#30 What's Up, Adelaide? Weekly Update
Be in-the-know in the South Australian startup scene
What's up, Adelaide founders? This is the last update of 2020.
2020 brought us the new at an unimagined speed and intensity. Lot’s of surprises — good and bad — and I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.
I will leave you all with a beautiful pine sapling to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Wonderful 2021 (for all of those who celebrate Christmas).
See you in 2021!
Opportunities
👩💻 Women In AI Awards 2021 — Due: Dec 14th
Women in AI (WAI) is a global network of female experts and professionals in the field of Artificial Intelligence working towards gender-inclusive AI that benefits a global society. Our mission is to close the gender gap in the field by educating the next generation of female leaders in AI and to increase female representation and participation in AI. Find more
🧭 South Start and Innovation Bay: Australian Startup Showcase — Due: Dec 22nd
Innovation Bay is teaming up again with Southstart to bring together Australia's brightest startups and the investors who want to fund them to Adelaide, for a special Startup Showcase on 17th February. We're on the hunt for Australia's best tech startups to pitch to an audience of local and national angel investors and VCs at the SouthStart technology festival in Australia's food and wine capital. Find more
🚀 Antler Acceleration Program — Due: rolling basis until December 2020
We are a global early-stage VC that enables and invests in the defining companies of tomorrow. We help you get from 0 to 1 in two phases. The first phase is about team and idea. We will help you find your co-founder, develop, and validate your business idea. At the end of this phase, we can invest in the companies. These teams continue onto phase two. The next three months are about building your MVP, getting traction, and getting ready for your next investment round. Find more
🏢 Taronga Ventures Realtech X — Due: rolling basis until December 2020
The RealTechX Growth Program supports emerging technology companies with achieving sustained growth in the real estate and built environment sectors. The program is designed to meet the needs of later-stage technology businesses operating in the real estate industry, offering access to customers, investment and growth expertise. RealTechX’s focus on driving commercial outcomes defines the program and presents a unique opportunity for businesses ready to scale their growth efforts. Find more
👩 SBE Explore — Due: rolling basis until December 2020
The SBE Explore program is designed to support women who have an idea they want to bring to life. The program has been created by female founders, for female founders, to provide advice, skills, resources, and networks to get you started quickly, without the pain. The combined experience of those at SBE has equipped us to help you feel confident to examine, test, prototype and launch business ideas rapidly, resourcefully, and with eco-system support. Find more
🛰️ UniSA ICC Venture Catalyst Space Program — Due: Jan 3rd 2021
Venture Catalyst is a six-month program of support to develop founders with innovative ideas delivered by UniSA’s startup incubator, the Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC). The Space category, supported by the State Government's Space Innovation Fund, is the state's first program designed specifically for startups who are developing new services or products for the space industry. The program gives founders the support and tools they need to plan and successfully build a scalable and investment-ready business. Find more
⚕️ MedTech Actuator Menzies Scholarship — Due Jan 22nd
The Scholarship will educate junior scientists and researchers in Australia in entrepreneurship and commercialisation. If you have an innovative health research idea it is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of research translation, work alongside Australia's leading entrepreneurial minds and network with key players in the ecosystem. Ten scholarship recipients will each receive a $1,000 stipend. Fid more
🌐 Sydwest Global Connections Accelerator — Due Jan 26th
Startup SydWest Global Connections is a 6-month duration accelerator program supporting advanced technology start-ups working in high-growth industry sectors or using technologies where there is potential to drive international market opportunities, particularly within the US and Asia Pacific region. Find more
🍃 Founder Institute: Adelaide - Silicon Valley Virtual 2021 — Due Jan 30th 2021
As the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator, the Adelaide Founder Institute can help you: (i) focus on what's important, (ii) make smart decisions and (iii) build a global business. Since 2009, we have helped over 4,500 portfolio companies raise over $950M in funding, solve big problems, build products people love, recruit amazing teams, and more. Find more
🔋 Pitch to EnergyLab’s Cleantech Round 9 — Due Feb 3rd 2021
EnergyLab’s angel group is a unique network of investors who believe in the importance and potential of cleantech startups, can make decisions quickly and will continue to support you well after they’ve invested. Find more
🔋 Pitch to EnergyLab’s Cleantech Round 10 — Due Apr 28th 2021
EnergyLab’s angel group is a unique network of investors who believe in the importance and potential of cleantech startups, can make decisions quickly and will continue to support you well after they’ve invested. Find more
💻 Melt Accelerator — Due: Jun 29th 2021
The MELT’s accelerator and incubator programs will revolutionize the way hardware Startups prove, prototype, pilot and produce globally scalable products and companies. Find more
⚕️ Medtech Actuator Accelerator — Due: applications accepted on a rolling basis for July cohort
From seed to series A in 15 months. Through intensive mentorship, industry collaboration, and capital raising support, you can achieve in 15 months what can typically take 3 years or more. The result is a road-hardened venture primed to compete and built for speed, ready to raise series A funding leading into clinical trials, regulatory approvals, at-scale manufacturing, and market launch. Find more
💡 Smart Regional Incubator — Due: 4th Tue of the month on a rolling basis
The UNE SMART Region Incubator accepts applications from new startups that are scaling up and ready to build the regional economy. Our focus is on startups bringing to market solutions for agriculture, health, environmental services and creative industries. Find more
🔋 Brinc’s Australian Clean Energy Program — Due: open year-round
