Oceania's Ecosystems: Deep Tech and the Scaleup Challenge
Deep Tech roots, global ambition, and a scaleup challenge to solve — Oceania's ecosystems in GSER 2026.
Oceania's startup ecosystems present a compelling paradox in GSER 2026: a region with world-class research institutions, high-quality founders, and strong early-stage momentum, but one that is also confronting a persistent structural challenge in getting its most promising companies to global scale. While exit value declined (Oceania was the only region globally where exit value decreased in 2025), early-stage funding activity, AI investment, and Deep Tech capability are all pointing in a strongly positive direction. The region's defining opportunity is converting that foundation into breakout scaleups
Sydney: Australia's Innovation Engine
Sydney ranks #26 globally and #1 in Oceania, with an Ecosystem Value of $59.7 billion and an AI-Native Ecosystem Value of $4.1 billion. At the heart of the ecosystem is Tech Central, a dedicated innovation district anchoring a $42 billion economy and supporting more than 100,000 workers across startups, scaleups, research institutions, and global technology firms. Since 2018, UNSW Founders programs alone have supported more than 60 startups that raised approximately $70 million, created over 175 jobs, and generated more than $250 million in enterprise value.
Sydney's next phase of growth is being accelerated by new infrastructure: the Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport, opening in 2026, and its co-located Aerotropolis will create a new international gateway and high-tech economic precinct spanning Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Logistics, and Health Innovation, extending Sydney's innovation footprint and strengthening its role as a gateway to Asia-Pacific markets.
Melbourne: Victoria's Scaleup Push
Melbourne ranks #30 globally and #2 in Oceania, with an Ecosystem Value of $24 billion and an AI-Native Ecosystem Value of $1.6 billion, up 139% since the H2 2021–23 baseline. Victorian startups attracted a record $2.4 billion in investment in 2025, leading Australia. The standout deal was a $467 million mega-round by Airwallex, with several other raises exceeding $100 million. Victoria is home to 200+ university spinouts valued at $6.2 billion, and more than 50% of Australia's startups in the Enterprise Software and Healthtech sectors are based in the state.
In January 2026, the University of Melbourne launched an AI and Data Innovation Hub to connect startups with industry and government partners. LaunchVic's VC Support Program backed seven new funds — including Advance VC, Boson Ventures, and Tidal Ventures — collectively expected to raise over $275 million in early-stage capital targeting local startups from seed to Series A.
Brisbane: Aerospace and the 2032 Horizon
Brisbane ranks #4 in Oceania (#51-60 Emerging Ecosystem globally), with an Ecosystem Value of $6.3 billion, up 157.8% on the H2 2018–2020 baseline. The city is cementing its identity as Australia's Aerospace and Space hub. Gilmour Space raised a $146 million Series E in early 2026, and Hypersonix Launch Systems raised a $46 million Series A in 2025 — the latter developing a hydrogen-powered scramjet engine for hypersonic access to space. PsiQuantum's $1 billion quantum computing project is anchoring the region's Deep Tech ambitions, and infrastructure investments tied to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are accelerating Brisbane's connectivity to Asia-Pacific markets.
New Zealand: Strengthening the Foundations for Scaleup Growth
Auckland ranks #3 in Oceania (#31-40 Emerging Ecosystem globally). Alongside Wellington (#7) and Christchurch (#8+), it is part of a New Zealand ecosystem that punches above its weight on a per-capita basis, but faces structural barriers that limit the growth of its highest-potential startups.
In a dedicated case study, GSER 2026 documents how Startup Genome worked with New Zealand's ecosystem leaders to address these bottlenecks head-on. The challenge was clear: smaller seed rounds, longer fundraising cycles, fragmented ecosystem resources, and lower scaleup success rates were reducing the number of companies able to reach global scale. Startup Genome conducted a comprehensive assessment, analyzing startup formation, funding dynamics, scaleup performance, exit outcomes, and ecosystem structure against leading global peer ecosystems. It developed a roadmap for strengthening ecosystem infrastructure, improving access to capital, and increasing coordination across founders, investors, support organizations, and policymakers. The result was a framework for addressing the most critical growth constraints and positioning New Zealand to attract greater investment and generate more high-value exits over the long term.
Read the full case study: New Zealand: Strengthening the Foundations for Scaleup Growth
Oceania Regional Ranking 2026
GSER 2026 ranks nine ecosystems across Oceania, led by Australia's four major hubs and anchored by New Zealand's three cities.
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