Here is why a growing number of international companies, from Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and beyond, are choosing Perth as their Australian base.
The timezone advantage is real
Perth sits at GMT+8, the same timezone as Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, and Manila. It shares working hours with 24% of the world’s population. For any business with operations or ambitions in Asia, that alignment is not a minor convenience. It means your Perth team can hold live meetings with counterparts in Singapore in the morning and be available to clients in Europe by late afternoon. No awkward middle-of-the-night calls. No 48-hour response cycles. Real-time collaboration with the markets that matter most.
Sydney and Melbourne, by comparison, sit two to three hours ahead of Singapore. They are effectively out of step with the business day across much of Asia. Perth is not.
A faster, more connected ecosystem
Perth’s innovation community is compact in the best possible sense. Founders who arrive here consistently say the same thing: within weeks, they have met the people they need to meet. The city’s ecosystem is well-connected, collaborative and genuinely welcoming to international businesses.
In a larger city, you can spend months trying to get in front of the right investors, partners or industry contacts. In Perth, those introductions happen faster. The community is close-knit enough that a warm introduction carries real weight, and the right program or network can accelerate your market entry significantly.
Joe Barnby of Hypatia, a Perth Landing Pad participant, put it plainly: “Perth Landing Pad was essential to integrating within the vibrant startup community in Perth. It has allowed me to embed my ideas within the ecosystem and grow investment opportunities.”
Lower cost, higher quality of life
Commercial real estate, operating costs and general cost of living in Perth are meaningfully lower than in Sydney or Melbourne. For a business establishing a new subsidiary or running a lean entry into the Australian market, that difference matters. You can set up a professional base, hire local talent and operate from a premium location in Perth CBD for a fraction of what the equivalent would cost in the eastern states.
Perth is also consistently ranked among the world’s most liveable cities. It is safe, clean, compact and easy to navigate. For founders and teams relocating for market entry, quality of life is rarely an afterthought, and Perth delivers on it.
A genuine gateway into the Asia–Pacific region
Perth is geographically the closest Australian capital city to Asia. It is a five-hour flight to Singapore, four hours to Jakarta, and within easy reach of markets across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Rim. For businesses building an APAC strategy, having a Perth base means your team can be on the ground in key markets quickly and cost-effectively.
WA also has strong, long-established trade relationships with Asian markets, particularly in resources, agriculture, technology and professional services. That institutional familiarity creates a genuine foundation for international business to grow.
Structured support for international founders
Entering a new market is rarely straightforward, no matter how strong your product or how experienced your team. Perth Landing Pad, supported by the City of Perth and the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, and delivered by Spacecubed, exists to make that process faster and more effective for international businesses.
The program is free, runs year-round and is open to established companies and scaleups from anywhere in the world. Participants receive one-on-one mentoring from WA-based business experts, strategic introductions to local industry partners and investors, access to Spacecubed’s coworking community, and practical support building a go-to-market roadmap for the WA ecosystem.
Over 100 international ventures have been supported through the program to date, from sectors including cybersecurity, data, AgTech, health, defence, AI and more. Participants have come from Germany, Korea, India, Canada, the UAE, South Africa, Spain, France, the UK, Russia, Pakistan and well beyond.
Mikey Donegan of AusPlant, a program alumni described the experience as, “Perth Landing Pad gave us access to invaluable mentoring, local networks, and practical support that accelerated our ability to connect with industry partners and refine our growth strategy. Being part of the program has made a real difference in our journey.”
Ready to explore what Perth could offer your business? Perth Landing Pad applications are open year-round. Whether you are an established business looking to sell into the Australian market, or a scaleup building toward APAC expansion, the program is designed to give you a meaningful head start. Apply now and take the first step toward your Australian market entry!