A three month Clean Energy Accelerator Program in Sydney, that is uniquely designed to support Australian startups that have fully developed solutions, have established product-market fit, and are ready for commercialization. Find more
👩🌾 Spark Lab Cultiv 8 Accelerator — Due: open year-round
SparkLabs Cultiv8 identifies leading startups working on innovative food and agricultural technology. Our mission is to cultivate growth stage Ag and Food Tech companies with researchers, farmers, investors and global corporate partners, to help digitise agriculture and contribute to a more sustainable future. Find more
Government-backed Programs
🛰️ SA Space Innovation Fund — Due: multiple programs and dates
The South Australian Space Industry Centre is supporting the state’s emerging space industry by providing funding to grow jobs and build South Australia’s space ecosystem through the Space Innovation Fund. Find more
🗳️ SA Go2Gov — Due: open year-round
The Government of South Australia has established the Go2Gov
pilot program to encourage and support local startups and early-stage scalable businesses to bring innovative solutions to government as the first or reference customer. Find more
💰 SA Venture Capital Fund — Due: open year-round
To help build South Australian companies to a national and global scale, the South Australian Government has established the $50 million SAVCF that will invest in dynamic and innovative early-stage companies to accelerate their growth to a national and global scale. Find more
🤝 SA Mentor Program — Due: open year-round
Through the Office of the Chief Entrepreneur and the Department for Innovation and Skills, you are invited to register your interest in an informal mentoring service exclusively for South Australian startups and scaleups. Find more
🔬CSIRO Kick-Start — Due: open year-round
CSIRO Kick-Start provides matched funding for start-ups and small to medium enterprises to help access CSIRO's research expertise and capabilities to help grow your business. Find more
💰 Accelerating Commercialisation — Due: open year-round
Accelerating Commercialisation provides small and medium businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers with access to expert advice and funding to help get a novel product, process or service to market. Find more
🏭SMART Projects and Supply Chains — Due: open year-round
The SMART Projects and Supply Chains service provides businesses with access to strategic or high-value projects that increase business capability, meet the specific needs of a market opportunity, or otherwise improve business performance and leadership capacity. Find more
🧾 Research and Development Tax Incentive — Due: open year-round
The Research and Development Tax Incentive helps to offset some of the costs you put into eligible R&D, which benefits the wider Australian economy. Find more
💡 Innovation Connections — Due: open year-round
Innovation Connections assists businesses to understand their research needs, connect with the research sector and fund collaborative research projects. Find more.
🚢Export Market Development Grants — Due: open year-round
Export Market Development Grants reimburse promotional expenses for exporters aiming to increase their international sales. Find more
🔥 Ecosystem Resources
Y Combinator Startup Library
Over the past 15 years, we’ve created many videos, podcasts and essays as resources for startup founders. We’ve now consolidated them here in the YC Startup Library. Find more
The Guild Library
The Guild of Entrepreneurs created a curated library of resources containing 460 pieces of content to help you make the next step along the entrepreneurship journey. Find more
Flinders Legal Centre
Operated by Flinders University, College of Business, Government and Law, the Flinders Legal Centre operates a free legal advice service to the community. Through online appointments, our experienced supervising solicitors work closely with student interns and recent graduates to provide legal advice and information. Find more
Veromo Offers a $50 Discount to Register Your Business
Veromo is a smart business start-up engine, built for start-ups and entrepreneurs. We’ve fast-tracked starting a business into one simple, easy-to-navigate process – all for a fraction of the cost of a lawyer or accountant. Promo code: SUPAD$50. Valid on both: Business in a Box and Company Starter Package until 31 July 2021
Switch, Start, Scale
Entrepreneurship Facilitators provide practical assistance to support and encourage individuals to start a business as a way to create their own job. Find more
🦄 Incubators and Accelerators
Innovation and Collaboration Center
The Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC) is the University of South Australia's startup incubator. The ICC engages with the community through the delivery of community events, workshops and programs which draw on the research and professional expertise of UniSA and our partners, to support the generation of new startups and the growth of existing companies. Find more
New Venture Institute
Welcome to Flinders New Venture Institute. Operating out of the Tonsley Innovation District, we provide people and businesses with the tools to take innovation beyond the buzzword, locally, nationally and internationally. By connecting a vibrant ecosystem of startups, businesses and the humans behind them to our award-winning programs, events and educational pathways, we invite the next wave of disruptors to make their mark on the global workforce. Find more
Core Innovation Hub
CORE is Australia’s first innovation hub for the resources sector. We have established a national ecosystem for suppliers, researchers, entrepreneurs and industry to connect and collaborate on innovative solutions across mining, resources, energy, defence and space sectors. Find more
ThincLab
ThincLab is the place where unconventional thinkers can give their ideas an unfair advantage. It’s home to the creative thinkers, the rule-breakers, the challengers. The ones who see the world differently, and for whom ideas are everything and the future is unlimited. ThincLab is backed by the University of Adelaide. Find more
Founder Institute
The Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, having helped launch over 4,500 companies across 200+ cities and six continents. Find more
Foment: Australia’s Wine and Tourism Tech Revolution
FOMENT offers intensive acceleration to innovative wine and tourism tech companies who are ready to scale up and then connects them with businesses in the industry who are positioned to use their products and services. Find more
Female Founders
If you are a female founder or an ally this post has lots of ideas and programs to support you in building your startup or to help bridge the gender gap.
