Steve Baxter Biography
Steve Baxter is an Australian entrepreneur and investor. He appeared as one of the’sharks’ on the Australian television show Shark Tank.
Steve Baxter Family – Education
He grew up in Emerald, a town in Queensland’s Central Highlands region. He relocated to Rockhampton and graduated from North Rockhampton State High School. He dropped out of school at the age of 15 and enlisted in the army’s apprenticeship program.
Is Steve Baxter Married? – Wife
Baxter and his wife Emily Baxter have three daughters. In Brisbane, Australia, he has recently been involved in anti-climate change, anti-vaccination, and anti-LGBT activities.
Steve Baxter Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $200 million.
Steve Baxter Companies
Baxter became a major early-stage investor in Australian start-ups in October 2014, assisting in the launch of a number of firms with a combined valuation of more than $100 million.
Steve Baxter Shark Tank
Baxter was introduced as one of the “sharks” on Network Ten’s Shark Tank in November 2014. The show debuted in February of 2015. Baxter took over as Queensland’s chief entrepreneur in October 2017, succeeding Mark Sowerby. Shark Tank is an Australian reality competition television series that ran on Network Ten from 8 February 2015 to 7 August 2018 and featured aspiring entrepreneur-contestants making business presentations to a panel of “Shark” investors. Fox Studios Australia was used to film Shark Tank.
The show aired for four seasons. On October 31, 2018, it was reported that the show would not return for a fifth season in 2019. It was reported in March 2023 that the series would return to Network 10 later that year, with a new panel of investors to be named, and would be produced by Curio Pictures. Network 10 unveiled the new investor panel on March 22, 2023.
Steve Baxter House
In 2014, Baxter paid $5.35 million for his six-bedroom, four-bathroom house. The Prestons paid $3 million for their land, which adjoins Mr Baxter’s home on a steep slope, and demolished it to begin work on a new home.
Steve Baxter Career
From 1986 to 1995, Baxter served in the Australian Army for nine years. At the age of 23, Baxter put his life savings of $11,000 on the line to launch his first start-up, SE Net, from the spare room of his Adelaide home in 1994. SE Net, which served over 35,000 clients, was subsequently purchased by OzEmail/UUNet under the leadership of its founding Director and future Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull.
In 2001, Baxter co-founded PIPE Networks with schoolmate and Australian IT entrepreneur Bevan Slattery. Baxter resigned as PIPE Networks’ Chief Technology Officer on June 30, 2008, and relocated to California to work with Google as a Technical Program Manager managing a project to offer high-speed telecommunications systems across North America. Baxter continued to serve as a non-executive director of PIPE Networks until it was sold to TPG in April 2010.
Baxter created River City Labs in Brisbane in March 2012, a prominent co-working environment aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs throughout the state. He co-founded Right Pedal Studios, a mobile game accelerator, and StartupAUS, an advocacy organization for Australian internet businesses, in 2013.
Baxter became a major early-stage investor in Australian start-ups in October 2014, assisting in the launch of a number of firms with a combined valuation of more than $100 million. Baxter financed the Startup Catalyst program in 2014 and 2015, which sends 20 young Queenslanders with the potential to be the next globally successful tech entrepreneurs to San Francisco to immerse themselves in the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Baxter took over as Queensland’s chief entrepreneur in October 2017, succeeding Mark Sowerby.