Startlocal
Startlocal is an Australian business directory and search engine, founded 2006 and operated by Eaco Systems, that lets consumers discover local businesses across 23 categories and 8 capital cities while SMBs subscribe to listings and receive leads.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersChatswood, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Startlocal does
Startlocal (legal entity Eaco Systems) is an Australian business directory and interactive search engine that has been operating since 2006. The platform enables Australian consumers to discover local businesses, service providers, and retailers by browsing 23 major industry categories with 1,000+ subcategories, or by searching across regional pages covering all 8 Australian capital cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin) and additional areas. Beyond search and browse, the platform supports a quote-request service that matches users with up to three qualified tradies and home service providers, and a user-generated business review system.
The underlying technology is a web-based directory and search engine built on the Eaco Systems business management platform, with category- and location-structured URL architecture optimized for organic search indexing. There is no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed SDK; distribution is entirely through the startlocal.com.au website on a self-serve basis. The registered StartLocal® trademark is the primary intangible asset, supported by two decades of accumulated listing data and review content.
Startlocal's business model is structured around recurring subscription listings from Australian local businesses, complemented indirectly by lead-generation volume through the tradie quote-request flow. The company does not publicly disclose pricing. The customer base is split between Australian consumers (free, anonymous discovery) and a horizontally distributed long tail of small-to-medium Australian businesses across all industry verticals. There is no evidence of enterprise contracts, named anchor customers, or meaningful external capital beyond a single 2012 Right Click Capital investment, and the 51–100 employee organization operates as a private subsidiary under Eaco Systems.
Startlocal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Startlocal
- Legal name
- Eaco Systems
- Website
- https://startlocal.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Startlocal is an Australian business directory and search engine, founded 2006 and operated by Eaco Systems, that lets consumers discover local businesses across 23 categories and 8 capital cities while SMBs subscribe to listings and receive leads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Startlocal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Business Directory
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Search & Business Directories (BPAMAAAE)
Keywords
Where Startlocal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chatswood
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Markets served
Startlocal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Business Directory Listings: Platform allows businesses to list themselves in categorized directories across 23 major industry categories and multiple Australian cities/regions, enabling consumer discovery and lead generation for listed businesses.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Startlocal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Startlocal operates a web-based Australian business directory and interactive business search engine where consumers can discover and browse local businesses across 23 major industry categories and 8 Australian capital cities. The platform provides category-based and location-based filtering, user-generated business reviews, and a quote request service that connects consumers with tradies and home service providers. Listed businesses pay subscription fees to gain visibility and access lead generation features.
Product overview
Startlocal operates as a single unified product — an Australian business directory and search engine — built on the Eaco Systems business management platform. The core offering consists of the StartLocal Directory, which provides category-based and regional business listings across 23 major categories and 8 Australian capital cities. Additional features include a quote request service for connecting users with tradies and home service providers, and a user-generated business reviews system. The platform organizes businesses across categories including Accommodation & Travel, Alternative Therapy, Building & Renovation, Business Services, Car & Boating, Computing & IT, Education & Tuition, Finance & Insurance, Health & Medical, Home Services, Manufacturing & Industrial, Mining & Agriculture, Organisations & Government, Personal Services, Professional Services, Recreation & Entertainment, Restaurants, Retail categories, and Sporting & Fitness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- StartLocal Directory Australian business directory allowing users to search and browse local businesses by category and region across Australia. Covers 23 major industry categories and 1,000+ subcategories.
- StartLocal Business Search Engine Search engine functionality enabling users to find local businesses by name or category with location-based filtering across Australian cities and regions.
- Quote Request Service Service enabling users to get three quotes from qualified tradies and home service providers, facilitating competition among providers for home services and renovation jobs.
- Regional Business Pages Location-specific business directory pages for Australian cities including Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Darwin, and Sydney, each listing local businesses by category within that region.
Companies that use Startlocal
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Startlocal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Startlocal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Eaco SystemscoreEaco Systems is identified as the parent/operating company behind the StartLocal directory platform. The copyright notice states 'Copyright © 2006-2026 Eaco Systems - Your Local Business Management System and Australian Business Directory.' Eaco Systems appears to provide the underlying business management system infrastructure for the directory.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Startlocal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Word of Mouth (WOMO): Australian local business review and discovery site; overlapping value proposition of helping consumers find trusted local providers, with subscription listings for SMBs.
- hipages: Australian tradie/home services marketplace that originated as a directory and evolved into a quote/job-matching platform; competes directly with StartLocal's 'Get three quotes from qualified tradies' feature.
- TrueLocal: Australia's most prominent local business directory and review platform; directly competes with StartLocal in the same Australian SMB discovery category across cities and trades.
- Hotfrog Australia: Australian SMB directory with category-based browsing and city pages; comparable small/medium business listing model and target audience.
- Oneflare: Australian online marketplace connecting consumers with local service providers (tradies, home services) via quote requests; overlaps StartLocal's quote-request lead-gen product in categories like building, cleaning, and removals.
Broad incumbents
- Yelp: Global leader in user-generated local business reviews; represents the structural benchmark StartLocal competes against in reviews-led local discovery, albeit at vastly greater scale.
- Google Business Profile: Google's free SMB listing and reviews platform surfaced via Google Maps/Search; the dominant local-discovery channel that most directly competes for the same consumer intent StartLocal serves.
- Yellow Pages Australia: Long-established incumbent Australian directory (print + digital) covering categories and geographies overlapping StartLocal's offering; broader scale and brand but similar core listing/lead-gen model.
- Airtasker: Australian-origin local services marketplace with broader tasker matching; tangentially competes with StartLocal's tradie/quote request feature in the home services category.
Regional players
- TripAdvisor: Global review-driven discovery platform with an Australian presence; competes in StartLocal's Restaurants, Recreation & Entertainment, and Accommodation categories but not in tradies/professional services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Startlocal social profiles
Digital presenceStartlocal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Startlocal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Startlocal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Startlocal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Startlocal
What does Startlocal do?
Startlocal operates a web-based Australian business directory and interactive business search engine where consumers can discover and browse local businesses across 23 major industry categories and 8 Australian capital cities. The platform provides category-based and location-based filtering, user-generated business reviews, and a quote request service that connects consumers with tradies and home service providers. Listed businesses pay subscription fees to gain visibility and access lead generation features.
Is Startlocal a public or private company?
Startlocal is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Startlocal founded?
Startlocal was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Startlocal based?
Startlocal is headquartered in Chatswood, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Startlocal make money?
One revenue line is on record: business Directory Listings.
Who are Startlocal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Word of Mouth (WOMO), hipages, TrueLocal, Hotfrog Australia and Oneflare. Broad incumbents are Yelp, Google Business Profile, Yellow Pages Australia and Airtasker. TripAdvisor is listed as a regional player.
Does Startlocal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Startlocal.
What industry is Startlocal in?
Startlocal's product category is Online Business Directory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAE, Local Search & Business Directories. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 8741.