Founder Groups Melbourne

Connect with Entrepreneurs in Melbourne

430kMonthly events

60mMembers

4.5App store rating

200kGroups

Who wants to be a f***ing leader?

Wed, Jun 24, 8:00 AM

From Product Anonymous Meetup - Melbourne

4.7

Since 2019 Amir and David have been catching up for what they term 'shit sandwiches', exchanging professional and personal trials and successes, sharing sympathy and occasional advice. Should I leave my job; how do I handle a difficult report; how do I get buy in; and do you know a good osteo you could recommend, my back is killing me. They’ve have turned our catch up sessions into a live, high stakes gameshow for the product community's amusement. They will be borrowing from the 'who wants to be a millionaire format' and we will share stories that will hopefully inspire people to step up and lead (when required) in this messy and uncertain world we find ourselves in. Get ready to have some fun and hopefully learn a thing or two. Our Speakers: Amir Ansari: With over 25 years’ of experience in the field of design and design leadership, Amir has worked across the private and public sectors, in-house and agency, managing design practitioners and leaders to build long-lasting and impactful products and services. Amir is passionate about democratising the craft of design and sharing my learnings - doing it with a smile and a hug. David Bacon: After graduating from Monash with a Bachelor of Science, David worked as a penguin keeper in England which somehow lead to a career spanning marketing, behaviour change, innovation and human-centred design. David has experience delivering digital products and services in financial services, healthcare, retail, government. He has the goal of weaving humanity into technology. He still dreams about penguins.

130 attendees

Startup Networking⚡& Fireside Chat w/ Kunal Kalro (Founder of Eugene

Tue, Jul 14, 7:30 AM

From Rebel Meetups (Melbourne) by Rebellious Co

4.5

This is a Social Networking event with a Fireside Chat with **[Kunal Kalro](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunal-kalro/?utm_source=luma)**, Founder & CEO of **[Eugene](https://eugenelabs.com/?utm_source=luma)** Eugene is HealthTech company redesigning how genomics are used - to prevent disease and stay healthy. Kunal’s journey into healthcare began after a personal loss that exposed just how reactive, disconnected and disempowering our health systems can be. Today, Kunal is building a future where everyone can sequence their DNA once, and receive personalised guidance for life. Before Eugene, he founded and led ventures across multiple industries and geographies, spanning Australia, US, India, Latin America, & the Middle East. Join us to learn how Kunal made Eugene a HealthTech success, and the challenges and key learnings along that startup journey. **Agenda:** * 5:30 - 6:15 PM (45 mins) - Get to know each other & Welcome * 6:15- 7:00 PM (45 mins) - Fireside Chat w/ **Kunal** * 7:15 - 8:00 PM (45 mins) - More Social Networking All tickets includes light drinks and food. There’s no dress code, no hard sales pitches, and no pressure — just great people and meaningful conversations ✨ We look foward to seeing you there!

2 attendees

Networking Drinks for Builders & Doers

Fri, Jun 26, 8:30 AM

From The Entrepreneur Club (Melbourne)

4.5

**🍻 The Entrepreneur Club – Last Friday of the Month Drinks** **Not your average knock-off drinks.** Join us for a monthly gathering of entrepreneurs, builders, creatives, and self-starters who believe business is more than just work, it’s a personal growth journey. Whether you're scaling something or just starting out, this is a space to meet others who think like you do. **💬 What to Expect** ✅ Real convos with people building something ✅ A place to bounce ideas, swap challenges, and share wins ✅ Opportunities to give value and get it in return ✅ Chill vibes, no pitches, just smart people in good company You don’t need a title or a polished pitch, just curiosity and the willingness to connect. **🗓 Format** **6:30pm** – Arrive, grab a drink, join a convo **8:30pm** – We wrap, or roll on elsewhere 📍 **The Oxford Scholar** We take over a corner of the bar (Back Bar or Atrium), look for the crew with ideas in one hand and a drink in the other. **🎯 This is for you if** * You want more entrepreneurial people in your life * You’re building something, or want to be * You care about growth, not just small talk Bring a question. Bring a challenge. Bring your curiosity. Last Friday of every month. Let’s make it count.

