Fishburners — Brand Direction for a Startup Institution
Refract
Where founders build, scale and connect
Fishburners is Australia's largest and longest-running startup community — a not-for-profit connecting founders to mentors, investors, and each other since 2011. As the ecosystem matured and Fishburners expanded its offerings, they engaged Refract for brand development.
Fishburners brand direction
The problem
Fishburners had evolved from a single co-working space into a multi-product ecosystem: Passport memberships, Residency programs, and an Ecosystem Navigator. The brand needed to honour its legacy while signalling relevance and ambition to a new generation of founders.
Balancing nostalgia with forward momentum is a brand tension that strengthens an institution when resolved well — and alienates the existing community when it isn't.
Visual identity exploration
What we made
Refract developed brand mood boards and visual identity direction — the foundation for a refreshed Fishburners identity that bridges the organisation's history with its expanded product suite and growing national footprint.
Brand applications
"It's been fantastic working with Refract. They truly understand how startups operate. Not only have they supported us on our project, but they've also worked closely with our community. I'm constantly seeing incredible outcomes from this partnership." — Majella Campbell, CEO, Fishburners
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Posted Jun 10, 2026
Brand mood boards and visual identity direction for Australia's largest startup community — bridging a decade of legacy with a new generation of founders.
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