Phil Ireland discusses how he sees mission-driven companies as fitting into Australia’s startup ecosystem

Phil Ireland discusses how he sees mission-driven companies as fitting into Australia’s startup ecosystem

Phil Ireland discusses how he sees mission-driven companies as fitting into Australia’s startup ecosystem

0:00/1:34

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Phil Ireland is Co-Founder and CEO of Hone Carbon, a mission-driven business with the objective of unlocking the potential for carbon storage in Australia’s agricultural environments. Prior to starting Hone Carbon in 2020, Phil’s work largely focused on climate change advocacy and policy. In his conversation with guest host Will Tjo, Phil discusses how he sees mission-driven companies as fitting into Australia’s startup ecosystem, as well as his belief that there are positive trends within Australia’s investment space towards investing in mission-driven companies.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast

00:32 Meet Phil Ireland

01:24 Phil's Background and Mission

02:18 Transitioning from Non-Profit to Startups

03:48 First Impressions of the Startup Ecosystem

04:41 Finding Support in Newcastle's Startup Community

05:12 Discussion on Social Entrepreneurship

06:36 Gaps in the Australian Startup Ecosystem

07:53 Challenges with Government Grants

09:06 Issues in VC Funding for Social Enterprises

10:49 Measuring Impact in Australia

11:59 Strengths of the Australian Startup Community

13:28 Unpopular Opinions about the Ecosystem

14:46 Advice for New Entrepreneurs

15:21 Recent Developments in the Startup World

16:34 Final Thoughts on Grants and Funding

17:13 Shoutout to Heroes in the Startup Space

18:15 Phil's Future Focus and Closing Remarks

Resources

Hone Carbon: https://www.honecarbon.com/Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philireland1/

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Day One® is a registered trademark of W2D1 Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. © 2026 W2D1 Media Pty Ltd.