A permanent voice for Australian startups
Spark Foundation is a charity that brings together tens of thousands of Australian founders, investors, policymakers, unis and supporters of our startup ecosystem.
Home of the Spark Festival since 2016, we are a grassroots collective for startup community, advocacy and investment – supported by the goodwill of the ecosystem itself.
Festival week
Spark Festival is back: 21–27 September 2026
It's time for our startup ecosystem to step up once again – and this year, it's more important than ever.
Spark Festival is coming up on 21–27 September for our eleventh year – and things are looking quite different this time around.
We're facing into a long period of uncertainty for Australian founders and investors. Government support, certainty over our tax system, R&D tax incentive eligibility and the ongoing legality of AI development in Australia are all hanging in the balance following significant policy announcements, with minimal consideration of the impacts on our ecosystem.
Spark Festival is back for our eleventh year to make our community's voices heard, to provide a platform for those who can't pay for access, and to spark engagement across Australia's diverse startup ecosystem.
How will you play your part?
- Host an event – a panel, workshop, dinner or social. Most festival events are run by the community, not by Spark itself.
- Open your space – if you have a venue, festival week is a great way to put it to use in front of the ecosystem.
- Volunteer your time – Spark runs on an army of people who give a few hours to make the week happen.
- Become a sponsor – as a not-for-profit, every contribution goes directly toward keeping every event free and open.
- Just come along – everything is free, so come to one or come to twenty, and see who you meet.
Watch
Ten years of Spark Festival
In 2025, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull AC joined leaders of the Spark community to celebrate a decade of impact – with nearly 5,000 Australian entrepreneurs joining us at events across greater Sydney.
Ten Years of Spark Festival – 2025 Highlights
Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.
Since 2016
Eleven years. 40,000+ strong. One mission.
Spark exists to drive engagement into and across the startup ecosystem. It started to solve a simple problem: the ecosystem was full of activity, but disconnected. Eleven years on, that's 40,000+ people in the network – still building, still backing, still showing up for Australian entrepreneurship.
We are a not-for-profit and a registered charity. Every event is free, and they are run by the community itself – supported by an army of participants and volunteers from across the country.
What we believe
Everything Spark does comes back to a few simple beliefs
We are not run by a company. We are run by the ecosystem itself – the people willing to pay it forward, so the next founder, the next idea, the next connection can happen.
- Good ideas shouldn't need connections to be heard.
- The ecosystem is stronger connected than scattered.
- The people building the future deserve a seat at the table.
- No one should have to navigate this alone.
What we do
Here's how that belief becomes action
Spark is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation, eleven years in. That grassroots spirit now shows up in three ways – each serving a different part of the ecosystem, all in service of the same belief.
Spark Festival
Now in its eleventh year, Spark Festival is one week where NSW's startup ecosystem shows up – for talks, workshops, dinners and everything the ecosystem needs to keep moving. It's where momentum becomes visible, and where people find each other, in person, all at once.
Explore festival weekSpark Investment Network
For investment-ready founders, the Investment Network opens doors to investors most wouldn't otherwise reach: private equity, family offices and venture capital from across Asia-Pacific and beyond. Built on Spark's long-standing reputation in the private wealth and VC community, we are proud to have supported hundreds of fundraising founders through our gatherings.
Register your interestSpark Foundation initiatives year-round
Government and startups don't always speak the same language. The Spark Foundation connects them: we are a trusted, apolitical community that provides a platform for those who cannot afford to buy access through political donations or high-cost industry bodies. No fees, no political affiliations, no vested interests.
Register your interestStay in the loop
Updates on the Spark Foundation, our annual Festival, community events, insights and what's next for the ecosystem – straight to your inbox.
Who Spark is for
One ecosystem, together
A thriving ecosystem isn't one thing or one group – it's entrepreneurs, innovation, capital and policy. Spark exists to bring them into the same room, because that's where deals get done, ideas get funded, policy gets shaped and community gets built.
Your stage and access point. Investor introductions, corporate connections, media exposure – a place to tell your story and inspire others.
Founders surfacing earlier, including well beyond the usual Sydney CBD circuit. And an opportunity to play your part in educating the next generation of founders about how to approach capital-raising.
An amplifier for the programs, accelerators and support you already run. A bigger audience, more visibility.
A sensing tool for Australia's innovation economy. Understand the startup ecosystem's needs, straight from founders themselves.
A client and partner pipeline: putting service providers in front of the entrepreneurs they serve.
Understanding what a career in startups looks like – and how you can jump in!