📅 Webinars and meetups:
Cicada Innovations: Emerge Tech & STEM Career Expo. Nov 17th - Dec 19th
When complex science and research combines with the enabling force of technology, incredible things happen. We call these types of innovations “deep tech”. Sponsored by the City of Sydney and supported by South Eveleigh, our flagship event EMERGE 2020 is a 5-week celebration of the deep technologies being developed in Australia that are disrupting industries, revitalising our economy, creating the jobs of the future and changing the way we live. Find more
Giants by Blackbird: Rick Baker, Blackbird co-founder and Partner. Tue, Dec 15th | 7h30am ACDT
n our final Giants Weekly for the year, Blackbird co-founder and partner Rick Baker will reflect on what happened at Blackbird in 2020, and what we're excited about in 2021. Find more
Atto Accelerator: Demo Day 2020. Wed, Dec 16th | 10:30am–1pm ACDT
We help female founders launch tech companies in an independent, scalable, and sustainable manner. Our goal is to become the number one educational provider for the world’s most promising female founders. Please join us for our upcoming startup showcase to wrap-up 2020 (what a year) and support the teams! Find more
South Start: In Conversation With Pasha Rayan. Thu, Dec 17th | 8:30am–9:15am ACDT
Join us in conversation with Pasha Rayan, Co-Founder and CTO at Forage - an ed-tech company that runs virtual training programs with world-leading companies to educate and recruit students.
Having raised over $11m in funding from the likes of Y Combinator, Transition Level Investments and Lightspeed Venture Partners - the startup, formally known as InsideSherpa, is seeking to tear down the barriers between potential and opportunity. Find more
Pause Fest Melbourne. Feb 3-5th 2021
Pause Fest is an independent, industry-driven movement with a mission to bring diverse intelligence together to fuel the next generation forward. We’ve been described as 'Innovation Capital', 'Octoberfest for business' and 'Woodstock for digital natives’. In 2020, we welcomed over 9,000 attendees and 10,000 online live viewers with over 50 media outlets from across the world. Find more
South Start: The Emergence. Feb 17-19th 2021
South Start is Australia’s leading curator of immersive and interactive adventures focused on helping humans to accelerate their network and knowledge in ways not traditionally found. We gather the best and brightest minds across Australia, NZ and beyond to connect and share through intelligent conversation, fabulous food and world-class wine. Find more
Bayamaral: Demo Day. Fri, Mar 19th 2021
Following the completion of the Barayamal Accelerator program, our Indigenous entrepreneurs will present their businesses at the demo day event. This national event will bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to showcase some of the best Indigenous entrepreneurs in Australia, break negative stereotypes and show the world that Indigenous entrepreneurs exist (like black swans) and they can also build successful businesses. Find more
👩 Female Founders
Are you a female founder? Great! There are tonnes of programs to support you along your journey from idea to action. Follow the link below to find lots of programs for you.
💰 Venture Funding
Are you seeking venture funding for your startup? If so, consider reading my previous post #6 and have a look at the following database of venture capital firms and private investment groups.
👨💻 Jobs
If you are searching for your dream job startup job in South Australia, you should have a look at the SA jobs board through the link below:
This is all for today! If you like this post, leave a comment and connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn! If you would like to just say hi, or publish a story, event or job announcement on this newsletter, please drop me a line. Finally, click subscribe below to receive this newsletter every week by email.
Keep building,
Rob Blum