I spent last week in Geelong meeting with founders, tech workers, and community organisers. What I found surprised me—there’s genuine momentum building here that deserves more attention.

Geelong has always had advantages: proximity to Melbourne, a major university, relatively affordable living. But in the past two years, something has shifted. The tech community has reached a critical mass where things are actually happening.

The Hubs and Coworking Spaces

Runway Geelong continues to be the anchor of the local startup scene. They’re running accelerator programs, hosting events, and connecting founders with mentors. If you’re building something in Geelong, this is where you need to be.

Geelong Library’s Innovation Hub offers free workspace and business support. It’s less startup-focused than Runway but excellent for freelancers and small business owners exploring tech.

Several private coworking spaces have opened too. The demand is there—people who moved during COVID and don’t want to commute to Melbourne, plus locals building their own things.

Startups Worth Watching

I met several founders doing interesting work:

A logistics optimisation company serving regional freight businesses. They’re solving a genuinely regional problem—coordinating deliveries across large distances with limited infrastructure.

An ag-tech startup working on water monitoring for farms in the Western Districts. Hardware plus software, built by people who actually understand farming.

A telehealth platform specifically designed for regional healthcare providers. They’ve thought about bandwidth limitations, older patient populations, and integration with regional hospital systems.

What struck me is that these aren’t Melbourne ideas transplanted to Geelong. They’re solutions emerging from regional challenges, built by people who live here.

The Talent Pipeline

Deakin University is producing graduates who want to stay in Geelong. The computer science and IT programs have grown, and there’s increasing focus on practical skills and industry connections.

Several Geelong employers told me they’re able to hire good developers now without competing directly with Melbourne salaries. The value proposition of living in Geelong—lower costs, beach access, less commute stress—is attracting people who might have automatically gone to Melbourne five years ago.

That said, senior talent remains challenging. Most experienced tech leaders still cluster in Melbourne. This is probably Geelong’s biggest constraint.

Remote Work Changes Everything

The biggest driver of Geelong’s tech growth is simple: remote work went from unusual to normal.

Melbourne tech companies now hire in Geelong without blinking. Workers who wanted to leave Melbourne but keep their jobs have done exactly that. Freelancers and contractors can serve national clients from anywhere.

I met a UX designer who works for a Sydney agency, a developer contracting for a San Francisco startup, and a product manager at a Melbourne fintech—all living in Geelong, all working remotely.

This wasn’t really possible five years ago. The cultural and technological shift has been dramatic.

Events and Community

Geelong Tech Meetup runs monthly events with solid attendance. The vibe is welcoming—less pretentious than some Melbourne tech events, more focused on genuine learning and connection.

Startup Grind Geelong brings in speakers and creates networking opportunities.

Various informal groups have formed around specific interests—data science, web development, product management.

What I appreciate about Geelong’s tech community is its groundedness. People are building real businesses, solving actual problems. There’s less of the “disrupt everything” nonsense you hear in bigger cities.

What’s Missing

Let’s be honest about the gaps.

Venture capital is thin. Melbourne VCs occasionally look at Geelong deals, but there’s no significant local funding ecosystem.

Large tech employers are few. If you want to work at a big company, options are limited.

Some specialised skills—machine learning, advanced security, certain development frameworks—simply don’t have local experts. You’ll need to look to Melbourne or work with remote contractors.

The Opportunity

For the right people, Geelong represents genuine opportunity.

If you’re a founder solving a regional problem, you’ll find supportive community and lower burn rate than Melbourne.

If you’re a tech worker wanting better lifestyle without sacrificing career, remote work makes it possible.

If you’re a Melbourne company looking to expand, Geelong offers access to talent that’s increasingly hard to find in the city.

I came away from my week genuinely impressed. Geelong isn’t trying to be a smaller Melbourne. It’s becoming something of its own—and that’s worth watching.

For those interested in Geelong’s startup scene, Runway Geelong is the best place to start. And Business Victoria has resources for regional businesses looking to access support programs.