Why young talent is leaving Australia’s venture capital industry
Australian VC is thriving — but a lack of clear pathways and opportunities is pushing out the young talent it desperately needs.
The Australian venture capital industry has matured significantly over the past decade. We've seen a substantial rise in the number of funds in the market, international capital flowing in and increasing funds under management despite global downward trends.
But as optimism builds around a post–tech winter rebound, an interesting and largely unspoken trend is unfolding: the industry is bleeding younger talent.
Many of the peers I entered the industry with, myself included, have left only a few years after an often hard-fought entry. Over 20 people I know have departed in just the past year. While that number may seem modest, in such a tight-knit ecosystem it's substantial.
Should this continue, we risk a future where a small handful of voices shape the direction of the entire ecosystem.
