Bendigo’s startup scene has matured significantly over the past year. What was once scattered individual efforts has become something resembling an ecosystem—with all the support structures that implies.

I spent time recently talking to founders, investors, and support organisations about where things stand.

The Current Landscape

Bendigo now has approximately 30-40 active tech startups at various stages. Not all will survive—that’s normal—but the volume represents real momentum.

Sectors represented include:

• Agricultural technology (strongest concentration)
• Health and aged care solutions
• Tourism and hospitality tech
• Professional services automation
• E-commerce and retail technology

The common thread: solving problems relevant to regional contexts rather than competing with Melbourne-based startups on metropolitan problems.

Support Infrastructure

Co-working and Incubation

The Bendigo Tech Hub has expanded, now offering 50+ desks plus meeting rooms and event space. Occupancy runs high, with a waiting list for permanent desks.

La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus runs entrepreneurship programs connecting students with local businesses.

The Bendigo Bank-supported community initiatives continue, though with more focus on established businesses than pure startups.

Funding Landscape

Angel investment in Bendigo remains limited but improving. Several successful regional business owners have begun backing local ventures.

Grants from Regional Development Victoria and federal programs remain important for early-stage companies. Competition is fierce but funding is available for strong applicants.

Melbourne and Sydney VCs occasionally look regionally, but typically only for later-stage companies with proven traction.

Talent Availability

This remains the biggest challenge. Finding developers, designers, and technical specialists in Bendigo is difficult.

Successful startups typically hire remotely—Bendigo-based founders managing distributed teams is common. Some have attracted Melbourne workers to relocate; the lifestyle proposition helps.

Success Stories

Several Bendigo-originated startups have gained meaningful traction:

AgriTrack (livestock monitoring) raised $2M this year and now operates across three states.

HealthConnect Regional (telehealth platform) has partnerships with multiple regional health services.

LocalRetail (inventory management) serves over 200 regional retail businesses.

These aren’t unicorns, but they’re sustainable businesses solving real problems and creating jobs.

Challenges Persist

Investor Education

Many potential investors don’t understand tech businesses. Explaining software company economics to people accustomed to physical assets and inventory remains difficult.

Talent Competition

Remote work means Bendigo workers can earn Melbourne salaries from Melbourne companies. Local startups often can’t match those rates, making hiring challenging.

Network Effects

Melbourne’s startup ecosystem benefits from density—chance meetings, event overlap, concentrated expertise. Bendigo has to work harder to create similar connections.

Opportunities

For founders: Bendigo offers lower costs, less competition for attention, and genuine community support. The trade-off is less access to talent and capital.

For workers: Regional startups offer meaningful roles earlier in your career. You’ll work on real problems with real impact, not be a small cog in a large machine.

For investors: Regional deals typically come at lower valuations with founders more focused on sustainable growth than hype.

What’s Next

The next stage for Bendigo’s ecosystem is professionalisation. Moving from passionate individuals to structured support, from occasional angels to organised investment groups, from ad-hoc mentoring to formal programs.

The foundation is solid. The community exists. The momentum is real.

Whether Bendigo becomes a genuine startup hub or remains a collection of independent ventures depends on what gets built over the next few years.

I’m optimistic. The ingredients are there.