From AI medical scribes to autonomous agents, LinkedIn’s annual ranking reveals which startups are attracting top talent and driving real innovation across Australia.
LinkedIn has unveiled its 2025 Top Startups Australia list, an annual ranking of the country’s most exciting emerging companies to work for. These startups are redefining industries, driving innovation and attracting top talent, with Relevance AI and Heidi Health taking out the top two spots.
The 2025 list highlights startups that are not only creating new opportunities but also demonstrating resilience and innovative business models in a competitive landscape. Companies span tech, health, finance, retail and construction sectors, with a particularly strong showing from artificial intelligence firms.
More than 60% of this year’s Top Startups are new to the list, with many harnessing the power of AI to transform sectors including technology, healthcare and finance. Among the standouts are five AI-focused firms, four of which rank in the top 10.
The new number one, Relevance AI, is a Sydney-based platform that enables businesses to build and deploy custom AI agents to automate repetitive tasks and extract insights from unstructured data such as text and images. Founded in 2020 by Daniel Vassilev, Jacky Koh and Daniel Palmer, Relevance AI aims to provide businesses with low-code tools to build custom AI agents that can perform detailed workflows autonomously.
Healthcare meets automation
Healthcare technology startups continue to build momentum, not only maintaining their presence from last year but also deepening their integration with AI. Heidi Health, which claims the number two spot, offers AI-powered medical scribe software to automate clinical documentation, helping healthcare professionals reduce administrative workload and improve patient care.
Founded in 2021 by Dr Thomas Kelly and Waleed Mussa, the company began launching products in early 2024 and has since returned more than 18 million hours to frontline healthcare providers from more than 70 million patient visits in 116 countries.
The 2025 list highlights a growing focus on AI-powered health solutions, signalling a future where automation and healthtech converge to deliver smarter and more responsive care. Two other healthtech companies also feature in the top 10: Everlab, a preventative health company providing personalised assessments and AI-driven care plans, and Lyrebird Health, which develops AI-powered medical documentation tools.
Beyond tech
This year’s list also features startups shaking up more traditional sectors. Pappa Flock, a fast-casual chicken chain, is bringing a bold new flavour to Australia’s food scene, while Visibuild is helping construction teams improve quality and compliance through digital tools. These companies show that innovation can take many forms, whether it’s in the cloud or on the plate.
Other notable entries include Instant, a fintech company offering online checkout and payment solutions, Zeller, which provides integrated financial services for businesses, and ProcurePro, a Brisbane-based procurement software platform for the construction industry.
What makes them stand out
The Top Startups list is fuelled by data based on actions of more than 1.2 billion LinkedIn members globally across four core areas: employee growth, jobseeker interest, member engagement within the company and its employees, and how well these startups have attracted talent from the flagship LinkedIn Top Companies list.
To be eligible, companies must be headquartered in Australia, be fully independent and privately held, have 30 or more full-time employees and be five years old or younger.
Brendan Wong, LinkedIn Australia Career Expert, said the list reflects how innovation, especially in AI and healthtech, is creating exciting new career opportunities. “For Aussie professionals looking to break into these high-growth companies, this list offers valuable insight into where the future of work is heading.”
Wong’s advice for landing a role at a startup includes demonstrating cultural alignment, showcasing an innovation mindset, highlighting problem-solving abilities, emphasising collaborative spirit and expressing genuine enthusiasm for the company’s mission.
The rise of AI startups on this year’s list mirrors broader trends in artificial intelligence funding, with AI companies attracting unprecedented venture capital investment globally. For professionals considering their next career move, the Top Startups list provides a data-driven snapshot of where talent, innovation and opportunity are converging in Australia’s startup ecosystem.
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