Javier Bates
It started before the companies.
There's one idea that drives everything. That you should never have to choose between building something successful and building something that genuinely matters. Not as a compromise. Not eventually. From the start.
Before the companies, he led Launch — a student-run STEAM program that brought conferences, workshops, and events to young people in Brisbane. It was the first time he understood what it meant to build something with a team around a shared purpose. That instinct didn't go away.
Slash Tech Australia is where that belief gets built into reality. An applied R&D company designing and operating technology for environments where failure is costly — IoT systems, flood monitoring infrastructure, enterprise platforms built to last long after the team that delivered them has moved on.
Slash Group is the larger vision. A home for ventures, partners, and builders who are done picking sides between ambition and integrity. Not just a business — a contribution to something bigger. At its core, it's about leadership — and the kind of communities where people don't have to compromise who they are to succeed.
Ventures Built
Westpac Scholar
Building
Founded Launch. First conference. First team.
Founded Slash Tech Australia & Slash Group.
Westpac Young Technologist Scholar.
“You should never have to choose between building something successful and building something that genuinely matters. ”
The idea behind everything.
Where the belief becomes real.
Part of Slash Group — not just a business, a contribution to something bigger.
Slash Tech Australia
An applied R&D company designing and operating technology for the real world. IoT systems, flood monitoring infrastructure, enterprise platforms — built for environments where failure is costly and operations matter long after deployment.
Visit Slash Tech→Slash Horizons
A task force for new founders, schools, community projects, and early-stage ventures. The team and approach adapt to what’s being built. A home for strong ideas that aren’t ready to be ventures yet — and some that are. Relaunching soon.
Visit Slash Group→Leadership isn't a role. It's a decision you make every day.
People before ideas
I’m as energised by the person behind an idea as I am by the idea itself. The best things get built by people who feel safe to bring everything they have.
Communities that don’t ask you to compromise
I care about building environments where people don’t have to choose between who they are and what they’re building. That’s what Slash Group exists to be.
Build for after you leave
The real measure of a leader — or a system — is what happens when you’re no longer in the room. I build for that.
2025 Westpac Young Technologist Scholar.
One of Australia's most competitive programs for emerging technology leaders.
Thinking out loud.
Essays and reflections on leadership, building, and what it takes to create something that genuinely matters.