SouthStart 2026 returns to Adelaide, uniting startups & investors

The annual SOUTHSTART festival is set to return to Adelaide in March 2026, bringing together founders, investors, and stakeholders from across Australia's startup and technology ecosystem. Organisers plan a three-day agenda focused on connection and collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers in the innovation sector.

Programme outline

The 2026 edition will introduce a range of activities. The first day, labelled PRECINCT, will offer more than 30 community-led events across the city, including a Bright Ideas Summit for young innovators and an Investor Summit drawing leading angels and venture capitalists. Masterclasses for founders will be delivered by organisations including Think & Grow, Standard Ledger, and Rampersand, among others.

The second day, ASSEMBLY, will feature the main festival programme at the National Wine Centre, with panels, workshops, and startup pitches, followed by a community block party in the East End. The final day, OFFSITE, moves to McLaren Vale's Beresford Estate, where the agenda blends professional development with wellbeing and creative workshops.

"We've spent the past few months listening, connecting, and learning from founder communities around Australia. What's emerged is a shared belief that innovation is human, and that to truly support founders, we must bring them together alongside the investors, enablers, and creative thinkers who help ideas take flight," said Craig Swann, Co-Director of SOUTHSTART

Sector partnerships

SOUTHSTART maintains ties with universities, major venture firms, and partners from technology, research, and industry. The event will showcase collaboration between groups such as Flinders New Venture Institute, Blackbird, Airtree, AWS, CSIRO, and NVIDIA. Organisers said the growing partnership pool reflects a decade-long evolution from a regional gathering to a gathering with national scale.

Greg Ratsch, General Manager at Adelaide Economic Development Agency, said, "PRECINCT Powered by AEDA is all about showcasing Adelaide as a place where ideas turn into opportunities. By backing SouthStart, we're helping founders connect with investors, attract talent and investment, and build momentum for the city's growing innovation economy."

Government support

The South Australian Government continues to back the festival as part of its efforts to support early-stage and high-growth potential startups and scaleups. The event remains a centrepiece in state policy for attracting talent, encouraging investment, and boosting international visibility of South Australia as an innovation destination.

"The South Australian Government is thrilled to support this annual event that enables entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, technologists, students, and aspiring startup founders to connect, share and celebrate the ground-breaking innovation taking place, here in South Australia, interstate, and overseas. SOUTHSTART has significantly contributed to our government's objectives to support innovative early-stage, high-growth potential startups and scaleups," said Joe Szakacs, Minister for Industry, Innovation.

Industry response

Past editions have drawn speakers from globally recognised organisations, including Netflix, NASA, and Canva, alongside new and established Australian startups. Jon Tinberg, Head of Marketing at XENON, commented, "XENON is stoked to be at Southstart again in 2026. Last year was the most engaging, positive, start-up event we've attended all year! The level of interest in AI and issues around AI was impressive. With the advancement in AI tools for start-ups, we're looking forward to an even bigger Southstart 2026."

Antonia Ruffell, Managing Director at Pledge 1%, highlighted the event's social impact agenda: "At Pledge 1%, we see a future where social impact is the new business norm. With the generous support of the Atlassian Foundation, we're proud to partner with _SOUTHSTART 2026 to help inspire more startups to be a force for good."

Georgie Wade, Chief Growth Officer at Radium Capital, added, "_SOUTHSTART is one of our favourite events of the year and we're excited to be working alongside them once again in 2026. Working together with _SOUTHSTART allows us to create meaningful opportunities to connect, collaborate, and share insights that foster growth and innovation within Australia's vibrant startup ecosystem. We're thrilled to be part of a network and community that embodies the same beliefs and empowers businesses to go from idea to impact."

Verity Kingsmill, Director at Flinders New Venture Institute, said, "Through Flinders New Venture Institute (NVI), we're proud to continue our partnership with SOUTHSTART in 2026 to make innovation and entrepreneurship accessible for all. Together, we're building entrepreneurial capability and future-ready skills, empowering students to explore big ideas, tackle real-world challenges, and develop the skills needed to create a positive, lasting impact that advances South Australia's innovation potential."

Ben Owen, Chief Strategy Officer at RAA, said, "We're thrilled to be involved in SouthStart again next year, it's always an incredible opportunity to connect with innovators, changemakers and ideas shaping South Australia's future. The energy, insights and connections that come out of SouthStart are invaluable, it's a space where bold thinking meets real-world impact, and we're excited to continue being part of that journey."

Josh Garratt, Founding Partner at Eastend Ventures, said, "Now more than ever, investors are seeking clarity on how to navigate change. How do we capitalise on the economic transformation driven by AI? What is the market outlook for tech exits? How are family wealth dynamics changing as the next generation takes the reins? The Investor Summit convenes leading voices at the forefront of these forces, offering a unique opportunity to shape your strategy, share insights and connect with like-minded investors."