Building something real is lonely work. Once a year we gather the people who understand it - founders, investors, makers and deep thinkers - across Adelaide and the wine country beyond. Come think bigger, and stop building alone.
“Entrepreneurship is a lonely job. It's wonderful to have a place like southstart to help you realise you're not alone.”
southstart was founded in 2013 around one belief: innovation isn't really about technology, it's about people. That's still the whole idea.
We build around the people in the room. A few days where you meet the ones building what's next, trade the real stories, and leave with something that keeps working long after you go home.
Building is lonely. It's a place where you meet the founders, investors and makers who understand what you're carrying - and where some of them become co-founders, backers, and friends for life.
It's a place where the talk stays honest - no polished keynotes, just the real stories of the pivots, the near-deaths and the lessons earned the hard way, from people who have actually done it.
It's a place where you walk in with a question and leave with a direction - a few days here can move you further than a quarter alone at your desk.
The work is relentless. It's a place where you can step back, think deeply, and reconnect with the reason you began.
Every festival we've made, from a side project at the Festival Centre to the country's number one.
Over the years, hundreds of remarkable people have spoken at southstart - founders who've scaled globally, investors who've seen thousands of pitches, and voices from well outside tech.
Throughout the year we run complementary programs that keep our community connected and the conversations going.
Curated dinners that put founders and the investors who back them around one table.
A small cohort of founders going deep together, well away from the noise of the main stage.
A full week of programming across the city - the festival energy, stretched right out.
The Table is our small rebellion. One long table, one real question, and nothing said ever leaves the room with your name on it - so people are free to be honest. Break bread, think hard, stay late. You'll leave full, a little changed, and with better questions than you came in with.
Reserve a seatOur work has been anchored by the South Australian Government every year since a one-page letter to the Premier in 2013 - and they've committed through 2028.
We'll be back. Register your interest and you'll be first through the door - and first to know as the next one takes shape.
Or just keep in touch