The annual startup and tech festival _SOUTHSTART has unveiled the first lineup for its annual event, this year themed Odyssey, in Adelaide, March 7-10.

_SOUTHSTART Directors Craig Swann and Danielle Seymour have put together their sixth program together, saying this is their most diverse speaker list, as well as the broadest and most in-depth event they’ve created.

“The caliber of speakers we have with us this year is like no other and we are very excited welcome their wisdom and knowledge to our events program,” said Seymour.

Adds Swann, “The 2023 program has been better considered and curated to provide an even greater experience for participants with a focus on strengthening real human connection to deliver solutions for the future.”

The pair said the presenters range from social justice champions to leading investors, global industry experts and more as part of multi-day experience supported by the South Australian Government.

Events over the four days range from in-person masterclasses to talks, investment connections, activations, wellness activities and regional escapades.

_SOUTHSTART works with The Garden of Unearthly Delights as a host location for START(UP) Academy and CAMP(US), met access to WOMADelaide also included in the program.

A major highlight of the program, the Angel Summit in partnership with Southern Angels, will be held on Adelaide’s iconic National Wine Center and will see 120 of Australia’s leading Angel Investors together to help founders thrive.

Next to the Angel Summit, _SOUTH START // ODYSSEY will hold a Scaleup Summit. In partnership with consulting firm McKinsey & Company, it will bring together 80 leading companies scaleups to relax and dive deeper into their growth trajectory by sharing with those who are go through a similar journey.

“As our audience continues to grow and mature, so do we reinforcing our focus on curating focused programmatic elements that intersect at critical touch points,” said Danielle Seymour.

“This allows us to continue mobilizing the cross-sector connections that are critical piece to Australia’s innovation race, while reinforcing the pillars that support the longevity of good luck.”

You can read more about it the first speaker lineup here.and more on the program here.

They hope to create paths for new ones business connections and will also provide a stage for the voices that innovate and create change today, for a better future.

Co-founder and inaugural CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph travel from the US to _SOUTH START // ODYSSEY as one of the main speakers. He will open the festival in CAMP(US); organized a full-day experience in the Garden of Unearthly Delights.

In addition to creating a cultural phenomenon on Netflix, so is Randolph the founder of more than half a dozen successful startups, an early stage mentor entrepreneurs and an investor in numerous successful tech companies.

Swann and Seymour also partner with Cicada Innovations ahead of the organization hosting the annual Tech 23 deep technology festival, so _SOUTHSTART explores conversations about how technology can be used to improve our planet. Cicada CEO Sally-Ann Williams, who also chairs the federal government’s Pathway to Diversity in STEM review, will conversation about how participants can “Co-Design with Nature” at the festival’s VILLAGE event.

The festival will also welcome some previous favorites such as worldwide-recognized project-based learning and youth entrepreneurship expert Nicole Dyson. She partners with _SOUTHSTART for their START(UP) Academy event, an interactive experience that will stimulate the mind, challenge perspectives and introduce young people to the world of entrepreneurship.

_SOUTHSTART was sold out last year and tickets are now on sale here.