Bright Moon Trust and CAGES Foundation have further deepened their support of the First Nations startup ecosystem by committing an additional $1 million in funding to the Esparq Futures Fund.
The funds will support First Nations entrepreneurs with the ideas, ambition and drive to build businesses, but who cannot access early capital or intergenerational wealth.
The funds will also support Esparq’s Torres Futures Kickstarter Program, which is delivered in partnership with the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA). The program provides technical business support, access to shared services, access to a network of like-minded individuals, and grant funding to activate an idea, opportunity, or new business concept.
Esparq has big ambitions for the Esparq Futures Fund and is inviting investors, philanthropists, and potential financial partners to join this mission to boost the Indigenous economy by supporting First Nations entrepreneurs across the country.
Partnering to close the startup gap, deploying $1.1M to community-led businesses
In June, Esparq invited a range of partners to visit Cairns and the Torres Strait as part of the Esparq Partners Trip 2025. The goal of the trip was to provide a deeper understanding of the business landscape, complexity, and systemic barriers that First Nations entrepreneurs face, and why Esparq is radically optimistic for the future of the Indigenous economy.
Bright Moon Trust and CAGES Foundation joined the trip alongside representatives from the Paul Ramsay Foundation, First Australians Capital, The Next Economy, The Funding Network, and Grey Area Partners. Together, we listened to Indigenous business leaders and entrepreneurs, asked questions to further our understanding, and had robust discussions about potential solutions and ways of supporting this innovative community.
By the end of the trip, we were even more certain that we had the right people supporting our mission and were progressing in the right direction alongside the best partners for the job.
Bright Moon Trust and CAGES Foundation’s $1.1 million towards Esparq Futures Fund is testament to the dedication of the organisations to closing the funding gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous founders, and the huge opportunity they see for First Nations businesses to deliver significant financial and social outcomes.
Building a pipeline of investment-ready First Nations businesses
Just as every tech startup is different, every First Nations entrepreneur is unique and will benefit from different kinds of support. In true Esparq spirit, we always aim to work with entrepreneurs to understand where they are on their business journey, and what kinds of services will make a difference. For some entrepreneurs, they simply need capital to get their growing business to the next stage of scalability. For others, they may need capital as well as wrap-around support such as bookkeeping and commercial advice to turn their idea into a sustainable enterprise.
Most importantly, we’re here to back the businesses that are backing themselves. Esparq works with clients through trusted relationships, not transactions. The Esparq Futures Fund is a relational model of support, grounded in connection, commitment and shared growth.
By taking an approach of genuine collaboration with both our financial partners and First Nations entrepreneurs, we’re aiming to build a strong pipeline of Indigenous-led businesses that are ready to generate profits, jobs, social and environmental impacts, and returns for investors.
The entire Esparq Futures Fund will be deployed into Indigenous-led businesses. It will be disbursed via a range of startup grants, low-to-no interest loans, and cash grants starting at $5,000 to support deposits towards larger external finance requests.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Bright Moon Trust and CAGES Foundation for their ongoing support of this vision, and their continued commitment to bringing it to life through the Esparq Futures Fund.
For more information about the fund and how you can get involved, reach out to the Esparq team today.
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