Canberra startup hiring picks up as AI, climate tech drive demand for specialist skills

Job listings at Canberra tech startups have climbed 12% in the past quarter, according to figures shared by the ACT Government's innovation agency, with the sharpest demand in artificial intelligence and climate-technology roles.

That bounceback matters because the national capital’s tech sector spent much of 2025 in a hiring slump. The new wave of openings is concentrated in companies with fewer than 50 staff-the very firms that make up the bulk of the city’s startup ecosystem.

CivicQuarter, a co-working space in the CBD, told The Daily Canberra it now houses 23 early-stage companies, up from 17 in January. “We’re seeing repeat founders who sold their last venture and are starting again, plus a few Sydney teams relocating for the lower rents and the government data access,” said operations manager Priya Nair.

The $1.5 billion Canberra Deep Tech Fund, launched in 2024, has disbursed roughly $240 million across 11 local firms, per the fund’s public dashboard. One recipient, Braddon-based GreenGrid Analytics, is hiring three software engineers this quarter to build energy-grid simulation tools. Founder Marcus Tan said the company had doubled its headcount since receiving the grant in March.

Where the jobs are

Machine-learning engineers and product managers with government-security clearances are the hardest roles to fill, according to a survey of 45 local startups conducted by the Canberra Innovation Network in late June. Nearly half of respondents said they had kept a role open for more than six months before finding the right candidate.

The ACT's average tech salary now sits at $128,000, roughly 15% above the national median for comparable roles, according to recruitment firm Hays. That premium reflects the specialised security and AI skills required by companies selling to federal departments.

Not all is rosy. Two Canberra-based firms-Kalkadoon Robotics and Fetch AI Labs-announced layoffs last month, citing delayed government contracts and rising cloud-infrastructure costs. The losses amount to about 40 jobs combined.

What comes next

Startup founders advise candidates to target ‘dual-use’ companies-firms whose products serve both commercial clients and government agencies. Braddon-based talent agency Scouted reports that candidates with a baseline security clearance and experience in Python or Rust are fielding multiple offers within two weeks.

“The window is open right now but not forever,” said Nair of CivicQuarter. “If you’re thinking of making a move, this is the quarter to do it.”