The National Roads & Motorists’ Association (NRMA) has selected six fledgling startup businesses to take part in the company’s first accelerator program ‘Jumpstart’.
Jumpstart is coordinated by Slingshot Accelerator its purpose is to identify and mentor trail-blazing startup and scale-up businesses.
NRMA Group CEO Tony Stuart said after a thorough submission and pitch process six startup businesses were offered places in the Jumpstart program.
“Our successful startups have a very steep business education ahead of them, each business group is given the opportunity to learn from the best,” Tony said.
“They will receive business advice, training and mentoring from recognised experts in the startup world.”
Jumpstart will give the six startups access to a potential customer base of 2.4 million people ‚Äì NRMA’s membership.
NRMA’s successful Jumpstart program participants are:
- Careseekers, a national service that connects people needing in-home carers with people looking for carer work.
- WunderWalk is a personalised pocket tour guide. The app creates your ultimate outing, shopping, eating, drinking, entertainment and sightseeing anywhere in the world Create walkable adventures featuring individual interests on a live route map. Listed by Conde Naste in its top 10 travel apps for 2014.
- Gamurs is a gaming social network – think Facebook for gamers designed by five university students. Gamurs connect with others and personalise their gaming experience. One account and one password is all gamers need to access every game currently on the internet. Gamurs already have more than 2000 members registered.
- Camplify connects would be campers with owners of caravans and RV’s. Their goal – to be the ‘airbnb’ of the camping world.
- OTTO by Gizmosis advanced voice recognition technology to reduce driver distraction. Makes and receives mobile phone calls and texts without touching the phone.
- Hive UAV is building a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles to help farmers, industry and emergency services monitor remote locations from the air.
“We are thrilled with the diversity of our Jumpstart participants and have selected teams from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Participants are of all ages with two of the businesses established by young women,” Tony continued.
The NRMA has a long, innovative history spanning more than 90 years. Jumpstart will be repeated later in the year to give more smart thinkers with business ideas the opportunity to grow.
Jumpstart is supported by external partners, Artesian Venture Partners, UTS Business School, the University of Newcastle, PwC, Mitchellake Group and Sparke Helmore Lawyers.
Company Snapshot |
Slingshot
Slingshot is Australia’s leading corporate accelerator program, working with clients such as Qantas, Lion Group, SEEK, Hudson, HCF, ING Direct, the NSW Government, the QLD Government and UTS. The startups and scaleups that have gone through Slingshot-run accelerators have a combined market capitalisation of more than $227M and over 82 per cent are still active or have been acquired.
The Slingshot methodology is validated and university accredited, with their STAR4000 course helping to equip the next generation of entrepreneurs. This year Slingshot also launched a new platform, CoVentured, to connect corporate Australia to a growing community of startups and scaleups. Founding corporates on the platform included Westpac, Woolworths, Optus, Australia Post, Energy Australia, Lendlease and Tabcorp.
