Australian Investors Want Innovation, But Structural Barriers are Holding Them Back, New Report Finds

SYDNEY, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Australian investors are very optimistic about innovation-led investments, with 9 in 10 reporting a moderate-to-high risk tolerance, according to a new report released today by Black Tie.

The Future of Funding & Innovation Report 2026-27 is Australia's first dedicated report canvassing investor sentiment across funding and innovation. It draws on survey responses from 100 Australian investors and in-depth interviews with industry leaders.

The report's findings paint a picture of a sophisticated, capital-ready investment community being held back by information gaps, regulatory friction, and limited access to quality deal flow with top barriers including a lack of reliable and transparent information (26%), high perceived risk (24%) and insufficient capital (19%).

Caroline Macdonald, Founder and CEO of Black Tie Holdings Group, says the findings revealed a critical disconnect at the heart of Australia's investment and innovation landscape.

"Australian investors are ready to deploy capital into innovation right now. The appetite and risk tolerance is there, and the sectors are clear, with technology, health and biotech, clean energy, and FinTech top of mind. What's missing is the infrastructure to connect investors with the right opportunities at the right time."

"Digital marketplaces and tokenisation are a direct solution to this problem, as they reduce information asymmetry and broaden access to high-quality investment opportunities," she adds.

The report highlights Australia's underperformance in R&D relative to OECD peers as a structural concern. Despite a government R&D Tax Incentive program supporting approximately 14,000 companies annually at a cost of $4 billion, many eligible businesses remain unaware of their entitlements.

Marty Gauvin, Principal Advisor of R&D Certainty and one of the report's featured industry experts, said the issue runs much deeper than awareness. "A comfortable life can lead to complacency. Businesses are often receiving very conservative advice and missing out on the government-led support that's consistent with their goals. We need to elevate the R&D conversation at every level: government, business, and advisory," he says.

The report also identifies tokenisation of real-world assets as one of the most significant opportunities for Australian investors and businesses in the near term, enabling fractional investment, secondary trading, and broader access to previously illiquid asset classes.

Karan Bhai, Vice President of Products and Delivery at Antier Solutions, explains: "Over the next three to five years, tokenisation will move from being a blockchain narrative to becoming a financial markets standard."

The report calls on Australian investors, businesses, and government to close the gap between investor demand and quality investment opportunity to advance Australia's innovation agenda. The Future of Funding & Innovation Report 2026-27 is available at https://blacktie.digital/industry-reports

About Black Tie

Black Tie Holdings is a Sydney-based digital capital markets business specialising in the tokenisation and management of real-world assets. Its Capital Markets Stack, comprising BT Asset Hub, BTX Markets, BTSmart, and BT Treasury, provides end-to-end infrastructure for innovation-led investment across property, resources, technology ventures, and digital infrastructure. Learn more at blacktie.digital.