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Events

10 things for startup and tech lovers to see at SXSW Sydney

- October 11, 2024 4 MIN READ
Melanie Perkins
Canva cofounder Melanie Perkins
SXSW Sydney is less than a week away, kicking off on Monday, October 14, and once again startup and tech fans are faced with a mind-blowing array of options across the week.

Things kick off on Monday with Canva’s Melanie Perkins talking to legendary US investor Mary Meeker (see below) and we’d be remiss to not point out Startup Daily editor Simon Thomsen’s panel at 10am on Friday, Oct 19, about juggling two important parts of your life: Parenting as a founder, with some inspiring and busy mums and dads, including Brighte founder Katherine McConnell, Atlassian futurist and twins wrangler Dom Pricem and F5 Collective investor Bree Kirkham.

But there’s plenty more on too, including the 4-day (Oct 16–19) Discovery Stage lineup of more than 40 sessions, 100 speakers, and unique experiential moments featuring Canva, AWS, Leonardo.ai, NVIDIA, Spotify, Microsoft and others, including Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Bronte Campbell.

The Discovery Stage is part of the Tech & Innovation Expo and is accessible with a SXSW Sydney badge, wristband or expo pass.

But to really get your head around what’s going on, best download the SXSW Sydney app here.

Later this week we’re going to suggest some of the quirkier moments amid hundreds of talks and debates, but in the meantime, we asked Caroline Pegram, Head of Tech & Innovation at SXSW Sydney, to give us her top 10 highlights so you know where to start.  Here are her choices
Daily tech & innovation passes start at $40. Find out more and grab your ticket here

1. Canva’s Story: From Idea to Startup to World Leader

Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins & investor Mary Meeker

Mon, Oct 14, 10am 

This powerhouse duo will take the SXSW Sydney stage to uncover insights from Canva’s evolution from an idea to a world-leading design and visual communication business.

Mary and Mel will discuss how Melanie and her team have gotten to where they are and how they are using AI and other technological advancements to drive the company forward.

2. The sound of Sputnik. Earthrise. A footstep on the Moon.

Katherine Bennell Pegg, Australian astronaut

Weds, Oct 16, noon

Katherine Bennell-Pegg

Katherine Bennell-Pegg

These 20th Century space moments each reshaped how we view our place in the universe.

The way we live, work, think and even survive is being challenged like never before.

What is the next moment that will shift humanity’s perspective and propel us forward?

This is your chance to ask questions of this Aussie trailblazer. This session is moderated by Kirsten Banks.

3. The Sensitive Organisation: Rethinking AI for Authentic Leadership and Innovation

Martin D. Adams, founder, Metaphysic.ai 

Mon, Oct 14, 2pm

Drawing on work done with the World Economic Forum, this talk shows how we have fundamentally misunderstood the role of AI. The dominant view is that AI exists as a tool to drive productivity.

4. Identifying world-changing founders: Biotech and healthcare tech investing

Reed Jobs, Yosemite founder and Wesley Chan, cofounder FPV Ventures

Tues, Oct 15, 3.15pm

Join Reed Jobs & Wesley Chan in conversation moderated by Sarah O’Carroll, editor-in-chief of Forbes Australia.

They will be discussing healthcare innovation, betting on the founders of the future, bridging profit and purpose and collaborative investment strategies.

5. How to think like a Futurist – from AI to Safety

Brian D Johnson, futurist

Tues, Oct 15, 4pm

It seems like every day there is a new announcement or article telling us that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to transform our lives  – and usually not in a positive way.

How can you prepare for your future with AI?  What should you be worried about and what can you look forward to?

6. Scaling Responsible AI: From Enthusiasm to Execution

Noelle Russell

Thurs, Oct 17, 3:15pm

Noelle Russell explores the dual phases of AI innovation.

The talk delves into Day 1, characterised by the excitement and enthusiasm of AI’s possibilities, and Day 2, where an awakening occurs, prompting the need to address ethical, safety, and scalability questions.

7   The View from MIT: The Next Great Tech Innovations & Why They Matter

Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau

Fri, Oct 18 12:15pm

MIT Technology Review CEO and publisher Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau will share the latest tech innovations being developed in the world’s leading labs and research centers so that the SXSW Sydney audience can better understand how their lives will change over the next years and decades.

She’ll speak across fields that include AI, biomedicine, climate science, robotics, and more.

8  Expo DISCOVERY STAGE

Wed-Sat, Oct 16-19

The Expo will once again feature a diverse array of exhibits and interactive activations from local global leaders in tech, education and of course, the Startup Village

The Discovery Stage within the Expo will feature 40+ sessions and over 100+ top tier talent and brings together highlights from all the pillars of SXSW Sydney, from groundbreaking tech to revolutionary art, sparking imaginations and uncovering future-shaping ideas.

9 SXSW Sydney Pitch rounds + Grand Final

Weds, Oct 16 (all day) & Thurs, Oct 17, 3.30pm

SXSW Sydney Pitch will showcase the next wave of ground-breaking, impactful, and exciting startups that will disrupt industries and change our lives for the better.

The Grand Final will feature the seven category winners from the pitch rounds that will occur on October 16. Amongst other prizes, the overall winner will have the opportunity to present their pitch on stage at SXSW Austin 2025.

10 SXSW Sydney AI Hackathon

Wed, Oct 16, 12:30pm

Prof Chris Lawrence, Monash Uni; Dr Amy McLennan, ANU; Teresa Tung, Accenture; Jacky Koh, Relevance AI; Angela Shi. Empathetic AI; Alberto Chierici, Gradient Institute, Jordan Wilson-Otto, ElevenM.

Hosted by Build Club, the SXSW Sydney AI Hackathon is your chance to build alongside top AI engineers and founders! bring ‘build’ spirit to SXSW Sydney through having innovators hack to important topics in our ecosystem today.

This event will be conducted over three parts, starting with the brainstorming session.