James Harkness
“An innovator amongst incubators”: Cicada Innovations named world’s top incubator
Sydney deep tech incubator, Cicada Innovations, has been named ‘Top Incubator in the World’ by global peak industry association for entrepreneurship programs, the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA). [Related: Now that more capital is available to deep tech startups, they need better access to makerspace: Cicada Innovations’ CEO] Finalists were selected from over 2,200 InBIA […]
BenchOn raises $650k to tackle staff underuse; CEO reveals how the military shaped his startup
B2B Talent mobility platform BenchOn has raised $650,000 in seed capital to meet market demand for its software solution to employee underutilisation, estimated to cost the Australian economy $305 billion each year in lost productivity. [Related: Can ‘For-Profit’ businesses still have a Social Impact? BenchOn's founder provides answers and Why the startup ecosystem needs more non-technical […]
New customer initiatives shouldn’t come at the expense of culture says hipages CEO David Vitek
Taking a lead in Australia’s home improvement sector has involved eliminating friction points for home owners, letting go of the past and an equal commitment to consumer and culture, according to David Vitek, CEO of online tradie marketplace hipages. The Sydney-based entrepreneur said that Australian homeowners are using the hipages mobile app to advertise more […]
“There is nothing more transformational”: Melissa Richardson on the value of mentors
Employers who equate mentor-mentee relationships with a quick coffee catch-up risk missing out on the huge financial gains of having a structured mentoring program, according to Melissa Richardson, the Managing Director of Art of Mentoring. The mentoring program design and implementation business was spun out of Horizons Unlimited, a mentoring consultancy where Richardson is a […]
Government endorses reforms to .au domain authority to better support internet users
A Federal Government review of auDA – the not-for-profit organisation responsible for administering the .au domain – has found its management framework is “no longer fit-for-purpose” and requires urgent reforms to meet the needs of Australia’s internet community. The review, undertaken by the Department of Communications and the Arts, outlines 29 recommendations for the auDA […]
WORK180 raises $1m for jobs platform as it seeks to improve employment for women globally
Gender equality startup WORK180 has secured $1 million from seed investors including Skip Capital – the private investment fund of Atlassian Co-CEO Scott Farquhar – to fuel the international rollout of its unique jobs platform. WORK180 (formerly known as DCC Jobs) was launched in 2015 by co-CEOs Gemma Lloyd and Valeria Ignatieva to disrupt the […]
Why youth homelessness is a business problem and how SMEs can make a positive difference
Today is Youth Homelessness Matters Day. Homelessness is often seen as a challenge for governments and charities to solve, but the private sector can play a part too – beyond throwing money at the issue. Youth homelessness is growing at an epidemic rate, and SMEs should take notice. These young people are future job candidates […]
Sydney named the best location in the Asia Pacific for startup ecosystem connectedness
Sydney is the number one location in the Asia Pacific for startup founders to connect and building strong relationships, the results of a global startup survey show. [Related: “Huge coup for Sydney” – $35m startup hub to host exclusive Microsoft accelerator program, The NSW Government is launching a $35 million innovation hub; the startup […]
Let’s Talk: Innovation
Customer obsession and innovation are “very much on a continuum”, Russ Grandinetti – Amazon’s Senior Vice President, International Consumer – told the audience at Amazon Innovation Day in Sydney, last week. Grandinetti, who was amongst Amazon’s first 2000 hires and sits inside its top 40 employees in terms of tenure, spoke of the need for […]
Small business owners to learn how to level up from industry champions this weekend
Hearing directly from those who have succeeded – and keep succeeding – in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing business environment is an invaluable learning experience for small businesses, says Sharon Williams, CEO of Taurus Marketing. “There are many skills needed to run a business, and advisers, mentors, industry events and management events are a […]
Ombudsman calls for small businesses to share examples of ‘heavy handed tactics’ by the ATO
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, has encouraged business owners to urgently contact her office if they have experienced “heavy handed tactics” by the Australian Taxation Office. The Ombudsman, together with the inspector-General of Taxation Ali Noroozi, has been directed by the Treasury to examine cases of unfair conduct the ATO. The investigation, […]
How Virgin StartUp’s UK accelerator helped Peppermint’s founder strengthen her ‘Why’
Kelley Sheenan, the Brisbanite behind Peppermint – an independent fashion and lifestyle magazine with a focus on sustainability – recently returned from London where she participated in StepUp, a mini-accelerator program run by Richard Branson’s Virgin StartUp (VSU). [Related: Winning Creative3 Pitch helped Darren Tonkin's photo sharing app 'cut through all the noise' and "If you can […]
