Lessons in innovation from one of Australia’s first tech trailblazers
From internet search to social housing, Evan Thornley shares what decades in tech, politics and startups have taught him about innovation with impact.
Evan Thornley was one of Australia’s first internet moguls. His search engine, LookSmart, was the first Australian company to list on the Nasdaq, with his stake valued at nearly $US1 billion at the height of the dot-com bubble. Then it crashed by 99%.
But for Thornley — a gifted lad raised in straitened circumstances — that was just the beginning of a remarkable career in business, politics and startups. His current venture, housing enterprise LongView, is pioneering an innovative model that brings together secure home ownership or rental with investment, structured sustainably.
LongView follows a social venture in early childhood learning, the founding of GetUp, a stint in the Victorian Parliament, an EV charging network and the creation of progressive think tank Per Capita.
So, what’s the common thread? “Innovation and social purpose at scale,” he tells Capital Brief.
