Eight resolutions to set your business up for success in 2026

A new year is a fresh start. And for innovation-led businesses, 2026 arrives with its own mix of opportunity and challenge. The global market is still recalibrating after years of economic volatility, capital is flowing but is concentrated at the top, and investors are taking a sharper look at traction, efficiency and runway. ^[1] At the same time, the opportunities are enormous — from rapid advances in AI and automation to the ongoing push for Net Zero, sovereign capability, and sector-agnostic innovation across Australia.

For founders, CFOs and R&D-driven teams, now is the moment to set your rhythm for 2026. Here are eight practical, high-impact resolutions that will help your business make waves this year.

1. Revisit your strategy with a 2026 lens

The innovation landscape is moving faster than ever. AI is reshaping workflows; customer expectations are shifting; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are becoming central to how businesses attract capital, customers and partners. Start the year by revisiting your strategy through the lens of what’s changed…and what’s coming.

Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes encourages people to look carefully at what doesn’t work, or no longer works, and then set yourself the challenge of fixing it. “I get frustrated when things don’t work the way they should,” he says. “And then I try to change them.” And he wants more people to treat every “this should work better” moment as an opportunity to rethink.

Ask yourself:

• are your assumptions about your market, customers or supply chain still valid?
• where can automation or AI help you accelerate productivity?
• how can you guardrail AI in your business to protect data, stay compliant and minimise risks?
• what partnerships, collaborations or programs could help you scale faster?
• do you have the right mix of grants, strategic capital and revenue-generation activity in play?
• do you have the right people on board and do they understand the company’s vision?

This doesn’t need to be a full overhaul. It’s about adjusting your compass so that you stay aligned with the best opportunities 2026 has to offer.

Innovation rewards those who keep moving forward, even if the steps are small.

2. Make cash flow your superpower

Inflationary pressure. Higher interest rates. Uncertainty in the global economy. These aren’t new challenges — but this year they’re expected to linger. The Reserve Bank of Australia has flagged that it remains cautious about rising inflation ^[2] and interest rates are widely tipped to rise in 2026. That makes cash flow management one of your biggest strategic levers in 2026.

Take time early in the year to model your cash position across best- and worst-case scenarios. Map out your peaks and troughs. Identify whether big projects, seasonal patterns, interest-rate hikes, or long payment cycles could squeeze you. Use this to make data-driven decisions about spending, hiring and growth milestones.

If your business is investing in R&D, make sure your R&D Tax Incentive (R&DTI) claims are part of your planning (see Resolution No. 3 below). Plus, think about building early access to your expected R&DTI refund into your financial strategy.

Good cash flow isn’t about taking fewer risks: it’s about taking smarter ones.

3. Prioritise systems and record-keeping

Strong documentation is one of the simplest — and most overlooked — ways to set your business up for success.

And, if you plan to claim the R&DTI this year, good record-keeping is essential. You must keep records from the very start of the R&D process (these are known as contemporaneous records) to substantiate your claim. Read our guide on R&D paperwork to ensure you have the required documentation in place.

Build record keeping into your processes from the outset so you aren’t scrambling in June, and ensure your team understands your processes. The ATO has a comprehensive list of the records you need to keep to show eligible R&D activities to claim the R&DTI. If you want to brush up on the essentials, the ATO and Department of Industry, Science and Resources co-host regular free webinars on the R&DTI, covering how the program works, what you can claim, and how to prepare, with time built in to answer questions.

R&D record keeping isn’t only a compliance task. It’s a strategic habit that helps you plan your work program, identify milestones and understand your financial runway, especially if you choose to leverage R&D finance to fund parts of your innovation pipeline throughout the year.

4. Investigate grants, awards and programs

Take the time at the start of the year to look at grants, awards and structured programs, which can play a valuable role in smoothing cash flow while building momentum — particularly during early R&D, and as businesses move toward commercialisation and manufacturing readiness. When used strategically, grant funding can extend runway, reduce pressure on working capital and form an important pillar in a diverse capital stack.

Beyond the dollars, many grants are parts of programs designed to accelerate capability and commercial readiness. Initiatives such as CSIRO’s ON Innovation program provides free, practical upskilling, mentoring and commercialisation support to help researchers and founders move ideas closer to market. At a state level, programs such as Advance Queensland’s Ignite Program (which includes the Ignite Spark, Ignite Ideas Fund and Ignite+) combine grant funding with business development support to help innovators commercialise, grow and scale. The Federal Government’s Grants and Programs Finder is an excellent place to start your search: answer a few questions about your business to gain access to information on around 600 opportunities across state and federal government.

Awards complement the funding and skills boost from grants and programs by providing third-party validation and visibility, helping build credibility with potential investors, customers and partners at critical moments. For example, Cicada x Tech23 connects high-potential deep-tech scaleups with investors, partners and the broader innovation ecosystem. Awards also often deliver the encouragement founders need to stick with their innovation through the tough patches.

When used strategically, grants, programs and awards can smooth cash flow, extend runway and build credibility — helping you move faster without giving away control.

5. Become AI ready

With AI moving so fast, businesses can’t afford to ignore it. Whether or not you’ve formally built AI into your operations, chances are your employees are already using it. Smart companies will put clear policies and guardrails in place to protect data and IP, maintain quality and maximise the gains AI can deliver. Consider your goals in using AI: many organisations think first of using AI to increase productivity, but a 2025 McKinsey survey ^[3] showed the real gains are in driving growth or innovation. PWC predicts AI can be transformative in your business rather than simply iterative ^[4], but the key is to pick one or two areas where implementing AI will pay large dividends, then put in the resources to execute strategically and with executive support.

