The digital economy contributed $79 billion to the Australian economy in 2013/14, representing 5.1% of Australia’s gross domestic product, while 22% of employees now work intensively with ICT, according to a new Deloitte Access Economics report.

Part of Lyft’s recent $500 million Series E capital raise will be allocated to an Australian launch, according to an executive at a startup that has partnered with the Uber rival.

Sam Chandler says the growing Australian ecosystem has made a night and day difference to launching a tech company, nearly a decade after he founded Nitro in May 2005.