Meshpoints celebrates 3 years of collective impact in Western Australia

Meshpoints was established in July 2022 with a mission to create a thriving, resilient ecosystem that supports innovators and entrepreneurs across all sectors and regions of WA. It delivers on its mission through three connected streams of activity:

• The Meshpoints Partner Network - Fostering collaboration and connection through a Partner Network of organisations who are supporting the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, including funders, innovation hubs, government, philanthropy and community organisations.
• Innovative Society Fund - Providing grant funding to not-for-profit organisations to build the skills, capability and capacity of the ecosystem. This is operated as a devolved grant funding mechanism, managed by Spacecubed with support from Lotterywest.
• WA Innovation Ecosystem Index - An online platform that helps innovators navigate the ecosystem to find support, skills or funding to progress their idea. It includes longitudinal tracking of ecosystem activity by region, sector and organisation type, serving as a decision making tool for identifying gaps and creating new opportunities to better support innovators and entrepreneurs. 

Last week, Meshpoints brought together over 100 of WA’s most passionate innovation leaders, changemakers, and ecosystem supporters to mark a milestone moment and celebrate three years of collective impact.

We were honoured to be joined by Lisa O’Malley MLA, who announced the latest round of Meshpoints grants, totalling $360,000, as well as speakers and project leads including Lisa Longman (Bloom), Cameron Thorn (Young Entrepreneurs Academy of WA), and Susanah Wallman (EPWA), who each shared powerful examples of community-driven innovation in action (see the full recap here!)

At the event, Head of Impact Nate Sturcke officially launched the Meshpoints 2025 Impact Report, our most comprehensive reflection yet on what’s been achieved, what we’ve learned, and where we need to head next. Developed in collaboration with independent social impact measurement agency Huber Social, the report is grounded in robust data and evaluation.

Insights were drawn from a range of sources, including surveys of Meshpoints partners and grant recipients, a broader ecosystem-wide survey of entrepreneurs, supporters, and advisors, and in-depth interviews with Meshpoints grantees.

Based on the report, here’s a snapshot of our impact (2022 - 2025):

• 14,172 Western Australians have been directly impacted through Meshpoints-supported initiatives. 
• 86 new ecosystem initiatives have been supported by $2.6m in devolved grant funding.
• $1.89m in cash and in-kind matched funding has been contributed by grantees, partners and philanthropic funders. For every $100 supported by Lotterywest, the ecosystem has matched $72.
• 97 innovators received Lotterywest Ideastarter funding, enabling them to accelerate their ideas from concept to reality. 93% of these recipients confirmed the funding allowed them to apply critical skills they couldn't have implemented without this support.
• 24% of all grant funding was focussed on advancing regional innovation capacity, and over 50% of all initiatives involved regional participants or impacted the regions. 

These results represent more than just funding, they demonstrate the power of community when bold ideas and shared goals are supported collectively. The data reveals a clear shift towards deeper collaboration and growing confidence across the ecosystem:

• The Partner Network has grown to 173 organisations spanning all sectors and regions of WA regions, driving collaboration throughout the ecosystem.
• 78% of Partners agree Meshpoints has advanced WA's innovation ecosystem, stating the ecosystem would be worse off without this support.
• 82% of partners confirm Meshpoints contributed to a more connected ecosystem and 76% report increased cross-sector collaboration. 
• 83% of Partners agreed Meshpoints enabled greater knowledge sharing within the ecosystem, supported by the WA Ecosystem Index which has generated 60,000+ page views in the past year, creating comprehensive ecosystem visibility and helping to inform future decision making. 

While the data showcases significant progress, it also reveals key areas where the ecosystem can improve. Only 27% of surveyed entrepreneurs felt they have sufficient access to capital, and 31% still believe they need to leave WA to succeed, highlighting ongoing challenges in funding access and talent retention.

Reflecting on the past three years, it is clear that this impact has only been made possible thanks to the passionate efforts of the people behind it. From regional connectors and program leads to founders, funders, mentors, and advocates, thank you.

Together, we’ve built the foundations for a more connected, inclusive, and resilient innovation ecosystem across WA. But this is just the beginning. Now is the time to continue this momentum with bold, strategic action, ensuring that every innovator, no matter their background or postcode, can thrive right here in Western Australia.

We invite you to explore the full 2025 Impact Report to dive deeper into the data, learnings, and stories from across the state. Click here to download the full report and uncover how together, we’re building WA’s innovation future.