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In their own words

From Mick Liubinskas: Australia’s startup ecosystem would be stronger with a single city leading it · The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series
Customers solve most of the problems with startups. If you get customers, you get revenue, you get proof points, you get momentum, you get more customers.
▶ Mick Liubinskas: Australia’s startup ecosystem would be stronger with a single city leading it

About

Mick Liubinskas is a prominent figure in the climate technology sector, serving as the CEO and co-founder of Climate Salad, an organization dedicated to supporting climate tech companies in their mission to achieve carbon negativity. With over two decades of experience in the tech industry, Mick has successfully built and scaled products that have reached millions of users and generated substantial revenue. He has also played a pivotal role in advising, investing in, and supporting numerous startups across Australia and beyond.Mick's career is marked by his commitment to enhancing the climate tech ecosystem in Australia through investment, programs, and community support. His expertise spans product management, marketing, and innovation, which he leverages to foster collaboration among climate tech entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, and investors. Mick is also an active speaker and author, sharing his insights and expertise through various platforms.In addition to his role at Climate Salad, Mick is involved with several other ventures as an investor and advisor, including Phoenix Hydrogen, Alga Biosciences, Cecil, Terra.do, Spira Inc., Kapture, Ripe Robotics, AKUA PBC, EnergyLab, and Startmate. His educational background includes a Master of Sustainable Development from Macquarie University and various executive training programs in marketing and innovation. Mick is based in Sydney, Australia, and is passionate about addressing the challenges and opportunities of sustainable living and environmental conservation.

Career

  1. Now CEO & Co-Founder · Climate Salad
  2. From 2019 Corporate climate/impact ventures · BCG Digital Ventures
  3. Earlier Co-founder · muru-D (Telstra)
  4. Earlier Co-founding investor & mentor · Startmate
  5. Earlier · Startup Co-founder · Pollenizer
  6. Earlier · Scale-up Global marketing · Kazaa

Sources: climatesalad.com

Key moments

Jump straight to the part of Mick Liubinskas' Investment Thesis you want.

  1. 2:11 How two accountants over a beer created his first startup
  2. 2:59 The full-circle story: his first investor became his CFO at Climate Salad
  3. 4:24 From receiving checks to writing them: Pollenizer and Startmate
  4. 5:13 The first personal angel check: Flightfox and the convertible note
  5. 6:40 Small checks, help the founder
  6. 7:19 The 80/10/10 rule and being sector agnostic
  7. 7:55 The cheerleader trap: why he balances optimism with pragmatism
  8. 10:04 Why he stopped investing his own money
  9. 11:13 Ten years ago: moving to the US, Silicon Valley, and the Paris Agreement
  10. 12:51 The double bump thesis: climate is a must-have + Aussie companies going global

Connections

Spot something wrong? Suggest a correction Updated 25 September 2026

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