96 attendees

Startup Networking Melbourne: Founders, Investors & Talent Mixer

Fri, Jul 17, 8:00 AM

From Startup Networking & Founder Ecosystem | Melbourne

Join founders, investors and tech talent at this curated **startup networking event in Melbourne.** Meet ambitious builders, exchange ideas and discover new opportunities in a dynamic community environment. RSVP: [Use this link](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-networking-melbourne-founders-investors-talent-mixer-tickets-1987629760118?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true) Please note that RSVP is managed via Eventbrite to control attendee lists — don’t ignore it to avoid issues with on-site payment. **💡 Why This Event Is Different** Most networking events end with exchanged LinkedIn profiles. This one focuses on real conversations and real opportunities. We bring together founders, investors, engineers, operators and talent in a curated environment designed to create meaningful connections. Through interactive networking rounds, open conversations and pitch opportunities, participants can share challenges, exchange insights and build relationships that last beyond the event. 🤝 What to Expect * **Interactive Networking** Structured networking rounds where participants briefly introduce themselves, share current challenges and explore collaboration opportunities. * **Talent Corner** Recruiters and hiring managers can briefly share open positions, while engineers and operators can introduce their skills and interests. * **Startup Conversations** Open discussions about fundraising, product development, growth and startup challenges. **👥 Who Should Attend** • Startup founders • Investors and angels • Engineers and builders • Operators and product managers • Recruiters and HR professionals • Sales and business development professionals • Job seekers interested in startups • Newcomers to the Melbourne tech ecosystem

53 attendees

Impact Pitch Night

Tue, Jun 30, 8:00 AM

From The Startup Network

4.5

🎟️ **TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR EVENT - [CLICK HERE FOR THE TICKETS](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/impact-pitch-night-tickets-1976033923659)** 🎟️ Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating startups making a difference at our 2026 Impact Pitch Night at The Commons QV! [Apply Here for the Impact Pitch Night](https://airtable.com/app5pDHjZLmkz5tFx/shrWmLKYH8a2cHCZ1) ### **What to Expect on the Night:** The Impact Pitch Night offers a unique opportunity to connect with a community of changemakers. Guests will: * Network with an ever-growing community of investors, founders, service providers, and startup operators. * Support four incredible early-stage founders as they pitch their solutions to global challenges. * Vote for their favorite pitch of the night. Secure your spot to witness the innovation and dedication of founders working to create a better world. This is your chance to explore transformative ideas and support startups tackling all kinds of solutions. #### **Reserve Your Seat Today!** Don’t miss out on this evening filled with networking, innovation, and celebration. Register now to be part of The Startup Network's Startups Pitch Night and connect with the changemakers shaping a brighter future

11 attendees

Flinders Lane Toastmasters

Wed, Jul 8, 7:30 AM

From Flinders Lane Toastmasters Club

4.6

Come join us and practise public speaking! All levels are welcome. Take the first step to overcome your fears, build confidence and learn to speak with impact in a friendly, supportive and encouraging environment. Start you public speaking journey with us now to improve your communications skills and elevate all aspects of your life. Please arrive 10 minutes early so we can settle everyone in for a 5.30pm start. See you soon!

10 attendees

AI Adoption is a deeply personal journey

Tue, Jun 23, 7:30 AM

From Tech Leading Ladies

4.8

We've spent the last few years measuring and celebrating AI adoption as if it were one thing - when really it's a deeply personal journey, and no two of us are on quite the same one. How it lands depends on where you're starting from, on how you think you'll be seen and measured for using it, and on what it's quietly doing to the craft you love. Drawing not just on recent research and my own study, but on living it and talking with many others on the same path, this talk weaves those layers together. You'll leave with a clearer sense of your own journey, and that you have far more control over this technology's effectiveness than you might realise. However you're feeling about all of this, you're not doing it wrong. **Agenda (time in Melbourne/AEST)** * 5:30pm Networking * 6:00pm Welcome * 6:05pm Main Presentation * 6:35pm Q&A * 7:00pm Networking * 7:30pm Close **This will be a HYBRID event:** **Zoom link -** will be posted 1hr before event starts. **Our Speaker** **Annie Vella** Annie Vella is a Distinguished Engineer at Westpac New Zealand, where she focuses on AI adoption, governing agentic systems at scale, and transforming the software development lifecycle. With over 20 years of experience across startups, scale-ups, and large enterprises in four countries, she has spent two decades on both sides of the engineer/manager pendulum — and actively encourages others to do the same. Having fallen in love with computers when she got her first Commodore 64 at age six, Annie has cared deeply about the craft ever since. That curiosity led to a Master's of Engineering exploring how professional software engineers experience the impact of AI coding assistants. Through her writing and speaking, Annie's aim is to help engineers and leaders find joy and pride in the work ahead.

91 attendees

iHarvest - Business Mentoring Program - Round 2

Mon, Jun 29, 11:00 PM

From iHarvest Coworking Sunshine

4.3

**Open to members of iHarvest and businesses/residents of Brimbank City Council.** **Meetup registration lets us know you’re interested-you'll be contacted with an application to apply for round 2 of the business mentoring program (including a specific session date/time).** The iHarvest Business Mentoring Program offers up to 3 free sessions with a business expert tailored to support your start-up or small business. Whether you’re just starting or looking to grow, the program provides you with practical insight. Mentors can assist you with: * Business planning and strategy * Marketing and branding * Financial management * Product or service development * Legal or regulation * Scaling and growth * Support and accountability

2 attendees

Meetup Event Organizers wanted!

