The Board of Fishburners Ltd has appointed KPMG Australia’s Gayle Dickerson and Phil Quinlan as Voluntary Administrators to facilitate a strategic restructuring of the organisation.

Fishburners is Australia’s largest and longest standing early-stage startup community. The not-for profit organisation supports tech founders by providing coworking spaces, programs, and networking opportunities to help startups grow from idea to revenue.

Founded in 2011, it has fostered over 35,000 entrepreneurs, including notable alumni such as Koala, HyperAnna, MadPaws, Jayride, and Car Next Door.

The Voluntary Administrators have assumed day-to-day control of the operations of the Fishburners. The company will continue to trade as usual as the Administrators undertake an immediate assessment of the business, in tandem with an accelerated sale and recapitalisation process.

Fishburners says failed attempts to resolve long-standing rental debt tied to the State-led Sydney Startup Hub program, combined with ongoing operating losses, have forced the organisation into a formal restructuring process.

The Board says the move is aimed at securing a sustainable future for Fishburners and maintaining support services relied on by thousands of tech entrepreneurs.

The Board have been actively engaging in consolidation and investment discussions, which the Administrator will now pursue.”

KPMG Australia’s Partner in Charge of Restructuring Gayle Dickerson said, “Fishburners has been a pillar of the Australian startup ecosystem, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship for over 15 years.”

“We will seek expressions of interest from parties within the innovation and technology sectors and work with all stakeholders, including the board, employees and founders, to maximise the outcome,” said Dickerson.

A first creditors meeting for Fishburners is to be convened for 18 May 2026.