Becoming AI-ready also means investing in people, not just tools. Training your workforce to use AI effectively and responsibly is now a business essential. Building an AI-equipped workforce requires encouraging a culture where change and evolution is celebrated.

6. Build ESG into how you operate

ESG considerations are no longer a “nice to have” for innovative businesses. In 2026, ESG is increasingly shaping access to capital, customer trust, partnerships and procurement pathways — particularly for companies looking to scale, manufacture or sell into global markets.

For early-stage businesses, this doesn’t require a glossy ESG report. It starts with understanding where ESG intersects with how you already operate: how you source materials, treat data, manage supply chains, support your workforce and govern decision-making. These choices increasingly influence investor due diligence, grant eligibility, customer buying decisions and strategic partnerships.

Making ESG part of your operating model early can reduce friction later — whether that’s during capital raises, regulatory approvals or international expansion. Like systems and record-keeping, it’s far easier to build ESG into your foundations now than to retrofit it under pressure later.

7. Invest in your community and ecosystem

The most successful innovators don’t build in isolation. They tap into an ecosystem of founders, researchers, mentors, industry partners and investors. In 2026, investing in building a community will matter more than ever. The Startup Muster 2025 Report ^[5] showed fewer startup founders were attending events — only 60% attend an event once per month, down from a peak of 76% in 2017 — but with 25% of founders working in regional areas and 70% working from home offices, connecting with others on the same journey is more important than ever.

Having strong relationships both within your sector and across the innovation ecosystem can be a major competitive advantage: the StartupGenome Report found scaleup rates increased when founders have more connections to other founders in top global ecosystems ^[6]. Cicada Innovations reports partnerships are the driving force in deep-tech innovation, coming in just after funding as the single-most valuable ingredient for success ^[7]. Make it a resolution to:

• attend more industry events
• connect with peers tackling similar challenges
• build relationships with ecosystem leaders, precincts, accelerators and advisors
• share your learnings — you might help someone else avoid a problem you’ve already solved.

These connections can open unexpected doors: new suppliers or collaborators, pilot opportunities, introductions to investors, or simply the right advice at the right time. Innovation is hard — but doing it as part of a strong, connected community makes the journey easier.

8. Use your capital stack strategically

Your funding options shouldn’t compete: they should complement each other. As you plan for 2026, revisit your capital mix with clarity and intention.

Think about:

• where can grant programs support your next milestone?
• when is equity the right choice, and when is it premature?
• how can you protect more of your equity while keeping momentum?
• can you monetise part of your business, such as a process, data set, or even your founder expertise, to help bootstrap your innovation?
• where does R&D finance fit into your plan to accelerate commercialisation?

Many companies now use a combination of equity, grants and debt to build a capital stack that works for their growth stage. Non-dilutive R&D Advances, in particular, help innovators get their big idea to market sooner by providing early access to their R&DTI refund. They provide a flexible way to fund projects without giving away ownership and are designed to work in conjunction with other forms of capital.

The right capital stack gives you room to grow, room to move and room to dream bigger. It helps you make some waves.

Setting the tone for a powerful 2026

The start of a new year is the perfect moment to reflect, reset and recommit to your goals. But the real power comes from turning those resolutions into action.

This year, focus on:

• staying adaptable
• strengthening your foundations
• taking advantage of all available support
• capitalising on advances in AI
• embedding ESG considerations into your operations
• improving your financial resilience
• investing in your people and capabilities
• building meaningful relationships
• choosing funding strategies that help you move faster.

Innovation is a long game, but every smart step you take now sets you up for a year of progress, possibility and momentum. Talk to us about how you could use non-dilutive Radium Advances in 2026 to smooth cash flow, accelerate project timelines, and reduce the need for frequent capital raises, and let’s work together for a successful 2026.

 

 

[1] Standard Leger (2025). The State of the Australian Market Heading Into 2026: Capital is Flowing Again [online]. Standard Leger. Available at: https://www.standardledger.co/article/the-state-of-the-australian-market-heading-into-2026-capital-is-flowing-again/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[2] Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA; 9 December, 2025). Statement by the Monetary Policy Board: Monetary Policy Decision [online media release]. RBA. Available at: https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2025/mr-25-33.html#:~:text=While%20inflation%20has%20fallen%20substantially,is%20a%20new%20data%20series

[3] McKinsey (Nov 5, 2025). The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation [online]. McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai

[4] PWC (2025). 2026 AI Business Predictions [online]. PWC. Available at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/ai-analytics/ai-predictions.html

[5] Startup Muster (2025). Startup Muster 2025 Report [online]. Startup Muster. Available at: https://www.startupmuster.com/

[6] Startup Genome (2025). State of the Global Startup Economy [online]. Startup Genome. Available at: https://startupgenome.com/report/gser2025/how-the-worlds-top-startup-events-drive-innovation-investment-and-ecosystem-transformation

[7] Cicada Innovations (2024). 2024 Cicada x Tech23 Insights Report [online]. Cicada Innovations. Available at: https://info.cicadainnovations.com/en-au/cicada-tech23-2024-report-0