We built Stagex because tradies were sick of being banks for everyone else

A second-gen electrician — 18 years on the tools — finished a $42,000 commercial fit-out in Marrickville. The builder went into administration nine days later. He got back 4 cents on the dollar.

That's not a story. That happened 2,636 times in 2024. Australian tradies lose an estimated $14.7B a year to unpaid, withheld, and disputed invoices. So we built Stagex.

The fix isn't another invoicing app. The fix is making the money sit somewhere neutral, before the work starts. Customer funds the milestone into an account held by a licensed Australian trustee. You see it before you swing a hammer. They see it can't move until they sign off.

No one's hoping. No one's chasing.