Introducing Our New Entrepreneur in Residence: Charlie Gunningham

25 years of startup experience, now available to UWA students

We're excited to announce that Charlie Gunningham has joined Venture UWA as our new Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR).

If you've spent any time in Perth's startup scene, you've probably heard Charlie's name. He's been a founder, investor, mentor, CEO, podcast host, and government advisor — and now he's bringing all of that experience directly to UWA students.

Who is Charlie Gunningham?

Charlie has spent more than 25 years in Perth's innovation ecosystem. Originally from the UK, he worked in Singapore before arriving in Perth in 1997 to study for an MBA at UWA Business School, where he graduated as the top student in his class.

A year later, he co-founded aussiehome.com — the world's first map-based property website, launched six years before Google Maps even existed. He built the business for 10 years, growing it to 85% market share in Perth, before successfully exiting to REIWA in 2010.

Since then, Charlie has:

• Run reiwa.com as GM, growing traffic and revenue by 40% in three years

• Served as CEO of Business News, leading their digital transformation and growing traffic fivefold

• Worked with the Australian Government's Accelerating Commercialisation program, funding early-stage startups

• Served as Director of Innovation at JTSI (WA Government), overseeing the New Industries Fund

• Co-owned Startup News and hosted the Startup West podcast — Australia's #1 startup podcast

• Mentored hundreds of founders through Plus Eight, Founder Institute, Curtin Ignition, and Bloom

• Invested as an angel investor in multiple WA startups

In 2021, Charlie was named WA Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year — one of the most prestigious awards in the state's tech sector — for his 20+ years of contribution to the WA startup ecosystem.

He's been described as "the go-to person for anything startup-related in Western Australia" and "a pioneer of the West Australian startup scene".

What Does This Mean for You?

As Entrepreneur in Residence, Charlie will be working directly with Venture UWA students and founders to provide:

• 1-on-1 mentoring for program participants and aspiring founders

• Strategic guidance on business models, fundraising, and go-to-market strategy

• Industry connections to Perth's startup ecosystem — investors, mentors, and founders

• Real-world perspective from someone who's built, scaled, and exited their own business

• Workshops and fireside chats sharing lessons from 25+ years in the trenches

Whether you're exploring your first idea, building an MVP, or preparing to pitch to investors, Charlie has been there, done that, and can help you navigate the journey.

A Message from Charlie

I'm genuinely excited to be joining Venture UWA. I had incredible mentors when I did my MBA here — one of my professors even became my best mentor and investor. That support changed everything for me. Now I get to be on the other side, helping the next generation of UWA founders. These students have access to something really special here, and I want to make sure they use it."

Get Involved

Want to connect with Charlie? Here's how:

• Book a call to discuss your business — our incubator and accelerator programs, where Charlie will be actively mentoring founders

• Attend our events — Charlie will be hosting fireside chats and workshops throughout the year

• Drop into Venture — Visit our Co-Working space and chat to the team

• Follow us on social media for updates on when Charlie will be on campus

Welcome to the team, Charlie. We can't wait to see what our students build with your guidance.