From Subiaco Garage to Global Stage: How One Perth Tech Founder Built a $50M Logistics Platform

When Sarah Chen first set up her laptop in a converted garage on Rokeby Road in Subiaco five years ago, she was solving a problem most people didn't know they had. Today, her logistics optimisation platform has raised $12 million in Series B funding and is valued at approximately $50 million—making her one of Perth's most successful startup founders.

Chen's company, LogiFlow, uses artificial intelligence to streamline last-mile delivery networks across Australia and Southeast Asia. The platform has reduced shipping costs for clients by an average of 23 percent, according to industry benchmarks. Her client roster includes three of Australia's top five e-commerce retailers.

"Perth has always punched below its weight in the startup space," Chen told The Daily Perth. "But we have the talent, the cost advantages, and increasingly, the support infrastructure." That infrastructure has solidified considerably since LogiFlow's early days. The city now hosts the Perth Innovation District—a growing hub spanning Northbridge and East Perth where co-working spaces, venture capital firms, and tech incubators cluster within walking distance of each other.

The momentum is visible across multiple metrics. According to the latest Startup Genome Report, Perth's startup ecosystem grew 34 percent year-on-year through 2025, with 127 active startups securing $89 million in venture funding—a significant jump from the $42 million raised in 2023.

Chen's success has created a ripple effect. Her Series B announcement in April prompted three rival logistics startups to establish Perth offices. The Boab Centre, a business accelerator on Beaufort Street, reports that applications for its summer cohort have tripled since LogiFlow's funding became public.

What sets Chen's operation apart is her commitment to keeping the company headquartered in Perth, even as international investors encouraged relocation to Sydney or Melbourne. "Our team didn't want to move, and frankly, Perth's lower cost of living means we can attract and retain talent without burning through capital," she explained. LogiFlow now employs 58 people, with plans to hire 30 more across engineering and customer success roles by the end of 2026.

Her office, recently relocated to a 2,500-square-metre space in East Perth's emerging precinct, sits just blocks from other emerging tech companies and within easy reach of Curtin University's entrepreneurship programs—a pipeline for talent.

For Perth's business community, LogiFlow represents proof of concept: ambitious founders don't need to leave home to build billion-dollar potential ventures. As more investors wake up to Perth's advantages, that narrative may finally be shifting.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.