Fishburners

Fishburners is Australia's largest and longest-enduring community dedicated to supporting early-stage tech startups in Sydney. Established in 2011 by successful tech entrepreneurs Mike Casey and Pete Davison, its mission is to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship by connecting ambitious founders with essential people, networks, and opportunities. Operating as a not-for-profit charitable institution, Fishburners differentiates itself from traditional incubators or accelerators by not taking equity, instead focusing purely on providing a supportive ecosystem where startups can grow without financial burden.

Fishburners serves a diverse range of entrepreneurs, from solo founders to teams of up to 20, across various tech and innovation industries, including plant-based meat, construction technology, clean tech, and online marketplaces. They provide a physical coworking space, located within the Sydney Startup Hub, and also offer virtual memberships to ensure accessibility for founders located anywhere.

Key achievements highlight Fishburners' significant impact on the Australian startup landscape. Since its inception, it has supported over 2,000 startups, engaged more than 35,000 entrepreneurs, and facilitated the creation of over 12,200 jobs. Companies that have emerged from the Fishburners community include notable success stories such as Koala, Dgraph, V2 Food, Snappr, GoFar, Hey You, GradConnection, DesignCrowd, Madpaws, and Hyper Anna. The organisation has also hosted thousands of events, providing educational seminars, mentorship, and crucial networking opportunities that have helped member businesses raise over $1 billion in capital.

Their comprehensive support system includes access to over 35 pro bono mentors, investor pitch events, professional development workshops, and valuable perks on essential startup tools and services. This integrated approach is designed to reduce the high failure rate often associated with early-stage ventures, offering clarity, connection, and momentum for founders. As of November 2025, Nicole O'Brien held the position of Chief Executive at Fishburners, continuing to drive its mission to empower entrepreneurs.