Australia's first technology start-up festival hopes to inspire entrepreneurs to become the next Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs or Larry Page.

Starting Wednesday, the three-week, Australia-wide Startup Spring festival – co-ordinated by non-profit group StartupAUS – will hold more than 100 events and activities to celebrate and promote the local start-up community.

Could Australia have a Mark Zuckerberg in its ranks? Credit:Bloomberg

It aims to showcase the existing start-up community, build interest in the sector in the wider community and encourage entrepreneurialism.

The festival will feature gatherings in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT. In Sydney there will be a pub meeting for start-ups to talk face-to-face, a barbecue, an entrepreneurs' day at Google's office, a "walkabout" day during which start-ups will open their doors to visitors, and a day for people to learn how to pitch ideas.