Australian Investors Are Ready to Back AI and Startups, but a Broken Funding System Is Holding Innovation Back

23 June 2026, Sydney, Australia. Australian investors are very optimistic about innovation-led investments, with 9 in 10 reporting a moderate-to-high risk tolerance, says a new report released by Black Tie Holdings.   

The Future of Funding & Innovation Report 2026-27 is Australia's first dedicated report canvassing investor sentiment across the funding and innovation arena. It draws on survey responses from 100+ Australian investors and in-depth interviews with key industry leaders. 

The report reveals a shift towards technology-driven investment, with optimism about the future gains of AI, startups, blockchain, and automation. Yet Australia's broader ecosystem is failing to keep up with demand. 

Despite strong appetite, barriers are holding investors back. Capital is restricted by information asymmetry, fragmented market infrastructure, and limited access to opportunities. The top barriers to investment are a lack of reliable and transparent information (26%), high perceived risk (24%), and insufficient capital (19%). 

Caroline Macdonald, Founder and CEO of Black Tie Holdings Group, says the findings show a critical disconnect at the heart of Australia's investment and innovation community. 

"Australian investors are ready to deploy capital into innovation. The appetite and risk tolerance are there, and the sector is ready to go with AI and startups, health and biotech, clean energy, and FinTech, among other priorities. What's missing is avenues for investors to connect with the right opportunities," she says. 

"Digital marketplaces and tokenisation are a direct solution to this problem, as they reduce information asymmetry and broaden access to high-quality investment opportunities," Ms. Macdonald adds. 

Marty Gauvin, Principal Advisor of R&D Certainty and a featured expert in the report, said issues with research and development (R&D) are impacting progress: "Businesses are receiving conservative advice and missing out on government-led support. We need to elevate the R&D conversation at every level."  

The findings identify tokenisation of real-world assets as a significant opportunity for Australian investors and businesses. Tokenisation enables fractional investment, secondary trading, and broader access to assets. 

Karan Bhai, Vice President of Products and Delivery at Antier Solutions, says: "Over the next three to five years, tokenisation will move from being a blockchain narrative to becoming a financial markets standard." 

The report calls on Australian investors, businesses, and government to close the gap between investor demand and quality investment opportunities to advance Australia's innovation agenda. The Future of Funding & Innovation Report 2026-27 is available at https://blacktie.digital/industry-reports. 

About Black. Black Tie Holdings is a Sydney-based digital capital markets business specialising in the tokenisation and management of real-world assets. Its Capital Markets Stack, comprising BT Asset Hub, BTX Markets, BTSmart, and BT Treasury, provides end-to-end infrastructure for innovation-led investment across property, resources, technology ventures, and digital infrastructure. Learn more at blacktie.digital.  

Media enquiries: Gemma Manning, Manning & Co. at gemma@manningandcogroup.com