A widening disparity in access to capital is reshaping Australia’s entrepreneurial landscape, with venture-backed technology companies securing record funding whil`e traditional small businesses face increasingly restrictive lending conditions, according to new data from multiple authoritative sources.
Of the 436,018 new businesses established across Australia in FY2023-24, access to growth capital has become sharply bifurcated.
Technology start-ups raised $4.0 billion across 414 deals in 2024, representing an 11% increase from 2023 and the third-highest annual total on record, according to the State of Australian Startup Funding 2024 report.
In contrast, the value of outstanding small business loans has remained relatively stable in nominal terms for several years, implying a decline in real terms when adjusted for inflation.
Small business owners are increasingly turning to start up business loans to fund new ventures, driving a surge in entrepreneurial activity nationwide.
Experts say accessible financing is enabling innovative startups to scale faster, create jobs, and strengthen local economies, signaling a promising outlook for the next wave of business leaders.
Record Funding for Technology Ventures
The venture capital sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with median deal sizes reaching historic highs. Pre-seed rounds now average $1 million, while seed rounds have climbed to $3 million—both record figures.
Sector concentration remains significant, with fintech capturing $947 million in investment and climate technology attracting $609 million across 55 deals.
International capital continues to play a substantial role, participating in 57% of all deals. Looking ahead to 2025, 74% of investors surveyed expect deal volumes to increase, particularly in artificial intelligence, health technology, and climate technology sectors.
Traditional Business Lending Remains Constrained
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 32nd Small Business Finance Advisory Panel, convened in July 2024, reported that financial conditions have tightened over the past year.
Panellists described lenders applying stricter criteria across a range of products, with several founders choosing to fund their businesses largely with equity rather than pledge residential property as collateral.
The data reveals a persistent structural challenge: just under half of all small business credit is secured with residential property.
While overall lending to small and medium enterprises has grown 12% over the past year, this growth has been driven primarily by medium-sized business loans in property services, retail and wholesale trade, and agriculture sectors.
The spread between borrowing costs for smaller and larger businesses has narrowed by approximately 120 basis points over the past two years, though this compression reflects rate increases across all business segments during the monetary policy tightening cycle rather than improved access for smaller firms.
Insolvency Trends Highlight Sectoral Pressures
The number of companies entering insolvency has increased substantially over the past two years, with at least three-quarters being small businesses.
Construction and hospitality sectors have been disproportionately affected, with insolvency rates now exceeding pre-pandemic levels as a share of businesses in these industries.
These elevated insolvency rates reflect multiple pressures: slower demand growth, elevated input costs, and the unwinding of pandemic-era government support measures.
The Reserve Bank’s analysis indicates that cash buffers accumulated during the pandemic have declined back to pre-pandemic levels, leaving small businesses with reduced capacity to withstand economic shocks.
Gender Equity Progress Remains Mixed
Female participation in early-stage funding has improved markedly, with women-founded teams participating in 42% of angel and pre-seed deals in 2024, compared to 27% in 2023.
However, the share of total capital raised by female founders declined to 15% from 18% in 2023, indicating persistent disparities in funding quantum despite improved deal access.
Market Structure and Alternative Financing
Non-bank lenders have increased their market share in small business lending, competing more aggressively particularly in asset-backed financing including equipment and vehicle purchases.
However, traditional bank lending continues to dominate, with 52% of founders relying on conventional business banking loans.
Trade credit has emerged as an increasingly important financing source, with some business operators preferring its flexibility despite comparable costs to traditional credit facilities.
Aggregate trade credit across private non-financial businesses has grown strongly in recent quarters, though in some cases increased usage reflects cash flow pressures rather than strategic choice.
Economic Outlook and Policy Implications
The divergence in capital access creates distinct vulnerability profiles across the business sector.
Well-capitalised technology ventures possess sufficient runway to pursue growth strategies and withstand market corrections, while traditional small businesses operate with limited financial buffers and heightened sensitivity to economic cycles.
Small businesses generally experience wider ranges of annual revenue changes compared to larger businesses, contributing to cash flow volatility.
The variability, combined with declining cash reserves, increases vulnerability to further economic deterioration.
The share of low-growth businesses—those with three-year annualised revenue growth at or below zero—has increased to approximately one-third, though this remains slightly below pre-pandemic averages.
The Reserve Bank assessment notes that while pressures on businesses are expected to ease as real household disposable incomes grow and inflation moderates, the depletion of financial buffers and higher cyclical sensitivity of small business revenues create particular vulnerabilities.
This analysis draws on data from the ABS, the RBA’s October 2024 Small Business Economic and Financial Conditions report, the State of Australian Startup Funding 2024 report by Cut Through Venture, and APRA lending data for 2024–25.
