#Accelerator
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Let’s talk: Accelerators and incubators
When seeking to join an accelerator or incubator, what must a startup founder consider? There can be huge benefits for startups that join either an accelerator or an incubator. Although they are subtly different, in that an accelerator “accelerates” ideas with seed funding and set time frames and incubators nurture those initial niche ideas, both […]
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, […]
Can ‘For-Profit’ businesses still have a Social Impact? BenchOn’s founder provides answers
‘You can’t make a profit while you are creating social impact, that would be wrong.’ This was a statement made to me by a Year 11 student taking part in an Entrepreneurial Challenge Week, where the students were challenged to develop a social impact business within 5 days. Taken aback, I asked ‘Why?’. The five girls […]
LaunchVic-backed accelerator aims to help migrants, refugees overcome startup hurdles
Entrepreneurial migrants and refugees are being encouraged to apply for a free accelerator program that has been designed to generate long-term economic value for Victoria by increasing diversity and inclusion in the local startup ecosystem. The First Gens Program is being run by YGAP – an international not-for-profit that backs early-stage social impact ventures – […]
Seed funds, mentoring available to creative tech startups via CEA’s Collider accelerator
QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA) has invited creative tech startups to apply for its forthcoming Collider Accelerator. Up to 11 emerging and highly-scalable companies will be selected for Collider, which is being spearheaded this year by Alan Jones, a founding investor in Pollenizer, Startmate and Blackbird Ventures. “CEA is really excited about Alan Jones filling the […]
Indigenous startup accelerator goes virtual to reach entrepreneurs in remote communities
A national accelerator program geared towards indigenous entrepreneurs has helped nine startups become viable commercial enterprises. Run by early stage investment group Investible, the inaugural Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) accelerator saw participating entrepreneurs gain insights and experience from a line-up of startup founders, mentors and investors over eight weeks. In total, entrepreneurs were introduced […]
Investors in BlueChilli startups automatically qualify for tax deduction after ATO ruling
Investors who back startups in the BlueChilli portfolio will now enjoy an immediate tax deduction plus capital gains tax exemptions. This follows a private ruling by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) approving BlueChilli as the nation’s first accelerator program with Early Stage Investment Company (ESIC) accreditation. Under ATO rules, investors who have met the agency’s sophisticated […]
How you can discover your startup’s sweet spot by looking beyond its Top 20 problems
There’s no doubting that the world of business is changing. The traditional model of large international corporates functioning in a singular, closed-door fashion is fast disappearing, with companies now open to collaboration or outsourcing. While previously big corporates, protected by expensive barriers of entry, were responsible for all “business problems” in-house, technology has now made […]
Slingshot announces a dozen startups for regional travel and tourism accelerator
Twelve startups have been selected to participate in Horizons, a regional travel accelerator program being run by Slingshot in partnership with travel tech company Amadeus, Brisbane Airport corporation and Queensland Tourism Industry Council. According to Slingshot CEO, Karen Lawson, the Horizons cohort boasts some of the most experienced travel entrepreneurs in the industry, including Paul […]
Five startups join clean energy accelerator
Five startups have been selected to participate in Australia’s first clean energy accelerator, EnergyLab, joining the initial cohort of four startups. Founded by Piers Grove and Nick Lake, EnergyLab is a not-for-profit business incubator operating out of the Blackfriars School House, UTS in Chippendale. It launched, earlier this year, with support from principal sponsor Origin Energy along with […]
WiRE’s founder discusses her mission to bring rural women entrepreneurs out of isolation
Providing female startup founders in rural, regional and remote areas with access to face-to-face and virtual capacity-building opportunities, including mentorship, will help build Australia’s entrepreneurial muscle, according to Retha Wiesner, founder of WiRE. Launched in early 2017 out of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) – where Wiesner is Professor of HR Management –WiRE (Women […]
Slingshot launching retail accelerator ahead of Amazon’s arrival: “It is no coincidence”
Ahead of Amazon’s arrival in Australia, corporate accelerator Slinghot and retail network NORA have partnered to launch Australia’s first retail tech accelerator. According to Slingshot CEO Karen Lawson, the 12-week ‘RetailTech’ program will assist a consortium of four large-scale retail companies (including logistics and payments businesses) to ‘fast-track’ the development of new revenue streams, processes […]
