Australia may be known for its laid-back outlook on life, but that hasn't dampened the country's entrepreneurial aptitude, creating exciting opportunities for workers looking to take the plunge into the start-up world. Industries from finance to recruitment and food are all prime for disruption by young upstarts, according to a new list from LinkedIn, which has ranked the country's most appealing start-ups of 2018. But, it's graphic design innovation that has proved the most successful this year, bumping Sydney-based Canva to the top of the list after six years of rapid growth. To be considered for this year's list, companies needed to be privately held, seven years old or younger and have 50 or more employees. LinkedIn then looked at the activity of its more than 500 million users to factor in employee growth, job seeker interest and engagement with the company on the platform, as well as how well the upstarts were able to attract talent away from the established players on LinkedIn's Top Companies list. Read on for the full list of the 25 most attractive start-ups in Australia.

Canva's design platform in use on an iPad Canva

25. Employment Hero Global headcount: 115 Headquarters: Sydney Sydney-based start-up Employment Hero launched in 2012 to help small and medium-sized businesses manage their HR, payroll and benefits packages through its free, cloud-based platform. Now, the young business is increasingly focusing on employees and helping them make the most of their work life. 24. Viridian Advisory Global headcount: 60 Headquarters: Melbourne Three-year-old Viridian Advisory is an investment management company headquartered in Melbourne. According to its LinkedIn page, the business is built on the principles of "accountability, results, risk management and cash flow." 23. Lexvoco Global headcount: 90 Headquarters: Melbourne Lexvoco is a legal services firm that helps in-house lawyers and their legal teams improve their operations and technology capabilities — for instance, by assisting with app development and arranging secondment placements. The young company has sought to turn a famously traditional industry on its head by cutting dress codes, set office hours and billable hour targets. 22. Sidekicker Global headcount: 65 Headquarters: Melbourne Melbourne-headquartered Sidekicker is an on-demand temporary staffing platform. Each month, 11,000 "sidekicks" complete 10,000 jobs across Australia and New Zealand for companies such as Uber, News Corp and Rydges. The company also has offices in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand. 21. KBSS Engineering Global headcount: 70 Headquarters: Karratha Based in the small city of Karratha, construction company KBSS Engineering was started in 2012 by its then-24-year-old founder to provide engineering services in the mining, oil, gas and marine sectors across Western Australia. It has since worked on projects as far afield as Vietnam and Venezuela and is involved in employment schemes with local indigenous communities in Australia.

20. Lendi Global headcount: 362 Headquarters: Sydney Six-year-old online loan broker Lendi has experienced a recent surge in employment, employing 287 of its 362 staff in the last 12 months. To ensure staff feel at home when they join the fast-growing business, the company provides them with a questionnaire in advance and greets them on their first day to their favorite drink and treat and a gift voucher relating to their preferred hobby. 19. LegalVision Australia Global headcount: 105 Headquarters: Sydney Virtual law firm LegalVision Australia was founded in 2012 to shake up the traditional legal services industry. In an effort to make legal advice more accessible, the company requires each staff member to spend one day a month producing advice, tips and insights for its website. 18. e&e Solutions Global headcount: 85 Headquarters: Brisbane Advisory firm e&e Solutions works on a variety of business and technology projects, from overhauling an airline's group bookings system, to setting up a 4G system of sensors on a $25 billion gas project. Based in Brisbane, the young business also has offices in Melbourne and Sydney. 17. Tanda Global headcount: 120 Headquarters: Brisbane Six-year-old online workforce platform Tanda helps companies integrate rostering, timesheets and payroll systems. The business was inspired by a trip by the companies' founders to an on-campus bar, where they attempted to come up with a better system for the pub's timesheets. 16. PrimeQ Global headcount: 136 Headquarters: Adelaide Adelaide-headquartered PrimeQ is a consultancy business specializing in Oracle computing systems across Australia and New Zealand. Having grown steadily since launch in 2015, the company hopes to get to 200 staff by the year end. 15. Neds Global headcount: 135 Headquarters: Adelaide Online gambling platform Neds has grown rapidly since its launch last year. It is the latest pet project from serial entrepreneur and ex-Ladbrokes Australia CEO Dean Shannon.

14. Mad Paws Global headcount: 33 Headquarters: Sydney Sydney-based Mad Paws is looking out for Australia's furry friends by linking up pet owners with more than 15,000 vetted, active pet sitters.The company recently received a cash injection from Qantas, with the airline believing the alliance could benefit travelers who have to leave their pets at home. 13. Willow Global headcount: 150 Headquarters: Sydney Formerly known as Ridley, this young architecture firm has built a niche out of designing digital buildings. Their projects have included transforming heritage buildings to creating sensor systems to make buildings function better. The business is a big fan of self-improvement, and supplies each new starter with a book the management believes echoes or has influenced the company. 12. GO1 Global headcount: 179 Headquarters: Brisbane First launched in a garage in Brisbane, e-learning business GO1 has come a long way in the three years since it was founded by a former United Nations youth representative and a medical student. The platform's courses focus on equal opportunity, diversity, privacy and social media training. 11. Today Global headcount: 55 Headquarters: Melbourne Melbourne-headquartered design company Today has undertaken major projects like the domestic installation of Australia's national broadband network. The business puts a heavy emphasis on charitable projects, having donated 5 percent of revenue to charity in its first five years.

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