Hamish Hawthorn
VP Corporate Development at Propeller Aero
Hamish Hawthorn is the Vice President of Corporate Development at Propeller Aero, a leading drone-mapping and analytics company. With over two decades of experience in commercializing new technologies, Hamish has worked across software, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Before joining Propeller Aero, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at Curious Thing AI and UpGuard, Inc. He was also the CEO of Cicada Innovations, Australia's premier technology incubator. Hamish is passionate about entrepreneurship and has shared his expertise with startups and taught at top Australian universities. He holds a Master of Business and Technology from UNSW and has completed an Executive Program for Growing Companies at Stanford University.
In their own words
From Hamish Hawthorn discusses the evolution of the ecosystem · The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview SeriesThe longer I can avoid talking to customers, the more I can live without having to deal with the fact that my baby is incredibly ugly.
Key moments
Jump straight to the part of Hamish Hawthorn discusses the evolution of the ecosystem you want.
- 0:21 Meet Hamish Hawthorn
- 0:45 Hamish's Background and Return to Australia
- 2:12 Hamish's Early Involvement in the Startup Scene
- 3:34 Transition to the Medical Device Industry
- 4:44 Joining ATP Innovations
- 6:27 Changes in the Startup Landscape Since 2005
- 8:39 Density of Activity in the Ecosystem
- 11:56 Co-founding Sydney Angels
- 14:14 Current Access to Funding
- 15:41 Observations on Gaps in the Ecosystem
Heard on
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▶ Propeller Aero on Day One
Propeller Aero is a company that specializes in providing drone data processing and analytics solutions for industries such as construction, aggregates and mining, waste… 1 person · 4 episodes → Connections
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Tim FungFounder & CEO, Airtasker, Airtasker
Trevor FolsomCo-Founder and Chairman, Investible
Peter DavisonFormer Co-Founder, Fishburners, Fishburners
Pete LeadCoach, Scalable Leaders, Scalable Leaders Spot something wrong? Suggest a correction Updated 25 September 2026
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