Episode Summary:
Terry Hilsberg is a co-owner and partner in Fork Ventures, an investment firm that primarily focuses its investments in crypto projects. Terry is also a Venture Partner in InnoHub Capital, a global innovation acceleration services organisation based in China. Terry has decades of experience working within the startup ecosystem both in Australia and globally, and in his conversation with Adam discusses his involvement in the earliest days of Australia’s startup ecosystem in the late 70’s and 80’s, as well as his belief that Australia must work to not lose the progress we’ve made in our startup ecosystem when (not if) the next big financial crash comes.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:29 Meet Terry Hilsberg
00:31 Terry's Background and Involvement in the Australian Startup Ecosystem
01:00 Early Economic Challenges and Government Initiatives
01:23 The Rise of Venture Capital in Australia
02:17 Transition to Venture Capital and Raising Funds
03:08 Investment in Japanese and Australian Startups
04:02 Investing in Chinese Startups
05:04 The International Nature of the Australian Venture Capital Scene
06:08 The Shift towards EdTech and Changes in the Market
07:24 The Impact of Crypto on Venture Capital
09:02 Differences Between Traditional VC and Crypto Investing
10:12 The Emergence of the Metaverse
12:01 The Global Nature of Crypto Companies
12:22 Comparing Past and Present Venture Capital Access
13:36 Importance of International Focus for Australian Startups
15:34 Advice for Founders: Go International
19:22 Maintaining Infrastructure in Times of Crisis
22:22 The Impact of Global Trends on Australian Valuations
27:14 The Drivers Behind High Startup Valuations
30:15 Factors Contributing to Decreasing Deal Quality
33:09 The Future of Skilled Immigration and Its Impact on Startups
34:13 Closing Remarks
