Stone & Chalk

Stone & Chalk Stone & Chalk is an Australian independent, not-for-profit innovation hub and startup incubator founded in 2015 in Sydney. It operates acceleration, coworking, and corporate innovation programs that connect startups with investors, universities, and multinational firms such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac, National Australia Bank, ANZ Bank, and PwC. Stone & Chalk has played a role in national innovation dialogues alongside institutions like CSIRO, Accelerating Commercialisation, and international partners including Techstars and Level39.

History

Stone & Chalk was established in 2015 with support from corporate and government partners including New South Wales Government, Australian Federal Government, and state development agencies such as Investment NSW. Early collaborators and anchors included Macquarie Group, Australian Securities Exchange, IBM, and Microsoft. Over time the hub expanded beyond Sydney with affiliations and program delivery involving organizations like Startupbootcamp, RMIT University, University of Sydney, and University of Technology Sydney. Stone & Chalk engaged with industry-focused events and networks such as CeBIT Australia, Disrupt Sydney, SXSW, and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to integrate regional ecosystems. Partnerships with international innovation centers like MaRS Discovery District, Level39, Station F, and Singapore's BLOCK71 supported cross-border exchanges with markets including United Kingdom, Singapore, United States, and New Zealand.

Services and Programs

Stone & Chalk runs mentorship and acceleration offerings aligned with corporate innovation arms such as Telstra, Optus, Suncorp, Qantas, and Telstra Ventures. Programs include sector accelerators touching fintech partners like Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, and PayPal; health initiatives connected to Cochrane, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, RPA Hospital, and Garvan Institute; and deep tech projects with collaborators including CSIRO, Data61, and ANSTO. Delivery mechanisms have leveraged platforms and methodologies from Lean Startup, Y Combinator, and 500 Startups while integrating corporate innovation practices used by Google Launchpad, Microsoft ScaleUp, and SAP.iO. Stone & Chalk provides coworking and demo day venues regularly hosting delegations from Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Invest Victoria, NZTE, and trade missions from United States Department of Commerce and UK Department for International Trade.

Ecosystem and Impact

Stone & Chalk has influenced the Australian startup ecosystem alongside entities such as StartupAUS, Square Peg Capital, Blackbird Ventures, AirTree Ventures, and Right Click Capital. Its alumni and program partners intersect with accelerators and investors including Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, Index Ventures, Antler, and Techcelerate. The hub has worked with public policy forums like Productivity Commission (Australia), Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and industry associations such as FinTech Australia to shape sectoral collaboration. Stone & Chalk-aligned startups have contributed to employment and export outcomes comparable to peers from Startmate, BlueChilli, and AngelCube while participating in international showcases like Web Summit, Slush, and CES.

Governance and Funding

Stone & Chalk operates as a not-for-profit governed by a board with ties to institutions such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Macquarie Group, PwC Australia, KPMG, and Deloitte. Funding sources have included corporate sponsorships, philanthropic support from foundations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for health initiatives, and grant programs from bodies like Australia Research Council and Innovation and Science Australia. Strategic governance interactions involve regulatory stakeholders including Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and state economic development offices. Stone & Chalk’s operating model has been compared with governance frameworks used by MaRS Discovery District, Innovate UK, and Enterprise Estonia.

Notable Members and Startups

Stone & Chalk has incubated and supported startups and scaleups that have interacted with major corporate partners and investors including Afterpay, Atlassian, Canva, Culture Amp, Airwallex, and Zip Co through shared networks and events. Other notable alumni and members include companies that have engaged with clients like CBA, Westpac, NAB, and ANZ Bank and investors such as Blackbird Ventures, AirTree Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Right Click Capital, and OneVentures. Startups and collaborators associated with Stone & Chalk programs have worked across domains alongside organisations like RuralAid, Bupa, Medibank, Santos, Woodside Petroleum, Rio Tinto, Telstra Health, Optus Health, CSL Limited, and Cochlear.

Category:Innovation hubs Category:Startup incubators