Quick answer
The best Australian startup communities in 2027 are Funded & Fundraising Founders (for founders raising capital), Startmate, Sydney Startups, Stone & Chalk, Blackbird Giants, Aussie Founders Club, Antler, Spacecubed, The Startup Network and Fishburners. The best one for you depends on your stage, your city and whether you are raising.
Australian startup communities compared
| # | Community | Best for | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Funded & Fundraising Founders | Founders who are raising, about to raise, or have raised before | Online (Skool) |
| 02 | Startmate | Ambitious early-stage founders who want an accelerator and a network | Sydney HQ, events across ANZ |
| 03 | Sydney Startups | Free peer advice, startup jobs and what's on | Online (Facebook group), Sydney events |
| 04 | Stone & Chalk | Emerging tech founders who want a physical hub | Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide |
| 05 | Blackbird Giants | Idea-stage founders validating something new | Sydney and Melbourne cohorts, virtual mentoring |
| 06 | Aussie Founders Club | Founder-to-founder peer support at any stage | Slack, with events in person |
| 07 | Antler Australia | Solo founders and people looking for a co-founder | Australia, including Queensland |
| 08 | Spacecubed | Western Australian founders | Perth and Western Sydney |
| 09 | The Startup Network | Pitch practice and a diverse founder network | In person and online |
| 10 | Fishburners | Sydney founders who want pitch nights and a hub | Sydney |
How we ranked them
We looked at communities Australian founders are actually using heading into 2027, across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and online. Each was judged on three things: how active it is right now, how useful it is for founders who are building and raising, and how easy it is to get involved. Details such as programs, dates and member numbers come from each community's own website at the time of writing, so check before you sign up.
Disclosure: Scale Thesis runs Funded & Fundraising Founders, number one on this list. We have ranked it first because it is built specifically for founders who are raising, which is who this guide is written for. We have no commercial relationship with any other community listed.
1. Funded & Fundraising Founders
Our community- Best for
- Founders who are raising, about to raise, or have raised before
- Where
- Online (Skool)
- Format
- Paid monthly membership
Funded & Fundraising Founders is an online community for founders at the sharp end of company building: getting ready for capital. It is run by Fletcher Roberts, co-founder of Web3 security firm Hashlock, and built for founders who are raising for the first time, preparing a repeat raise, or have already closed a round and want to do the next one better.
Most startup communities are broad. This one is narrow on purpose. Everything in it is about raising well: understanding how investors think, being ready before you go out, and learning from founders who have recently been through it.
What members get
- Weekly breakdowns of real funding rounds: who raised, and why
- Templates for pitch decks, data rooms and investor updates
- Live Q&As on valuation, SAFEs, term sheets and cap tables
- Investor market research on who is writing cheques, and at what stage
- Peer feedback on your deck from founders who have closed rounds
- Accountability threads to keep your raise on track
2. Startmate
- Best for
- Ambitious early-stage founders who want an accelerator and a network
- Where
- Sydney HQ, events across ANZ
- Format
- Accelerator, programs and events
Startmate is one of the best-known startup accelerators in Australia and New Zealand, running since 2010. Its 14-week Accelerator backs founders with $120k, and its mentors invest alongside it. Applications for the Summer 2027 cohort close on 1 November 2026.
The community around the accelerator is worth joining even if you never apply. Launch Club is a pre-accelerator program, Pizza and Pitch nights are a low-pressure way to practise in public, and Startmate's ANZ startup events calendar on Luma is one of the easiest ways to see what is on near you.
3. Sydney Startups
- Best for
- Free peer advice, startup jobs and what's on
- Where
- Online (Facebook group), Sydney events
- Format
- Free
Sydney Startups calls itself Australia's largest online community for startup entrepreneurs and investors, and the numbers back it up: 80,000+ members, more than 1,000 new members and 3,000+ comments a month. It started as a Facebook group in 2010.
It is the best free place to ask a quick question and get answers from people who have done it. The free weekly newsletter, out every Tuesday morning, rounds up jobs, events, discussions and opportunities.
4. Stone & Chalk
- Best for
- Emerging tech founders who want a physical hub
- Where
- Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide
- Format
- Residency membership and workspace
Stone & Chalk is a not-for-profit innovation community that began in 2015 around fintech and now describes itself as the largest innovation community in Australia. It runs hubs at Sydney's Tech Central, the Melbourne Startup Hub and the Adelaide Startup Hub.
Members get workspace (flexible desks, fixed desks or private offices), mentors, programs, and connections into investors, corporates and customers. It suits emerging tech founders who want to be around other builders every day, not just at events.
5. Blackbird Giants
- Best for
- Idea-stage founders validating something new
- Where
- Sydney and Melbourne cohorts, virtual mentoring
- Format
- Free, no equity
Giants is the free mentoring program run by Blackbird, one of Australia's best-known venture firms. It is free and Blackbird takes no equity. Each city runs as a five-week cohort, with weekly in-person evenings in Sydney or Melbourne and 30-minute virtual mentoring sessions with Blackbird portfolio founders, operators and members of the investment team.
It is built for the very start: you need to be actively working on an idea you have been at for less than two years. Agencies, services businesses and lifestyle businesses are not eligible. If applications are closed, join the waitlist on the Giants page.
6. Aussie Founders Club
- Best for
- Founder-to-founder peer support at any stage
- Where
- Slack, with events in person
- Format
- Slack community, newsletter and events
Aussie Founders Club is a founder-led community of more than 2,200 Australian founders. It runs a Slack community, a weekly newsletter, a curated partner directory and regular events.
