Our Vision

As our economy, industry and environment are at a crossroads, innovation is key to driving economic and societal progress. We are driven to see Australia use its brains, not just its resources. We believe that diversity of ideas and the ingenuity of people are where it starts.
 
We want to see every passionate founder and innovative idea given efficient, broad-minded funding so start-ups can get down to making a go of it. So, let’s do this for the future of Australian industry. Let’s see what our founders can do with your support.

 

We want to create a more inclusive ecosystem of ideas where:

Risk is levelled

Founders are supported

Bold ideas thrive

And we see better innovation

About

Our story

Seedchange came about in 2017 when our Co-Founders, Peter and Eric, saw that the start-up ecosystem in Australia wasn’t delivering results. An environment of expensive compliance and tentative investors was thwarting founders’ good ideas. Money, time and genius were going to waste. With Peter’s experience with streamlined company administration, and Eric’s penchant for finance structuring, they could help.

 

So far at Seedchange we have supported 20 start-ups to set up quickly and get funding. That’s twenty ideas given a run, and a total of $2 million into the hands of founders. We want to see more and more ideas get off the ground. And we want to show everyday people that you can help.

 

The Y Combinator model for innovation is a big inspiration for Seedchange. The theory is to fail fast: start-ups should set up quickly, release a minimum viable product, see if it works, and if it doesn’t work then move on quickly. But can this happen in practice? We help equalise the risk, compliance and funding conditions so that agile innovation is possible.
About

Eric Ranson

co-founder

Eric grew up on the farm picking apples and fixing fences, and soon realised the money was higher up the chain. He studied actuarial science and spent his early career in derivatives trading for Bankers Trust. Eric was then an early player in the securitisation market in Australia with RAMS. Eric became the Treasurer of Australian Mortgage Securities, managing a portfolio of over $20bn. He then spent many years in the life settlement market in Australia and the US (this is how he met Peter), and later became a fund manager.
 
Structured finance is Eric’s thing and he always has an interest in what’s up-and-coming. When his sister started a start-up incubator, his interest was piqued. He started asking questions, seeing issues. That’s what brought him to start Seedchange.
 
Eric is passionate about the centrality of innovation for Australia’s future and would like to take a bit of the BS out of the start-up industry.
About

Peter Topperwien

co-founder

Peter is a solicitor and barrister from Adelaide. He began his career practising tax and commercial law, and even published books on tax. Back when ASIC was very slow to set up new companies, Peter innovated to provide Australia’s largest shelf company business, efficiently setting up tens of thousands of companies. 
 
Moving into innovative finance, Peter was a pioneer in the life settlement market here and in the US (this is how he met Eric), founding Life Policies of Australia and Life Policies of America. Over the years Peter has funded lots of things, from farms to films, and also managed specialised asset portfolios. Now, he runs a company producing an environmentally-friendly soil conditioner, an alternative to harmful fertilisers. 
 
Peter has always found innovative ways to get things done. He believes that advancement won’t come from big companies’ R&D, but from individuals with great ideas.