Reaching product market fit changes the problems rather than removing them. Innovation Bay is a community built for the stage that follows, connecting founders scaling past that milestone across Australia and New Zealand. Apply for membership to join them.
Trusted by founders backed by Australia's leading investors and institutions. As featured in Forbes Australia.
Who this community is built for
We're specific about product market fit, because it's the line where our community begins.
A founder or active co-founder of a tech business in Australia or New Zealand
Innovation Bay is the right fit if you are:
A founder or active co-founder of a tech business in Australia or New Zealand
Leading a company typically between $1M and $10M ARR with a team of 5 to 50+
Past product market fit and actively navigating the challenges of scale
Looking for peer insight from founders slightly ahead of you, not generic advice
Ready to give as well as receive, because this community runs on candour
If you're still searching for product market fit, this isn't the room yet. But if you've found it and the problems have only got harder, you're exactly who this community is built for.
Testimonial
A founder or active co-founder of a tech business in Australia or New Zealand
"The challenges of being a tech founder are difficult to shoulder alone. Being a member has given me an instant network of founders that have the same problems, but also, the same passion."
You're placed in a small peer group of founders who are all past product market fit. Fifty percent of members say this group is their most valuable business support when making decisions, because the people in the room have faced the same call.
Our podcast and monthly briefings come from founders who have scaled past product market fit themselves. With 190+ episodes, you get the specifics of how they did it, not sideline theory.
Introductions that actually matter
With 3,000+ members over 20+ years, the founders who have solved what you're facing next are usually already here. We create the conditions for the right introductions, we don't leave them to chance.
Australia's startup community in numbers
20+
years
Australia's longest-standing tech founder and investor community
3,000+
members
Australia's longest-standing tech founder and investor community
$40M+
in seed funding raised through the Innovation Bay network
12
unicorns
connected to our community
190+
podcast episodes
from founders and operators who've built and scaled real businesses
A founder or active co-founder of a tech business in Australia or New Zealand
Apply to join the community
Membership is by application, because a peer group only works when everyone is genuinely at a comparable stage.
Here's how it works:
Fill in the application form below and tell us about your business, your stage, and what you're looking to get from the community
We'll review your application and reach out to schedule a short conversation
If it's a good fit on both sides, we'll invite you to join and walk you through the membership options
Membership starts from $5,000 a year and includes your peer group, the full events calendar, and the member network. Places in the founder community are limited and filled by application. The first step is a short, no-pressure conversation to check the fit, not a sales call.
Not at that stage yet?
Not past product market fit yet? You can still learn from founders who are. Subscribe to the monthly briefing and our podcast for the specifics of how members scaled, and come to an open event when the timing is right.
Frequently asked questions about product market fit and Innovation Bay
What is product market fit?
How do you know when you've reached product market fit?
Who is the Innovation Bay community for?
Is the community only for founders, or can investors join too?
What does it cost and how do I join?
Product market fit is the point where a product satisfies strong, durable demand in a large enough market. It's usually recognised through high retention, organic growth that isn't wholly paid-driven, and customers who would be genuinely disappointed to lose the product. It marks the shift from the early-stage search for something that works to the scaling phase.
There's no single metric, but the signals are consistent: strong retention and low churn, growth coming organically rather than from paid spend, shortening sales cycles, and customers referring others. A widely used gauge is the share of users who would be very disappointed to lose the product, with around 40 percent often cited as a threshold.
It's designed for tech founders in Australia and New Zealand who are past product market fit and actively scaling, typically leading companies with $1M to $10M ARR and teams of 5 to 50+ people. It is not built for founders still searching for product market fit, lifestyle businesses, or those seeking exposure or capital access.
Innovation Bay runs separate communities for founders, angel investors and venture capital General Partners. Each has its own programming, events and membership structure, and you can flag which fits in your application.
Once you apply, the team reads your application and arranges a short conversation to check the stage and fit line up on both sides. If they do, we'll take you through the membership options. There's no pitch, just an honest conversation about whether the community is right for where you are.
Innovation Bay Pty Ltd (ACN 145 690 580). Australia's leading startup community for tech founders and investors since 2003. The material on this website is for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any financial products. The information is directed and available to residents of Australia only deemed to be Wholesale Clients under section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. This information is intended to be general in nature and is not personal financial product advice. Any advice contained on this page is general advice only and has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information provided and the nature of the relevant financial product having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. You should seek independent financial advice and read the relevant disclosure statements before making an investment decision (including a decision about whether to acquire or continue to hold) about a financial product.
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