Sydney and Melbourne startup hubs will be an international boost for Australian fintech

Sydneys proposed new 11-floor startup hub - set to be the largest in the southern hemisphere - should help build even stronger links between the Australian fintech industry and global markets, FinTech Australia said today.FinTech Australia CEO Danielle Szetho welcomed the news that Jobs for NSW would invest $35 million into the facility, which will create up to 6,500 jobs and contain enough floor space to spread over the size of two football fields.Ms Szetho said the news about the Sydney Startup Hub came after the Victorian Government announced in June that it would be establishing a fintech hub at the Goods Shed North in Melbournes Docklands.The Victorian Government has also confirmed it will be the presenting partner of Australias inaugural fintech festival, known as Intersekt, to be held in Melbourne from late October to early November.Both of these announcements clearly prove there is united support for fintech across both Federal and State governments and from both sides of politics. It's great news and will help us accommodate the impressive growth in Australias fintech startup ecosystem, Ms Szetho said."It is particularly exciting to see that two of our members, the Stone & Chalk fintech hub and Tank Stream Labs, have been confirmed as tenants in the new Sydney facility.The new Sydney Startup Hub will be an important and regionally-significant centre of gravity for fintech and startup innovation within Asia.We expect the size and density of this Sydney hub, along with the growing fintech ecosystem in Melbourne, will help elevate Australian fintechs status within Asia and the world.Stone & Chalk has announced that it will house up to 600 residents across 4,252 square metres of secure labs, co-working, meeting and collaboration space at the Sydney Startup Hub.This represents an increase in residential capacity of more than 70 per cent compared to its current space and will cement Stone & Chalk as one of the largest fintech hubs in the world.Jobs for NSW has stated that the Sydney Startup Hub will be the focal point for the metropolitan, regional, national and international startup community.Creating a central destination for the NSW startup sector via a high-density cluster is critical to ignite collaboration, innovation and propel us into the top worlds top 10 ranked innovation centres, a Jobs for NSW fact sheet states.The Sydney Startup Hub is expected to open in late 2017 or early 2018, with the Melbourne FinTech hub following a similar timeframe.