StartupAUS  interim CEO, Peter Bradd, will finish his six-month tenure early in the New Year, with a new full-time CEO announced at this time. Mr Bradd will continue on as StartupAUS Chairman - a rotating role.

Current Chairman Alan Noble, Engineering Director for Google Australia and New Zealand will remain on the StartupAUS board.

Over the past six months, StartupAUS’ focus has been primarily on policy work and fundraising. During this time it has been instrumental in shifting the political debate, particularly towards the policy settings outlined in the Prime Minister’s recent innovation statement - with many of the recommendations around technology and innovation coming from StartupAUS’ annual, action-oriented Crossroads Report.

As a not-for-profit, StartupAUS will expand its efforts to bring financial partners on-board to help corporates have a bigger voice in the emerging innovation conversation and assist StartupAUS in increasing its resources and activities in 2016 ahead of the next election.

The organisation’s current corporate partners include Salesforce, Xero, and Google Australia and philanthropic support from successful tech entrepreneur, Steve Baxter, and Bill Ferris, Co-Chairman of CHAMP's Board of Directors and Investment Committee. Ferris has had a key role in the establishment of the private equity sector in Australia.

Bradd said, “It has been a rewarding six months, with the past week’s Federal policy announcements a huge high point, bringing together two years’ worth of research, debate and awareness-raising around Australia’s start up ecosystem. Malcolm Turnbull’s statement outlined many critical changes that StartupAUS has been advocating for and it was a huge win for the Australian tech ecosystem.”

“StartupAUS has a proven track-record and expertise and we look forward to continuing to work with government, industry and entrepreneurs to achieve the ambitious goals outlined in the Innovation Statement and our own Crossroads Report,” he added.