Forbes Australia picks out three Aussie entrepreneurs who are making waves in the startup space right now.
‘Quick Takes’ featured in Issue 17 of Forbes Australia. Tap here to secure your copy.
Liveheats
When former Queensland junior champion and World Surf League surfer Chris Friend (pictured) met software engineer Fernando Freire in the Bondi surf, they bonded over a shared love of sport and a mutual frustration with how disorganised competitions were. Over a post-surf beer, they landed on a simple solution – to build an app that would streamline the experience.
In 2016, Liveheats was launched. Designed specifically for action and adventure sports, Liveheats is a SaaS platform that allows organisers to build events, manage entries, score heats, and publish live results online or via live stream. “Our goal was always to modernise the sports we grew up with,” says Friend. “We wanted to give the next generation of athletes a better experience, powered by digital tools and data.”
Liveheats now operates in over 50 countries, with a customer base that includes USA Surfing, Skateboarding France, and Surf Life Saving Australia. The company has surpassed $2 million in annual revenue and secured $1.8 million in funding, backed by notable investors, including 2012 World Surfing Champion Joel Parkinson.
“Liveheats is a game-changer,” says Parkinson. “It’s an incredibly valuable tool for supporting up-and-coming talent and driving performance through data.”
Blossom
For decades, institutional players dominated fixed-income investing, leaving everyday Australians and younger savers with limited access to the asset class. Sisters Gaby (pictured) and Ali Rosenberg saw an opportunity to change that.
In 2021, they launched Blossom, a Sydney-based fintech company that simplifies access to fixed-income returns through an intuitive savings app. The platform offers two core investment products – Blossom Save and Blossom Plus – which aim to deliver annual returns of 5.7% and 6.75%, respectively, via fund manager Fortlake Asset Management.
“Our mission has always been to give everyday savers access to stable returns in a transparent and user-friendly way,” says Gaby Rosenberg. “We wanted to make fixed income as accessible as opening a bank account.” Unlike traditional savings accounts, Blossom posts earnings daily, allowing users to watch their balance grow in real time – an approach Gaby Rosenberg says builds trust and engagement.
Originally designed with younger savers in mind, the platform has since broadened its appeal, now attracting a wide mix of users, including SMSF retirees, families, and businesses with surplus capital. Since its launch, Blossom has grown to serve over 26,000 Australian and New Zealand users, and it has more than $112 million in funds under management.
“Our long-term vision is to become the go-to destination for fixed income,” says Gaby Rosenberg. “We’re focused on building trust in Australia and New Zealand first and hopefully expanding into Asia and other markets down the line.”
Zyft
Damien Waller knows a thing or two about simplifying complex markets. In his twenties, he co-founded iSelect, pioneering a new way for Australians to compare and purchase insurance and utility services. The experience sparked a passion he never lost. “Giving customers access to
the best prices in the market still lights a fire in me today,” he says. “After seeing iSelect’s impact,
the next natural step was to bring that same level of simplicity and transparency to retail.”
That passion ultimately led to the creation of Zyft, an AI-powered price comparison platform that helps Australians instantly find the best deals across more than 140 million products from 55,000 retailers. At the platform’s core is a commitment to transparency. Unlike traditional search engines or sponsored listings, Zyft ranks results from lowest to highest price regardless of affiliate relationships.
“Shoppers trust Zyft because they know we aren’t influenced by ad dollars,” Waller adds. “Our only focus is making sure they get the best price every time.”
Since its inception in 2019, Zyft has grown to support over 100,000 product searches a day and nearly 600,000 users nationwide. The company recently raised $7.5 million in private investment led by angel investor and PSC Insurance founder Paul Dwyer.
“Zyft is addressing a critical need for transparency in the Australian online shopping landscape by empowering consumers and creating a more level playing field for retailers,” Dwyer says. “We are confident that during this next phase of growth, Zyft will continue to add huge value to both retailers and shoppers.”
‘Quick Takes’ featured in Issue 17 of Forbes Australia. Tap here to secure your copy.
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