Episode Summary:
Markus Kahlbetzer is CEO and founder of BridgeLane, which labels itself an “alternative investment company” and aims to bring innovation to more traditional industries including agriculture and real estate. Markus also founded Tank Stream Labs, a technology focused coworking space and community hub in Sydney. In his conversation with guest host Will Tjo, Markus discusses how he has seen Australia’s startup ecosystem evolve and grow over the last 10+ years, as well as what he sees as opportunities for government and universities to support the startup ecosystem to a greater extent than they do currently.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:32 Meet Markus Kahlbetzer
00:44 Markus' Background and Current Work
01:01 The Startup Ecosystem in 2010
01:38 Founding Tank Stream Labs
02:37 Markus as an Entrepreneur
03:36 Support Structures in the Early Ecosystem
04:38 Current Funding Landscape
05:48 Growth of the Ecosystem Over 10 Years
06:58 Comparison to Other Geographies
08:12 Government Support and Policy
09:41 Unpopular Opinions about the Ecosystem
10:55 The Role of the ASX
12:07 Exiting Overseas vs. ASX
14:29 Collaboration Between Universities and Startups
15:45 Advice for New Founders
19:23 Closing Remarks
