#32 What's Up, Adelaide? Monthly Update
Be in-the-know in the South Australian startup scene
Hello South Australian founders! Last month I announced a change in the format of the newsletter and here is the new format, truly ad hoc and experimental. Based on your feedback and clicks, I dropped a few sessions and created new ones. Please continue replying and sharing your valuable feedback with me as it helps me improve the content.
In this issue, we have news about SA’s flagship events South Start, opinion and educational pieces on venture capital, a selection of SA startups to watch, and the findings of an idea-generation experiment I ran on Facebook last month.
But before jumping to the content, it is time to thank those who supported me during this past year while I was stranded abroad due to the travel ban. After a year of waiting and a 56-hour flight, I finally arrived in Adelaide to continue my entrepreneurial journey (now in person 😁). Claudine Fernandez, Marion Vigot, Eleni Dadana, Aron Hausler, Pascal Seibold, Stuart Snyder, Elen Cuña, Jenny Vandyke, Fern Ho, Adriana Bracko, Simon Cook, Charlotte du Rieu, and Oli Madgett: Thank you so much!
South Start
_SOUTHSTART has always been an intimate affair, focusing on the quality of connections over quantity. In light of the world we find ourselves living in now, however, we're forced to deliver something paired down. But - fear not! We embrace constraints. This means something even more authentic, more intimate and more special.
For a limited time, we're offering our very special FOMO ticket. If you know _SOUTHSTART, then this offer should be a no-brainer. While they last, get your one-time, this-won't-be-available-again ticket. The FOMO ticket includes:
Full access (on a first-come, first-served basis) to more than a dozen masterclasses on everything from marketing and PR, to pitch masterclasses, leadership and more.
Entry to our Social Mixer - our opening networking event at Lot Fourteen's Community.
A ticket to our opening 400-person Supper Party takeover at Africola and Golden Boy with speakers, guests, investors and YOU!
Entry to our main conference, fully catered.
So much more.
Venture capital with a grain of salt
Many Adelaidian founders are considering fundraising with venture capital funds to build their companies. If you are in this group, have you ever thought about the risks involved and the math behind venture funding? You may find interesting insights in the two pieces below.
Should you raise venture capital?
Adelaide-based entrepreneur and investor Christian Thaler-Wolski shares with us his considerations on early-stage venture capital, based on his observations of a mature fund with 25 portfolio companies. Read the op-ed here.
What you should know about early-stage venture capital
In this piece, Yes VC raises the level of transparency in venture capital and shares the numbers of what can be considered a typical seed-stage venture capital operation. Access the full presentation here.
Community-led idea generation
I was planning to buy some beer and invite friends to toss ideas around at the pool, except that I was quarantined in medi-hotel after a 54-hour long trip from Brazil. Then I had this idea of posting something on Facebook and calling on folks to collaborate and brainstorm business ideas.
So I simultaneously posted the following message on 4 Facebook groups (Adelaide Startups, Sydney Startups, Melbourne Startup, and Brisbane Startups) on Thu Feb 18th 2021 at 10:22 pm:
Some entrepreneurs lack ideas. Creatives have plenty. Share a business idea and convince me to build it and I’ll pay you A$1,000
What followed was absolutely mindblowing. Read the full story here.
SA Startups to Watch
Optomini
Optomini is an agfood tech startup developing omnichannel solutions to integrate physical and digital experiences across a range of sectors, including agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, and wholesale sectors.
SPI
SPI is harnessing the power of blockchain to disrupt the education sector. Their Blockchain-based product Alchedemia is a digital learning environment that offers a range of solutions in attendance control, credential management, and club governance.
eBottly
eBottli is improving wine traceability through track-and-trace services, smart labels, packaging and value-added services. Its sister company Bottli commercializes a curated selection of wines from French and Australian artisan winemakers. Can’t wait to try them!
The Courier App
The Courier App is a peer-to-peer marketplace connecting vetted drivers with businesses and individuals looking for delivery services in Australia and New Zealand.