LaunchVic courting accelerators to fill the gap left by the scrapped 500 Startups program
LaunchVic, the Victorian Government’s startup investment agency, has made available a new round of funding to attract world-class accelerator programs to Melbourne. LaunchVic is seeking to invest up to $3 million per application in the very best Australian or international accelerators and teams with proven track records for running accelerators. LaunchVic CEO, Dr Kate Cornick […]
LaunchVic issues $1.4m in grants to assist migrants and refugees to launch startups
Five organisations have secured a total of $1.4 million in grants from LaunchVic to deliver programs that will help first generation migrants and refugees launch startups in Victoria, including regional and remote area of the state. According to LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick, the aim of LaunchVic’s latest funding round is to increase diversity […]
Got rejected by a startup accelerator? If it’s any consolation, 98% of the applicants were
I often find it frustrating when I hear or see people from startups actively chasing the help and financial support of an accelerator. For those that don’t know, startup accelerators offer funding initiatives, mentor programs and other resources for startup businesses. It’s not to say that these are not useful, far from it. As I’m […]
Lion launches food and beverage accelerator
In an effort to generate innovation in the food and beverage sector, Lion has launched a 12-week accelerator program that will pair its brands with start-ups and entrepreneurs. The program, Lion Unleashed, was designed in partnership with corporate accelerator Slingshot. According to Lion CEO Stuart Irvine, the initiative is an opportunity for start-ups and scale-ups […]
The tech sector needs to start valuing women for their unique skills, says Silicon Valley vet
Businesswomen will continue to be underrepresented in tech-related industries if they are judged against male values, according to Silicon Valley veteran Julie Demsey, General Manager of SBE Australia. Demsey spoke to Dynamic Business about the skills women bring to the tech sector, the difference between Australia’s start-up culture and America’s, and the launch of SBE Australia’s […]
Collaborate with start-ups or risk being disrupted, Slingshot CEO warns corporates
Industries are at danger of disruption when the status quo is not just complexity, regulation, a lack of transparency and waste but also an absence of collaboration, according to Karen Lawson, CEO of corporate accelerator Slingshot. She spoke to Dynamic Business about how collaborating with start-ups will help a corporate to survive ‘the wave of disruption’. Lawson explained […]
Slingshot and the University of Newcastle awarded $475k to launch regional accelerator
Corporate accelerator Slingshot and the University of Newcastle (UON) have been jointly awarded $475,000 by the Federal Government to establish a two-year program that will support up to 16 start-ups in the Hunter region of NSW. In addition to supporting local entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, Slingshot expects the Integrated Innovation Network (I2N) Regional Accelerator […]
Female entrepreneurs dominate the inaugural cohort of Australia’s first HR tech accelerator
The first cohort of HR Tech, Australia’s first HR startup accelerator, has been announced, with female entrepreneurs in the majority amongst the founder teams accepted. The following start-ups and scale-ups made the inaugural cohort of HR Tech, which is a partnership between Hudson, SEEK, The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and corporate accelerator Slingshot – Cohelix, […]
Sharing economy veterans officially launch their accelerator for the ‘booming’ sector
Australia’s first sharing economy accelerator, The Sharing Hub, had its official launch in Sydney on Monday (3 April). The quartet of start-up founders driving the initiative – Steve Orenstein (Zoom2u), Alexis Soulopoulos (Mad Paws), Will Davies (Car Next Door) and Mike Rosenbaum (Spacer.com.au) – spoke to Dynamic Business (DB) about Australia’s ‘booming’ sharing economy and the support […]
Australia’s first creative tech accelerator offering ten start-ups $20k in seed capital
An accelerator program catering to early-stage creative tech start-ups has been launched QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA), which is giving ten successful applicants $20,000 in seed capital to grow and scale. The Collider Accelerator, which is Australia’s first-ever accelerator for creative tech start-ups, commences in June. In addition to capital, participating start-ups will receive mentoring as well […]
Australia’s first renewable energy start-up accelerator launching in Sydney: apply now
Sydney will host Australia’s first start-up accelerator program focused on developing clean energy technology companies. Founded by Piers Grove and Nick Lake, EnergyLab is a not-for-profit business incubator that will operate out of the Blackfriars School House, UTS in Chippendale. It was the recipient of a $120,000 grant from Jobs for NSW, which the state government […]