Sydney Startup Hub — NSW Government Innovation Campus

The Sydney Startup Hub opened in 2018 at 11–31 York Street, Sydney, following a AUD $35 million commitment by the NSW Government (Jobs for NSW fund), confirmed independently by SmartCompany and Dynamic Business at launch. Spanning 17,000 m² across 11 floors above Wynyard Station, the hub co-located four independent operators — Stone & Chalk, Fishburners, Tank Stream Labs, and The Studio — plus a Regional Landing Pad for interstate startups.

Over its seven-year tenure the hub incubated 1,800+ startups, supported approximately 6,000 jobs, hosted over 1,800 events, and residents collectively raised approximately AUD $1 billion (Startup Daily, lifetime tracker). The two-year milestone (2020) documented 1,000+ jobs and AUD $280M in capital raised.

In late 2024 the Minns Government announced the hub was 'not commercially viable and not fit for purpose', triggering a transition to Tech Central at 477 Pitt Street — an 8,000 m² facility operated by Stone & Chalk. The York Street site closed September 2025. Fishburners entered voluntary administration in May 2026, reflecting structural challenges for large co-working incubators dependent on public subsidy.

The hub is a significant case study in government-backed innovation infrastructure: it demonstrably concentrated Sydney's startup talent and produced measurable economic outcomes over seven years, while revealing the difficulties of sustaining large-scale subsidised co-working beyond the initial grant period.

Read the full analysis: https://www.stonechalk.com/