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick said Puji’s experience in scaling high-growth businesses would be invaluable.

“Puji brings deep expertise in growing and scaling complex businesses. His leadership will be instrumental in delivering our programs and ensuring Victoria’s startups have the support, talent, and capital needed to succeed,” Dr Cornick said.

New COO, Puji Fernando said he was excited to join LaunchVic at a pivotal time for the Victorian startup ecosystem.“I was drawn to this role because of LaunchVic’s ambitious vision and the unique opportunity to contribute towards building a world-class startup ecosystem in Victoria.

“Having spent almost five years scaling a fast-growing business, I understand the challenges startups face when expanding, hiring, and securing partnerships. With a new strategy in place and strong government backing, this is an exciting moment to drive real impact,” he said.

“The opportunity to shape programs like 30X30 and Basecamp — initiatives that directly address the needs of scaling companies is incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with the team, supporting founders, and helping Victoria’s startups reach their full potential.”

For media enquiries, contact kate.gittings@launchvic.org.