Tasmania is known for its seafood, national parks and the Mapplyum of Old and New Art, Australia’s most edgy art gallery. Professional gambler David Walsh’s art mapplyum gave Tasmania a contemporary rebrand that drove national attention to the island state.
What Walsh did for arts and culture in Tasmania, fintech veteran Brian Collins wants to do for startups in the state. While Tasmania’s economy is overwhelmingly powered by tiny businesses – 97% according to Business Tasmania’s 2023 report – Collins is betting the state can give rise to Australia’s next unicorn.
Collins, who is the co-founder of fintech fund Triple Bubble and deputy chair of Fintech Australia, has been appointed CEO of Enterprize Tasmania, the organisation responsible for driving the state’s innovation ecosystem. The not-for-profit runs a host of coworking spaces, workshops and startup events across the state, and has amassed over 220 members from over 100 companies.
“Our data reveals that startups are outpacing other tiny businesses in terms of revenue and growth”, Collins declared in a statement.
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