Mon, Jun 29, 9:00 AM

From Business Leaders CLUB - Melbourne

4.8

Meetup Event organizers wanted. If you have something to help people in this group that you want to invite them to step up as event organizer. Contact me via meetup and let me know what you have in mind organizing how often and where.

1 attendee

'GENESIS' - The Generative AI Filmmaker's Networking Event

Tue, Jul 7, 7:00 AM

From Movie Mutuals

4.6

**Welcome to 'GENESIS' - The Generative AI Filmmaking Networking Event!** ***THIS MAY BE A LIMITED EVENT - PLEASE MAKE SURE TO RSVP.*** This group is for individuals interested in exploring the intersection of generative AI technology and movie making. Whether you're a filmmaker eager to discuss movie production, a technician looking to collaborate, or simply wishing to learn more and discuss AI in film, this group is for you! Join us at the Emporium food court (located behind Grill’d Burger Restaurant in the CBD, not near Melbourne Station) to discuss AI technologies, workflows, productions, AI ethics, government responsibility and more. After 7pm, we continue the evening with Happy Hour drinks at a nearby bar and a chance to grab dinner together. Feel free to bring friends interested in AI filmmaking; it’s a great way to introduce new faces to our expanding network. RSVP to help us gauge attendance and become part of a growing network of film professionals and enthusiasts. Though the event begins in the afternoon, the relationships you build here can last well into the night and beyond. At 7 PM, we move to The Carlton Club, a five-minute walk away, where we continue networking in a more formal rooftop setting over drinks and food. This change of venue offers an ideal environment to keep conversations flowing. We want to foster a supportive network for creativity, film and television production, and collaboration between the world of cinema and AI. Connect with like-minded individuals and explore the exciting world of generative AI filmmaking together at GENESIS.

23 attendees

What Breaks When AI Picks Up: Lessons from Voice AI in Australian Healthcare

Wed, Jul 1, 7:30 AM

From ExpertTalks Melbourne

4.9

**What Breaks When AI Picks Up:** **Lessons from Voice AI in Australian Healthcare** 181 commits. 10 weeks. 28% were fixes. In this session, Dr Kevin Ong, Co-Founder, CEO and CTO of Voral.ai, and Principal AI Consultant at Equal Experts Australia, shares what really broke when AI was deployed on a live phone line handling patient calls in Australian healthcare practices. From phantom bookings and four-second silent gaps that no unit test could catch, to race conditions where callers were simultaneously handled by multiple AI agents - this wasn’t theory, it was production reality. No polished architecture diagrams. Just hard won lessons from the fixes that followed. **Agenda** 5 30 PM - Gates open (Networking drinks & food) 6 15 PM - G-EE-K Talk 7 PM - Q&A 7 15 PM - Networking drinks (and more food) 8 30 PM - Wrap up

