Venture Down Under 2026
Gold Coast
Innovation Bay’s flagship gathering, now in its 9th year and sold out — three days on the Gold Coast (Sheraton Grand Mirage), 4–6 August, bringing founders, VCs and angels from across Australia, NZ, Singapore and beyond into one room.
4-6 August | Sheraton Grand Mirage, Gold Coast
What is VDU?
Innovation Bay is Australia’s leading membership community for tech founders and investors. Venture Down Under is our flagship venture capital retreat.
For nearly a decade, Venture Down Under (VDU) has earned its place as Oceania’s premier venture capital gathering, convening the most influential group of GP & Managing Partners in Australia.
⚡️2026 A Convergence in VC & Technology
Venture is entering a period of unprecedented acceleration, where talent, capital, and technology are no longer moving in parallel, but colliding in real time.
In a market defined by faster breakthroughs, bigger bets, and rapidly shifting signals, the advantage will belong to those who can recognise this convergence early, make sense of what matters, and prepare with intention. VDU creates the space for that work: to gather as a community, sharpen perspective, test what we believe, and better equip our firms and portfolio companies for what comes next.
⚡️The Conversations You Need to Be In
VDU is the absolute highlight of the calendar for over 100 VC firms. Over the course of three days, the entire venture capital industry in Oceania comes together, while also welcoming top level GPs & speakers from across the world.
The attendees at VDU are not on the outskirts of the VC landscape in Australia, they are the ones who helped create it. And with over 90% of GPs in Australia & NZ attending VDU, you can meet an entire continent of VCs in less then 72 hours.
This is not a predictions event. It is a deliberately contained environment where GPs and senior investment teams can pressure-test assumptions, challenge perspectives, and build shared understanding before committing to the next phase of the market.
Our VC members and guests are not just “attending” VDU. They are VDU.
What to Expect at VDU
Day 1
The VC Playbook: opening keynote and hands-on VC Playbook workshops, capped by our sought-after Gold Coast Venture Dinner Cruise: the best conversations of the year, at sunset on the water.
Day 2
AI, Adventure, Celebration: the AI Convergence Lab(THINK-style keynotes + interactive discussion streams on applied AI) in the morning, Gold Coast adventures in the afternoon, and the Yacht Rock meets Treasure Island party at night.
Day 3
Big Conversations: economic outlook, policy and small-circle discussions at HOTA, wrapping with the closing keynote.
Platinum Sponsor
Location Sponsors
Innovation Bay Partners
Activity Sponsor
Event Flag Sponsor
Event Sponsors
