What Rise Ventures does

RISE Ventures is an Australian for-purpose organization established in 2013 that delivers federally funded employment and community development programs to Indigenous Australians in remote Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory. Operating as part of the AKG (Angus Knight Group) family, RISE holds delivery-partner status with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) for the Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES), the legacy Community Development Program (CDP), and the Indigenous Skills and Employment Program (ISEP). The organization supports approximately 1,275 active clients and reports cumulative outcomes of 4,028 clients placed into employment and 719 contributing to community projects, delivered through four program pillars: Employment & Training, Community Projects, Small Business Development, and Indigenous Youth Coaches. Service delivery is place-based, with local teams physically embedded in Pormpuraaw, Kowanyama, Mornington Island, the Katherine region, and Cairns, and is co-designed with Aboriginal Shire Councils and community organizations including the Jawoyn Association via the Nyirrunggulung-RISE joint venture.

The portfolio is structured as an integrated ecosystem rather than discrete products. Employment services feed into microenterprise development, community projects build transferable skills, and several community-owned business ventures — the Kowanyama Bakery, the RISE Retail Arts 'N' Craft Store, and the developing Kowanyama Community Co-operative — generate local employment and economic activity. Supporting facilities include the Indigenous Youth Oasis in Cairns, the Katherine Trade Skills Hub, Women's Hubs, and Men's Sheds, complemented by the Bounce Global co-designed RISE-Up staff certification program. Technology use is limited and operational: drone-based 3D cemetery mapping supports cultural preservation, but no proprietary software platform, digital marketplace, or AI/ML capability is disclosed. Revenue is exclusively contract-based and government-funded, with services delivered at no cost to participants and surplus reinvested into programs under the for-purpose charter.

Name

Rise Ventures

Legal name

RISE Ventures

Website

https://riseventures.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RISE Ventures is an Australian for-purpose organization delivering federally funded employment, training, and community development programs to Indigenous Australians in remote Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory, operating under the AKG family and partnering with Aboriginal Shire Councils and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employment and Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Employment services
• Indigenous employment
• Community development
• Youth coaching
• Microenterprise development

Headquarters

HQ city

Katherine

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Revenue: RISE Ventures is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to deliver employment and community development programs including the Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES), Community Development Program (CDP), and Indigenous Skills and Employment Program (ISEP). As a for-purpose organization, revenue is reinvested into programs rather than distributed as profit.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RISE Ventures delivers government-funded employment services, training, and community development programs to Indigenous Australians living in remote communities across Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory. Core offerings include the Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES), Community Development Program (CDP), Indigenous Skills and Employment Program (ISEP), and Indigenous Youth Coaches wraparound support, complemented by community microenterprise development and cultural preservation initiatives. Services are provided at no cost to participants and are co-designed with local communities, Aboriginal Shire Councils, and community organizations.