“Leaky buckets”: Switch Automation’s CEO on helping companies to create smart buildings
Having recently closed a US$3.8m Series A round led by Allectus Capital, Switch Automation is now – in the words of co-founder and CEO Deb Noller – seeking to help a greater number of companies worldwide transform their buildings from “leaky buckets” into smart assets. [Related: Success you can see: nine female entrepreneurs on the attitudes […]
BlueChilli partners with Coca-Cola Amatil to accelerate the growth of early-stage startups
Fresh from partnering with VC firm Hatcher+ to produce 240 early-stage startups over three years, tech accelerator BlueChilli has teamed with Coca-Cola Amatil to help budding entrepreneurs launch scalable, global tech companies. [Related: Investors in BlueChilli startups automatically qualify for tax deduction after ATO ruling and Why the startup ecosystem needs more non-technical entrepreneurs, not stereotypes] Up […]
Digital grants amongst recommendations to help SMEs against overseas, online competitors
A parliamentary committee chaired by ex-Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has made six recommendations to the Federal Government to help small businesses compete against overseas, internet-based firms marketing to Australian consumers. In its report into the impact of global, internet-based competition on local businesses, the Innovation, Industry, Science and Resources Committee recommended the creation of a […]
Qantas’ new startup accelerator taking flight
Startups, scaleups and digital disruptors – both within and beyond Australia – are being invited by Qantas Group to apply for its second AVRO Accelerator program, following on from the first last year. Run in partnership with Slingshot, the program will provide entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring as well as access to Qantas’ domain expertise, […]
HappyCo raises US$10.8m to scale its property tech platform and capitalise on APAC growth
Homegrown, US-based property tech startup HappyCo has completed a US$10.8 million Series A round led by Sydney’s Alium Capital Management. Australian VC firms Tempus Partners and PieLab Venture Partners also participated in the round along with HappyCo’s existing investors Larsen Ventures and Sandalphon Capital. Founded in Adelaide in 2011, before relocating to San Francisco the following year, […]
Let’s Talk: Startup founders
A CEO landed himself in some hot water, this week, due to his participation our latest “Let’s Talk…” feature. When asked by Dynamic Business to name a bad habit startup founders need to break, he sent the following response by email… “I’m currently on holidays and upon arriving at my hotel, I asked my wife, […]
‘Social media users are hungry”: Gather Online receives $1m to grow its ‘Snapchat for groups’
Social networking startup Gather Online, which markets itself as ‘Snapchat for groups’, has accepted a $1 million seed investment from Brett Dawson and onboarded the former Dimension Data CEO as the chairman of its board. Based in Sydney, the social discovery and messaging platform boasts 40,000 active daily users and has now raised $2.5 million […]
Novatti launches platform for Chinese residents to pay BPAY billers with AliPay
ASX-listed fintech Novatti Group has launched a new bill payment solution for members of Australia’s growing community of Chinese residents, migrants, students and toursist, resulting in its shares surging more than 36% in a day. The chinapayments.com platform enables consumers to pay billers registered with the BPAY electronic bill payment system, using funds from their […]
Clive Palmer charged with criminal offence
Following an ASIC investigation, mining magnate and former politician Clive palmer has been charged with breaching takeover law arising from a proposed takeover of The President’s Club (TPC). His company Palmer Leisure Coolum (PLC, previously known as Queensland North Australia) has also been charged over the proposed takeover. ASIC alleges that in April 2012 PLC […]
Employment Hero’s first Chief People Officer reveals why startups need people champions
Hot on the heels of an $8 million Series B funding round, Cloud-based HR, payroll and benefits platform Employment Hero has recruited former Google executive Alex Hattingh as its inaugural Chief People Officer. In Conversation with Dynamic Business, Hattingh – an HR specialist who has also served CBA, Yahoo!, St George Bank and Lendlease in […]
How the cost of Coke in Australia set GoDoctor co-founder ‘AJ’ on his entrepreneurial journey
At the age of 33, Anubhav “AJ” Jain – a serial entrepreneur who ‘cut his teeth’ in Australia – has achieved an enviable level of success steering companies in a range of markets, including computer hardware, mobile apps, medtech and health products. Jain’s latest venture is GoDoctor, an online network he co-founded with his friends […]
New inquiry into international initiatives that provide SMEs affordable access to capital
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, has commenced an inquiry into international initiatives designed to address the funding gap for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). [Related: Small Business Ombudsman calls for Govt to consider UK approach to boosting SME finance, Major barriers to SME investment explored by new report from […]