“SMBs Are Building the Future While Australia Sleeps” — Marc Degli on AI, Innovation, and What Needs to Change

Australia’s startup scene has been called “emerging” for a decade — but for many founders, it still feels stalled. Government funding is mired in bureaucracy. Investors hedge their bets on “safe” deals. And in that gap, a new kind of innovator has quietly risen: small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) armed with AI and ambition.

Few people have a clearer view of this shift than Marc Degli, co-founder of enterprise technology leader Blackhawk Alert. Now, Marc is spending his time helping SMBs harness AI — and he’s not shy about calling out what’s broken.

“The enterprise monopoly is over”

When I ask Marc how the landscape has changed, he doesn’t hesitate.

“For years, big enterprise owned the future. They had the resources, the tech, and the talent. SMBs were left to fight for scraps,” he says. “AI ended that monopoly. It’s the great equalizer. Today, small businesses can do things that used to require entire enterprise teams.”

It’s a bold claim, but Marc backs it up with real examples: SMBs automating their operations, running sophisticated marketing campaigns, and analyzing customer data — all with tools that cost a fraction of what they did five years ago.

“I’ve seen teams of three do what used to take 30. It’s not hypothetical anymore — it’s happening right now,” he adds.

The failure of government and investors

But if technology is breaking down the barriers, why isn’t Australia known as a global startup hub? Marc doesn’t mince words.

“Because we’ve been asleep at the wheel,” he says. “Government programs are slow, wrapped in red tape, and designed by people who have never built a company. And investors? Most of them don’t want to take risks until someone else has already done the heavy lifting.”

Marc argues this complacency has forced entrepreneurs to adapt.

“The good news is, SMBs aren’t waiting for anyone anymore,” he explains. “AI means you don’t need a $5 million raise to get started. You can build, launch, and scale without permission — and that’s why some of the most exciting innovation in Australia is coming from the ground up.”

Why SMBs are now the innovators

Marc says this shift isn’t just about survival — it’s about a new kind of competitive advantage.

“SMBs are leaner. They’re faster. They don’t have five layers of sign-off slowing them down,” he says. “While corporates are still figuring out their AI policies, SMBs are already shipping products and landing customers.”

He believes this agility will define the next decade.

“If you want to see the future of tech in Australia, don’t look at the ASX. Look at the small team working out of a co-working space, using AI to do in weeks what corporates need quarters for,” Marc says. “That’s where the next big story is coming from.”

What’s next for Australia’s tech ecosystem

When I ask Marc if he thinks government and investors will eventually catch up, he shrugs.
“Maybe,” he says. “But honestly? It doesn’t matter anymore. The tools are here, the talent is here, and the old gatekeepers have lost their power. This is a new era. And SMBs are leading it.”

His advice for entrepreneurs is simple: stop waiting.

“You can build with less. You can scale faster. You don’t need permission anymore. The future is being written by the people who just start — and that’s why I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been.”

In a country long criticized for failing its innovators, Marc Degli’s message is clear: the revolution won’t be funded — it will be built, one small business at a time.

"You can follow up with Marc Degli at:

https://linktr.ee/MarcDegli

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcdi/ "