Southstart, South Australia's annual technology and innovation conference, brought several hundred founders, investors and operators to Adelaide for three days of programming, panels and after-hours conversations. Eastend was right in the middle of it, hosting, speaking and sponsoring across the week.
Eastend Poker Night
For the second year running we hosted the Eastend Poker Night as part of the Southstart calendar. The format is simple: invite-only, mix founders and investors at the same tables, and let the conversations happen. The poker is incidental. The introductions are not.
JD on the State of Funding panel
JD joined the State of Funding panel, a session covering the maturity of the Australian early-stage capital market, the role of regional venture capital, and what's actually working for founders raising in 2026. Eastend's thesis of backing founders in SA, WA and QLD was a recurring thread.
Investor Summit
Southern Angels hosted the Investor Summit, the gathering point for South Australia's angel and early-stage capital community. As a long-time partner to Southern Angels we were there in numbers, both as attendees and as a sponsor of the broader summit programming.
What it added up to
Three days of conference. A lot of new relationships, several follow-up conversations now in motion, and our LP base and portfolio companies both walking away with new connections. The same week also hosted our inaugural LP Breakfast and Portfolio Showcase the day after.
Southstart 2027 is already on the calendar.