The Icon startups who participated in the intense accelerator program run by Slingshot are now ready to present their innovative businesses at the upcoming Demo Day.
The public event showcases the talents and innovative ideas of regional startups with the aim of attracting investment and further opportunities to support growth.
This year’s Icon Accelerator cohort is incredibly diverse spanning the finance, food and beverage, robotics, dietetics and operations industries and is reflective of the innovation happening across major cities in Australia.
Each startup is using cutting-edge solutions and technologies, including fintech solutions, autonomous technology, artificial intelligence, healthtech and SAAS.
The cohort includes:
- Finactly: data software for financial fraud reconciliation.
- BeanBefore: a platform to streamline the coffee ordering process.
- Elite robotics: autonomous robotic lawn mowers.
- Compeat nutrition: Customised health solutions for dieticians, athletes and athletes at heart.
- Itsfound: SAAS platform for businesses to manage lost property and generate revenue.
Cofounder of Slingshot, Trent Bagnall said the Icon Accelerator is part of a broader trend of regional areas becoming innovation hubs.
“Startup Muster’s 2016 survey results show that 23.1 per cent of startups founded last year were in regional Australia,” Trent said.
“Programs like the Icon Accelerator aim to supercharge these regional areas by providing them with the financial capital, resources and mentoring they need to succeed.
“Local accelerators are a key component of regional innovation, as they enable founders to celebrate the unique challenges and opportunities in a geographic area.
“Many of the business in Icon have their roots in economic or social trends that we are seeing in the wider Hunter region”.
UON Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Kevin Hall said local accelerator programs like Icon are pillars of regional development.
“New business models and revenue streams are created through collaboration between corporates, entrepreneurs, academics and investors. The Icon Accelerator is facilitating these connections in an efficient and authentic way,” Kevin said.
Slingshot and UON were awarded $475,000 under the Australian Government’s $23 million Incubator Support initiative to establish the Integrated Innovation Network (I2N) Regional Accelerator of which Icon is a part.
The Demo Day is taking place on Tuesday 19 December and tickets are free. The event will also include an entertaining fast pitch session delivered by local icons, including Kurt Fearnley, entertainers and successful entrepreneurs.
IMAGE | The Icon Startups of 2018.
