Beyond the Border: Investing from Queensland into Australia's Best Startups

Beyond the Border: Investing from Queensland into Australia's Best Startups
 

A VC Catalyst community conversation on building national portfolios from a growing Queensland ecosystem

Overview

Queensland's venture ecosystem has entered a new chapter. More founders are building ambitious companies from Brisbane and beyond, more capital is entering the market, and national investors are paying closer attention than ever before.

But for investors, an important question remains: how do you build a world-class portfolio from Queensland? How do you identify exceptional local opportunities while ensuring access to the best companies emerging across Australia?

Join Wade Institute for a practical conversation with leading venture investors on what it takes to invest with conviction from Queensland. We'll explore where the state's genuine strengths lie, how local investors can participate in national opportunities, and what the next phase of Queensland's venture ecosystem could look like.

Whether you're an experienced investor, just beginning your venture journey, or a founder interested in understanding how investors think, this discussion will provide an honest look at how the best investors source opportunities, build conviction, and think beyond geography.

What We'll Explore

• Where Queensland has developed genuine competitive advantages – and where it still has work to do

• How investors distinguish truly exceptional companies from the broader market, regardless of postcode

• Building a national portfolio from Queensland: accessing Australia's best founders and deals

• The role of syndicates, interstate networks, co-investment and fund relationships in expanding deal flow

• Has Queensland's strategy of backing national venture funds with local investment mandates worked? What has changed, and what still needs to happen?

• What will define the next decade of Queensland's startup and investment ecosystem, and what role can investors play in shaping it?

 Who Should Attend?

• Experienced angel investors, sophisticated investors

• Family offices

• Founders (post-exit or scaling)

• Startup executives (C-suite, VP Product, CFO)

• Professional services advisors, Wealth advisers & private bankers

• Corporate innovation leaders

• Government and economic development

• University commercialisation & research leaders

• Accelerators, incubators and innovation hubs
  

Panelists:

Sophie Robertson, Partner, Head of Capital Formation, TEN13

Sophie has spent the past 20 years in financial markets in Australia, Asia and Europe. A Partner at venture firm TEN13, Sophie leads capital formation, distribution, and customer relations for 500+ LPs. TEN13 invests in early-stage technology companies globally, and started out as the Family Office of Steve Baxter. Previously she spent 15 years with Global Investment Bank Credit Suisse, covering Asian & Australian markets as a Director of Institutional Equity Sales. On the side, she is a champion for various philanthropic movements in Brisbane, including SOTS (Sisters of the Saddle) and 10x10 Philanthropy. She is also a mentor in the Minerva Network.

Nicola Wightman, Venture Relations Manager at QIC Ventures

Nicola is a venture capital investor in Queensland startups and scaleups. She brings experience across accelerator programs, government innovation initiatives, corporate IT, and small business. At QIC Ventures, Nicola leads engagement across the innovation ecosystem, working with founders, investors, universities, and government to foster collaboration and support the growth of emerging companies. QIC Ventures is a leading investor in Queensland's startup ecosystem, supporting companies from seed to Series C+.

Brian Cooke, Angel Investor, Brisbane Angels

Brian Cooke is the founder of MooCoo Ventures and an angel investor with Brisbane Angels, focused on identifying and backing Australia’s most promising pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies. With a background in economics, strategy consulting at PwC, and more than a decade of M&A and corporate advisory experience at Cooke Capital, Brian brings a rigorous, analytical approach to early-stage investing. Through Brisbane Angels, he has made more than 30 investments across the Australian startup ecosystem, developing a strong perspective on what separates the companies worth backing from those that only look the part.


Moderator:

Lauren Capelin
Author of The Liminal Space and Co-Facilitator of Wade Institute's VC Catalyst program, Lauren Capelin is a community strategist and innovation specialist with expertise in generative AI, web3, fintech, and early-stage startups. She previously held positions at AWS Startups, Startmate, and Reinventure Fund, shaping Australia's fintech ecosystem and championing gender equity in tech. A pioneer in the sharing economy, Lauren co-founded Collaborative Lab and contributed to the global rise of collaborative consumption. She's also a certified coach and yoga teacher, blending strategic insight with a holistic approach to leadership.

Hosted by:

Wade Institute is Australia's leading centre for entrepreneurial and investor training. Our programs accelerate learning, creation, and connection, including the University of Melbourne’s Master of Entrepreneurship, our investor education program VC Catalyst, and entrepreneurship training for schools through UpSchool

VC Catalyst
VC Catalyst is an immersive executive education program for active investors to gain the best  practice tools and skills to make successful early-stage high growth venture capital investments.  Powered by Innovation Victoria, the program is delivered at Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship by world-leading venture capitalists and experts.

With thanks to:

Innovation Victoria
Since its creation in 2017, Innovation Victoria has been leading the development of a globally-connected startup ecosystem in Victoria, Australia

Please note: Photography will be captured during the event. If you would prefer not to be included in any photos, please notify one of our team members on the evening.