West Tech Fest
Key Outcomes
Australia's largest technology festival
Global keynotes alongside breakout local founders
Investor and founder networking driving real deal flow
Supported by the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification's New Industries and Innovation Fund
Initiated by Curtin University and co-founded by Bill Tai, Larry Lopez, Rohan McDougall and Paula Taylor
Managed by 32 Degrees South for the first 10 years, from startup
Overview
West Tech Fest began in 2012 with a simple idea — that Western Australia's founders, entrepreneurs and investors deserved a stage as ambitious as they are. Fifteen years on, it's the largest technology festival in Australia.
Our Role
The festival exists to connect WA's ecosystem to the world, and the world to WA — global keynotes alongside breakout local founders, investors meeting their next deal, and a community that shows up for each other all year round. With backing from the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification's New Industries and Innovation Fund, West Tech Fest now welcomes visitors from across WA, Australia and the world, showcasing the very best of the state's technology and innovation community and the lessons learned building a startup in Western Australia. Initiated by Curtin University and co-founded by Bill Tai, Larry Lopez, Rohan McDougall and Paula Taylor, the festival has grown into a defining fixture of the national startup calendar. 32 Degrees South managed the first 10 years of the festival, building it from startup into the institution it is today.