- Low rate of funding, startups need you
Tech startups in Australia are woefully underfunded. Far more is bet on the Melbourne Cup every year, per capita, than is bet on tech startups. Report after report bemoans the low level of funding, and the exodus of great Aussie ideas to Singapore and Silicon Valley demonstrate the lost opportunities. These types of business have scaleable business models, and could be $10m or $100m businesses in a few years. This kind of rapid wealth creation was simply not possible in earlier generations. Now is the time.
2. The Economy needs you, because of digital disruption
25% of the GDP of Australia, and 40% of jobs, are under threat from digital disruption over the next 10 years. What kind of an economy will be left for our children and grandchildren? Where are the Aussie tech disruptors? Most of them hail from one country, pay little tax here, employ few people, yet are eating away at our economy.
3. You have a lot to share and give
You’ve made your money, are relatively well off, some might say wealthy. You have $1 million or more in various investments. How about carving out 2-5% of this for the tech startup scene? Take a a direct investment, and help seed a new business or three. Create jobs immediately, get involved and share some of your hard won advice gained over your own career in business. Pay it forward. Pass it on. Add value to this businesses, open doors. Have skin in the game.
4. You get a tax rebate, and are capital gains tax exempt
Even better, from this financial year onward, investments in eligible tech startups attract a 20% tax rebate (yes, money back) from the ATO. Plus, you get a 10 year capital gains exemption, with no ceiling. Meaning – if you make a million or even a billion on the shares, it is tax free. The government is actively encouraging you, and rewarding you, for having a go. What’s stopping you?
5. You’ll enjoy it
Why not have some fun? You never know, you might learn something, have some awesome dinner party conversation, and can enjoy the ride. Why can’t business be fun? In fact, it should be.
So, if these 5 reasons have inspired you to find yourself a tech startup to invest in, then get yourself down to Spacecubed, listen to this podcast, or peruse these 650+ WA startups.
Imagine if 1,000 angels decided to invest between $20,000 and $50,000 in some tech startups every year for a few years. That would pump in $20 million to $50 million a year to get 1,000 startups going. Among them could be a hundred $10m businesses employing tens of thousands, and maybe the odd billion dollar unicorn. Then we’d see some action, and maybe we’d even save our economy in the process.