It has backing from LaunchVic, Victoria's startup agency, to run up to 60 founder events by 2028, so expect the in-person calendar to keep growing. A good fit if you want peers to compare notes with between the big set-piece events.
7. Antler Australia
- Best for
- Solo founders and people looking for a co-founder
- Where
- Australia, including Queensland
- Format
- Residency program with pre-seed investment
Antler backs founders before the team or idea is locked in. Its Australian residency runs twice a year, in February and July, and covers co-founder matching, idea validation, coaching and access to a wide founder and expert network.
Antler invests at pre-seed and can follow on in later rounds. It is a strong option if you are a capable operator without a co-founder yet, and want structure and a cohort to build alongside.
8. Spacecubed
- Best for
- Western Australian founders
- Where
- Perth and Western Sydney
- Format
- Coworking, accelerators and capital
Spacecubed started as a coworking space in Perth in 2012 and has grown into a platform that combines workspace, programs and capital, with locations in Perth and Western Sydney.
Its Plus Eight Accelerator has run since 2017, deploying $3.7 million in seed capital and helping unlock more than $24 million in follow-on funding. The City of Perth Plus Eight pre-accelerator is a good first step for earlier founders. If you are building in WA, this is the centre of gravity.
9. The Startup Network
- Best for
- Pitch practice and a diverse founder network
- Where
- In person and online
- Format
- Pitch nights, socials, workshops and programs
The Startup Network describes itself as Australia's largest community of diverse startup founders, for people just starting out through to established businesses.
Its regular pitch nights are a practical way to sharpen your story in front of a live room before it matters. It also runs Founder Connect socials, virtual events and in-person workshops on topics like leadership and managing a board, and is listed among LaunchVic's recommended community groups.
10. Fishburners
- Best for
- Sydney founders who want pitch nights and a hub
- Where
- Sydney
- Format
- Community and programs, relaunching in 2026
Fishburners has been part of Sydney's startup scene for around 15 years. It went into voluntary administration in May 2026 and was bought by ASX-listed Scalare Partners in June.
The new owner plans to relaunch Fishburners Pitch Nights and its founder showcase programs, and to give members access to a Fishburners Hub at Tank Stream Labs on Kent Street. It is worth watching given its history, but check what is running before you commit.
Honourable mentions
A few more worth knowing, especially if you are outside Sydney or building in a specialist field.
- Canberra Innovation NetworkCanberra's innovation hub, best known for its monthly First Wednesday Connect networking night.
- The PrecinctBrisbane's Queensland Government-backed innovation hub in Fortitude Valley, with coworking, events and the StartClub program.
- Startup GrindA global founder community with Australian chapters. Check your city's chapter page for current events.
- Cicada InnovationsSydney's home for deep tech, hardware and robotics founders, with lab facilities and university links.
- One RoofA Melbourne-based community for women-led businesses, focused on motivation, accountability and networking.
- LaunchVic community groupsVictoria's startup agency keeps a list of community groups it supports, a useful starting point for Melbourne founders.
How to choose the right startup community
Most founders join too many communities and get value from none. Pick one or two and show up properly. Five questions help:
- What stage are you at? Idea-stage founders get the most from free mentoring like Blackbird Giants. Founders with traction get more from peers who are a step ahead.
- What do you need in the next six months? Customers, a co-founder, a hire and capital each point to different communities. If you are raising, join one built around raising.
- Do you need people in the room? Hubs like Stone & Chalk and Spacecubed suit founders who want daily contact. Online communities suit founders outside the big cities, or with little time.
- Is it active right now? Check recent posts, the events calendar and when the last cohort ran. A big member count means little if nobody is talking.
- What will it cost you in time? A paid community you use every week can be better value than a free one you never open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best startup community in Australia?
It depends on your stage and goal. For founders raising capital, Funded & Fundraising Founders is built for exactly that. For an accelerator with a strong network, Startmate is the best known. For free peer advice at scale, Sydney Startups has more than 80,000 members. For idea-stage founders, Blackbird Giants offers free mentoring with no equity taken.
Are there free startup communities in Australia?
Yes. Sydney Startups is free to join, Blackbird Giants is free and takes no equity, and Startmate runs free events such as Pizza and Pitch nights. Many state hubs, like the Canberra Innovation Network's First Wednesday Connect, also run free or low-cost networking events.
What is the best community for founders raising capital in Australia?
Funded & Fundraising Founders is built specifically for founders who are raising, preparing to raise or have raised before, with weekly breakdowns of real rounds, deck and data room templates, and investor market research. Accelerators like Startmate and Antler also invest directly, but you have to be accepted into a cohort.
Are there startup communities outside Sydney and Melbourne?
Yes. Stone & Chalk has a hub in Adelaide, Spacecubed is the main startup hub in Perth, The Precinct serves Brisbane and Queensland, and the Canberra Innovation Network covers the ACT. Online communities like Funded & Fundraising Founders, Sydney Startups and Aussie Founders Club work from anywhere.
Is it worth joining a startup community before you have funding?
Usually, yes. The best time to learn how investors think and what a strong raise looks like is before you start one. Communities give you honest feedback on your story, templates that save weeks, and peers who have recently raised, so you go into investor conversations ready.
Join Funded & Fundraising Founders.
Weekly breakdowns of real rounds, deck and data room templates, and founders who have recently closed, all in one place.