36 attendees

KSUG.AI x Agentic Platform Engineering for EKS - 29 Jun 2026

Sun, Jun 28, 11:30 PM

From KSUG.AI Australia

4.7

**Register now to attend! =>** [https://konfhub.com/ksug-au-2026-06-29](https://konfhub.com/ksug-au-2026-06-29) **<=** **Latest promotions** discovered by our community! * **30%** OFF **[Kubernetes](https://lf.ksug.ai/)** Sitewide - Code: **30K8SUG** * **20%** OFF **[FinOps](https://ksug.ai/finops/?ref=meetup)** Certs Code: **KSAI_20** * Missed **65%** off [LF / CNCF](https://lf.ksug.ai/)? [Get Notified](https://ksug.ai/?notify&ref=meetup) for next BIG drop! We're excited to welcome you to the upcoming **KSUG.AI Australia Meetup** — happening in-person at at AWS Melbourne office! 🎉 We're actively seeking more awesome K8s and AI topic speakers! 👉 [https://sessionize.com/ksug-au](https://sessionize.com/ksug-au) **Workshop Overview [Hands-on Workshop]** Join us for the Agentic Platform Engineering Experience (APEX) — an adaptive, instructor-led, choose-your-own-adventure workshop where you and an AI tutor explore Amazon EKS through the lens of agentic platform engineering. Using Claude Code and AWS DevOps Agent as a co-pilot alongside purpose-built APEX Skills, you will design, build, and operate Amazon EKS clusters with AI-guided assistance that adapts to your experience level and goals. **Who Should Attend** This workshop is designed for platform engineers, DevOps engineers, solutions architects, and developers who want practical, hands-on experience combining AI agents with Kubernetes platform engineering. **What Matters to You** * **Immediate Applicability:** Deploy and operate EKS clusters using the same patterns and tools you will use in production — no toy examples. * **Reduced Operational Risk:** Understand and enforce critical safety rules that prevent NodeCreationFailure and pod creation blocks. * **Faster Time-to-Value:** Use AI-assisted infrastructure generation to scaffold complete, production-ready Terraform projects in minutes, not days. * **Security & Compliance:** Harden cluster security posture with guided remediation and constraint patches for air-gapped, proxy, and compliance environments. * **Cost Optimization:** Identify and implement compute cost savings through AI-driven operational reviews — applied to your real cluster. * **Career Growth:** Gain hands-on experience combining AI agents with Kubernetes — a rapidly growing skill set for modern platform engineers. **Environment prepared for you by AWS** * AWS account pre-configured at no cost * EKS cluster already deployed & ready * Claude Code workspace provisioned * APEX Skills included — no local setup required **Pre-requisites:** Foundation knowledge about Kubernetes. Attend this self-paced digital course if you are not familiar with Kubernetes Home - [AWS Skill Builder](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/X5RBBUKERD/the-amazon-eks-cluster/FJVEUUZGEK?parentId=393YRXJZWC) **IMPORTANT: Please bring your own laptop and government ID.** **[Register Now](https://konfhub.com/ksug-au-2026-06-29)** Seats are limited. Register now to secure your spot and accelerate your kubernetes platform engineering with AI. **Speakers** **Frank Fan** Principal Solution Architect, Containers, AWS **Nirmal Rajan** Senior Technical Account Manager, AWS **Don George** Senior Technical Account Manager, AWS **Location:** Amazon MEL12, Level 13.304 [555 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Kbi13GZqj2zDqDz2A) 👉 Join our [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/Rp9WzYyKua) and [WhatsApp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/D9a9IDiCS7U4cqQ0Sh60cz?mode=gi_t) for latest update! 🔖 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬: ☸ 30% OFF **[Kubernetes](https://lf.ksug.ai/)** Certs - Code: **30K8SUG** ☸ 20% OFF **[FinOps](https://ksug.ai/finops)** Certs - Code: **KSAI_20** 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬: ✅ Learn 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⚡ ✅ Certify 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 💰 ✅ Grow 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 💪 𝟐𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ follow **[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** 🔥 [github.com/ksug-ai](https://github.com/ksug-ai) *By registering, you consent to the management of your personal information in accordance with KSUG.AI Meetup's [Privacy Policy](https://k8sug.ai/privacy). Additionally, you agree that our sponsors may contact you.* **[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** is an independent community and not affiliated with or endorsed by CNCF. Kubernetes, K8s, Kubestronaut are registered trademarks of The Linux Foundation.

18 attendees

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Frequently asked questions

Meetup helps founders connect with others in their city through local events and groups. It's a platform where entrepreneurs can find networking opportunities, share knowledge, and collaborate on ideas.

Search for 'Founder Groups' or relevant terms on Meetup tailored for the Melbourne area. You'll find events and meetings that align with entrepreneurial interests.

Yes, you're welcome to join multiple founder groups on Meetup. This can broaden your network, offering diverse insights and opportunities from different sectors.

Certainly! Many Meetup groups in Melbourne focus on startups, providing events that cover everything from funding advice to scaling businesses.

Entrepreneurs benefit by accessing a dynamic support network, learning from peers, and finding partners or mentors through various events.

Joining and attending Meetup events usually involves no cost, though some events may charge a small attendance fee. Always check event details for specific information.

Yes, you can start your own Meetup group if there's a niche or need you believe isn’t being met within the existing Melbourne founder scene.

Once you've found an event, RSVP by clicking 'Attend' on the Meetup page, helping organizers estimate attendance to plan better.

Some groups target specific sectors like tech, finance, or creative industries, offering specialized knowledge and networking tailored to those fields.

While many events are well-organized, quality may vary depending on the group and host. It's advisable to read reviews from other attendees when available.

Meetup fosters connections and learning, but doesn’t guarantee business success. Outcomes depend heavily on how actively you engage and leverage these connections.

Yes, some founder events also occur online, allowing entrepreneurs to participate remotely, expanding your options for learning and networking.

Weekly events may include networking sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions, allowing continuous learning and connection opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Melbourne features several tech-focused founder groups, providing a platform to discuss trends, share experiences, and network with similarly minded tech entrepreneurs.

Not every niche may have an active group in Melbourne. Availability depends on existing groups and general interest in that specific area.