Startups

Startup with the right legal foundation. Gilbert + Tobin’s Startup practice is designed to provide founders with comprehensive advice to set them on the path to success.

    Our Approach

    Having the right legal foundation will not solve all the challenges which founders face, but it definitely helps when the business has momentum and is raising capital at various stages.

    Gilbert + Tobin startup lawyers advise startups on the full startup lifecycle.

    • Setting up a tax-effective business structure
    • Protecting, managing and enforcing your intellectual property
    • Raising external funding
    • Incentivising employees
    • Strategic alliance, partnership or other agreements
    • IPOs and trade sales

    We also make sure you have the key documents in place. The aim is always to protect your startup, facilitate growth, attract funding and facilitate a clean exit at a time of your choosing.

    Australia’s startup ecosystem is young, but the past 24 months have seen strong public and private commitment to investment in innovative businesses.

    When you want to start the conversation about your innovative business Gilbert + Tobin's startup lawyers are available and ready to assist.

    Startups we work with:

    • Xinja - Advising in relation to its establishment of one of the first neo-banks to operate in Australia.

    • BRICKX - Advising on the establishment and ongoing operation of The BRICKX Platform, which is an online platform for investors to buy and sell units (Bricks) in residential investment property trusts.

    • Tide - Advising on the launch of ‘Tide’ a new blockchain based protocol that will facilitate the personal data economy by enabling organisations to monetise the information stored in their databases, whilst also addressing compliance with current and expected privacy regulation.

    • Workday - Advising the US-based HR and Financial Management software company on Australian elements of alliance arrangements with Accenture Australia.

    • Pet Circle - Advising in relation to investments by Airtree Ventures, BlueSky Ventures and Francisco Partners (including a $50 million funding round).

    • LocalAgentFinder - Advising the Melbourne-based Fintech company dealing with real estate agent marketplace on developing precedents and a white-labelled supply partnership arrangement with CBA.

    • Trademark Vision - Advising in relation to Series A and B fundraising rounds.

    • HashiCorp - Advising the San Francisco-based cloud infrastructure automation company on Australian legal risk positions in connection with a software licensing arrangement with an Australian big-four bank.

    • SafetyCulture - Advising in relation to its recent $47 million Series C funding round.

    • Koala - Advising in relation to multiple fundraising rounds.

    • Assembly Payments - Advising in relation to recent fundraising rounds.

    • Sypht - Advising BPAY’s new SaaS based startup, that uses advanced text recognition and AI to analyse and assess documents, on the development of contract architecture; startup law advice on privacy, Australian Consumer Law, cyber security and financial services regulation; and strategic advice around structure and go-to market strategy.

    • Momentum Cloud - Advising a learning management business, which allows education institutions to better manage learning outcomes for their students, on the development of contract architecture; advice on privacy, Australian Consumer Law, cyber security, and financial services regulation; and strategic advice around structure and go-to market strategy.

    • Lodge - Advising BPAY’s new rent management business, which offers investors a range of tools to manage their rental portfolios, on the development of contract architecture; startup law advice on privacy, Australian Consumer Law, cyber security and financial services regulation; and strategic advice around structure and go-to market strategy.

    • Wiise - Advising CBA, Wiise and Microsoft on a three-way partnership to create an accounting solution that offers built-in payment functionality.

    • IIF Program and REVC Programs - Since 2007, we have advised many of the successfully licensed fund managers under the Commonwealth’s Innovation Investment Fund program (Brandon Capital Partners, Cleantech Ventures, One Ventures, MRCF and Southern Cross Venture Partners (all established as VCLPs, ESVCLPs, managed investment trusts or co-investment arrangements)) and the Commonwealth’s Renewable Energy Venture Capital Fund program (Southern Cross Venture Partners, established as a co-investment arrangement).

    • Various Startups - In relation to seed funding rounds, employee incentives and/or governance including for PetCircle, Hatch Careers, Milray Park, WattCost, Zuper, My Mobile Data and others.

    • Envato - Advising the Melbourne-based, leading marketplace and community for creative assets on white-label software supply/resale arrangement with US start up Pressed.

    • iConstruct - Advising the Perth-based startup mining software company on partnering/alliance arrangements with Silverhorse and subcontracting arrangements with Woodside.

    • Garner Corp - Advising the Canadian-based logistic integration software company on Australianising its North-American template software license and services agreement and advice in connection with negotiations with an Australian client.

    • Coca-Cola Amatil - Advising on the branding of its start-up corporate accelerator AMATIL-X, a new platform for emerging possibilities to power growth beyond Coca-Cola Amatil’s core business.