Episode Summary:
Alfred Lo is co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Harvest B, a tech startup developing a plant-based meat ingredient system. Previously Chief Investment Officer at Cicada Innovations, an incubator for Australian tech startups, Alfred has more than a decade experience acting as an advisor, mentor and board member for many early-stage technology businesses. In his conversation with Adam, Alfred discusses how Australia’s startup ecosystem compares to other nations, and why he believes “What role should government play in the startup ecosystem?” is a tricky question to answer.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:24 Introduction of Alfred Lo
00:47 Alfred's Background in Venture Capital
01:26 Transition from Venture Capital to Founding
02:35 Alfred's First Exposure to the Australian Startup Ecosystem
03:22 The State of Venture Capital in Australia (2004-2005)
06:02 Impact of the Dot Com Bust
07:22 Notable Failures in the Australian Tech Scene
08:41 Emergence of a Startup Community
10:24 Changes in the Ecosystem Post-2008
12:12 Exposure to Global Startup Ecosystems
13:30 Unique Aspects of the Australian Ecosystem
15:14 Gaps and Areas for Improvement
17:40 The Role of Government in the Ecosystem
19:56 The Next Steps for the Australian Startup Ecosystem
25:05 Advice for New Founders
30:39 The Importance of Culture in Building the Ecosystem
34:25 Closing Remarks