Product overview

RISE Ventures is a for-purpose organization delivering place-based, co-operative solutions for remote Indigenous communities in Australia. The core offering is a suite of employment and community development services centered on the Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) and Indigenous Youth Coaches program, supported by Community Projects, Microenterprise Development, and the RISE-UP staff training program. RISE Ventures has also established physical facilities including the Indigenous Youth Oasis in Cairns, Katherine Trade Skills Hub, Women's Hub, and Men's Sheds. Additionally, the organization operates several community-owned business ventures including the Kowanyama Bakery, RISE Retail Arts 'N' Craft Store, and is developing the Kowanyama Community Co-operative model. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where employment services feed into microenterprise development, community projects build skills, and business ventures create sustainable local employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES)
• Indigenous Youth Coaches
• Community Projects
• Microenterprise Development Program establishing small businesses and community co-operatives in remote communities to create employment and economic independence, including support for sole traders and small business owners through partnerships with microenterprise support providers.
• Indigenous Youth Oasis
• Kowanyama Bakery
• RISE Retail Arts 'N' Craft Store
• Kowanyama Community Co-operative Community-owned and run co-operative where small businesses and sole traders operate, with profits reinvested into the community as part of the microenterprise development model.
• RISE-Up Program Staff development and capability program delivered in partnership with Bounce Global, providing Job Coach Certification, Train the Trainers for Wellbeing Programs, and Coaching Skills for Leaders qualifications to all RISE Ventures staff.
• Drone Cemetery Mapping Service Cultural preservation service using drone technology to create 3D mapping of cemeteries in Pormpuraaw for educational and storytelling purposes, with interactive features showing burial locations, ancestral history, and cultural stories from Elders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,028 clients successfully employed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Real FuturesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2025Part of AKG family; RISE Ventures delivers RAES alongside Real Futures in the Gascoyne region (WA) under the broader AKG network.
• RN EmploymentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2025RISE Ventures delivers RAES alongside RN Employment in Southeast Barkly and North Barkly NT regions under the broader AKG network.
• Bounce GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023RISE Ventures and Bounce Global partnered to co-design and deliver RISE-Up, a transformative program providing wellbeing and work-readiness skills. Since 2023, all RISE Ventures staff have been trained in Bounce Job Coach Certification or Train the Trainers for Wellbeing Programs.
• AKG (Angus Knight Group)coreOthersRISE Ventures is part of the AKG family, benefiting from the backing of an innovative employment services organization with 30+ years experience in Australia and businesses across the globe. AKG provides corporate support services, employee benefits, and access to experts across their network of more than 300 locations in six countries.
• National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Ventures works with NIAA to deliver Community Development Program (CDP), Trialing Pathways to Real Jobs (TPRJ) Program, and the new Indigenous Skills and Employment Program (ISEP). Through this work, they strive to achieve the Federal Government's 'Closing the Gap' targets.
• Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Ventures works closely with the Council on projects that enhance the community, as well as managing all the recruitment for Council positions. Now a formal RAES delivery partner.
• Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Ventures supports the Council in its vision of caring for Country and developing pathways for future generations, working together to provide employment, training and entrepreneurship opportunities. Now a formal RAES delivery partner.
• Mornington Shire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Ventures delivers Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) in partnership with Mornington Shire Council for the Wellesley Islands region.
• Nyirrunggulung-RISE (Joint Venture with Jawoyn Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNyirrunggulung-RISE means 'working together' and creates positive employment, education, infrastructure and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal communities in Central Arnhem Land. Teams work in Beswick, Barunga, Manyallaluk, Binjari and Bulman.
• Kalano Community AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Ventures works in partnership with Kalano Community Association, servicing clients in Katherine, Pine Creek and Kybrook. Note: Partnership ended October 2025 for Katherine region.
• Cairns Truck SchoolminorOthersTraining partner providing pre-employment qualifications including White Card, Work Safely at Heights, Confined Spaces and Gas Test Atmospheres certificates for youth program participants.
• Many RiversminorOthersMicroenterprise support partner offering free workshops and mentoring for sole traders and small business owners in remote communities.
• Joshua Blake at Drive BlueminorOthersDriving instructor partner providing lessons and license testing for clients in Katherine region, helping remove license barriers to employment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• The Smith Family: Large Australian nonprofit focused on supporting disadvantaged children and young people through education and post-school employment pathways. Comparable to RISE's Indigenous Youth Coaches program in mission (youth empowerment, education-to-employment pathways) and customer overlap (disadvantaged youth), though delivered through philanthropy rather than direct government employment contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Sarina Russo Group: Large Australian provider of employment services, training, and higher education. Overlaps with RISE in the employment-services and skills-training space but operates across a much broader portfolio including RTOs and universities.
• MAX Solutions: Major Australian employment services provider delivering government-funded programs including DES, Workforce Australia, and Indigenous-focused initiatives. Overlaps with RISE on target customer and funding streams but operates across a much wider geographic and service footprint.
• CoAct: National consortium of Australian employment-services providers delivering Workforce Australia and related government contracts. Member organizations compete directly with RISE for the same pool of government employment-services funding, particularly for Indigenous and remote cohorts.
• APM (Advanced Personnel Management): One of Australia's largest employment, disability, and vocational rehabilitation services providers, listed on the ASX. A broad incumbent that competes with RISE for government employment-services contracts while operating at significantly greater scale across many more service lines and geographies.

Direct peers

• Jobfind: Australian employment services provider with overlapping Indigenous and remote-community delivery and historical AKG-family ties (multiple RISE senior staff, including Marty Chambers and Leah Simmons, previously worked at Jobfind). Competes for similar government employment-services contracts.
• Campbell Page: Australian employment services provider with a strong Indigenous-services practice, delivering government-funded employment and community programs across multiple states. Directly comparable to RISE in target customer (Indigenous job seekers), service mix (employment placement, training, community projects), and government funding model.
• Real Futures: AKG sister organization delivering the Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Operates a near-identical service model to RISE (employment services, community development, microenterprise support) and is co-delivered alongside RISE under the AKG network.
• Angus Knight Group (AKG): Parent organization of RISE Ventures and a direct comparable operator. AKG delivers employment, health, education, and community services across 300+ locations in six countries and is the structural and operational template from which RISE's remote-employment business is built.
• RN Employment: AKG sister organization delivering RAES in the Southeast Barkly and North Barkly regions of the Northern Territory. Directly comparable to RISE in target population (remote job seekers), funder (NIAA), service design (employment placement and post-placement support), and AKG-family operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/riseventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rise-ventures-australia
• Xx.com/riseventuresau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rise Ventures