Opportunities
⚡ Energy Lab Scale Up Program — Due: Mar 8th
EnergyLab's Scaleup Program is designed to help the most innovative startups and large companies work together to roll out technology that will help decarbonise the energy sector. During this free and virtual program, founders will be provided with the connections and exposure they need to unlock their next wave of growth. Find more
🤝 Social Impact Hub Scaling Impact Accelerator — Due: Mar 12th
Scaling Impact is an accelerator that helps social enterprises and purpose-driven startups grow their business and prepare for future impact investment. Given COVID-19, we are focused on enterprises with strong business models operating in resilient sectors. Find more
⚕️ HCF Catalyst 6 Early Stage Startup Accelerator — Due: Mar 12th
Welcome to HCF Catalyst 6, Australia’s leading health and medical technology accelerator sponsored by HCF; delivered by Slingshot. We are looking for early stage startups and not-for-profits with exceptional founders and teams in health technology. If you have built an MVP or have a well-thought-out idea and are passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of Australians, then this program is for you. Find more
⚕️Medtech Actuator 2021 Intake — Due: Mar 15th
The MedTech Actuator Program is Asia Pacific's 15-month accelerator for early-stage MedTech startups. This industry-led, VC-backed program will accelerate your technology development, build your team capability and provide a pathway to access up to $3m+ seed to series A investment – helping you deliver healthcare impact where it is needed most. Find more
📈 Y Combinator Summer 2021 — Due: Mar 15th
We think founders are most productive when they can spend most of their time building. Our goal is to create an environment where you can focus exclusively on building products and talking to users. Twice a year, we invest a small amount of money in a large number of startups. We have two batches per year — one from January through March and one from June through August. Find more
📈 Brinc Rise $1.5M Coastal Community Resilience Challenge — Due: Mar 15th
Global average sea levels are rising and climate change is leading to more frequent and extreme weather events, coastal flooding, and other increased hazards. To address the growing pressure on our coastal cities, RISE has designed a 12-month challenge program, powered by Brinc, covering Hampton Roads, Virginia, that is designed to support founders of startups and small to medium businesses who are solving the many problems that face coastal cities as a result of climate change. Find more
✨ AWS Pathways Program — Due: Mar 17th
AWS Pathways is a program dedicated to supporting and accelerating the best emerging startups across Australia & NZ. 20 companies per cohort will be selected to each participate in a 3 month program focused on accelerating startup growth. Find more
🏗️ Proptech Awards 2021 — Due: Mar 19th
The first dedicated, national awards for Australia’s Proptech sector are here! The excitement is mounting and proptechs across Australia have submitted their entries for 21 prestigious awards. Is yours among them? If you have a pitch deck or product presentation, you’ll find it straightforward to answer the key questions that will put you in the running to win. Find more
🚀 Build your MVP with ulaunch.me — Due: Mar 22nd
Are you an early-stage founder struggling to get your MVP to market while preserving your precious cash reserves? Build your MVP with an award-winning software house and save cash with a SAFE note. We’re pleased to announce that our first pilot cohort at www.ulaunch.me is open. We have 3 spots available to help you to launch your MVP quicker for less upfront cash. Find more.
👼🏻 Healthtech or AI: Pitch to Horizon Angels in May — Due: Mar 24th
Are you a health tech startup or working with AI and data analytics and looking for mentoring and funding? Innovation Bay encourages you to apply to present to Horizon, our new and exclusive member group for dedicated Angel investors. This May, the focus is on health tech and AI data analytics. Find more
🍃 Founder Institute: Adelaide Virtual 2021 — Due: Mar 28th
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
💳 Fintech Australia Finnies 21 — Due: Mar 30th
The Fifth edition of Australia’s most prestigious fintech business awards is here! A total of 20 awards will be on offer including with several key awards returning. These include: FinTech Organisation of the Year, Outstanding FinTech Leader of the Year, Female FinTech Leader of the Year, Emerging FinTech Leader of the Year and Emerging FinTech Organisation of the Year. Find more
🌇 Perth Angels Call for Funding — Due: Apr 1st
Perth Angels is a network of private investors actively engaged in local emerging ventures, providing funding and mentorship. We typically look at investment propositions that require $100k to $500k for a 15% to 40% holding. Is your growing business looking for investors? Perth Angels is calling for applications! Find more
⚡ Pitch to EnergyLab’s Cleantech Round 10 — Due: Apr 28th
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
🚀 Antler Acceleration Program — Due: rolling basis until May
Antler is a global early-stage VC helping build the defining companies of tomorrow by investing in the most exceptional people in Australia. Antler identifies and invests in exceptional individuals and early-stage businesses with the potential to build global companies. Find more
💻 Melt Accelerator — Due: Jun 29th
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
👩 Atto Accelerator — Due: May
Founded in 2019, Atto is an entrepreneurship school of the future for female founders. Our launch program is Atto pre-accelerator program – an online course designed to help female founders create tech companies in an independent, scalable, and sustainable way. 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
Antler Launch Academy
Learn from our real startup generation playbook paired with a helpful community; brought to you by the world’s largest early-stage investment platform. 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
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
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.The Innovation Factory
Stone and Chalk
Stone & Chalk is an Impact Network catalysing commercial success for Founders in emerging tech sectors. We support startups & scaleups by providing structured programs and facilitating access to Customers, Capital, Talent, Expertise, Community and Insights. Find more
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
The Moonshine Lab
The Moonshine Lab is a tech startup co-founder that can help make your vision a reality. We don’t just give you a desk, or coach you. We climb into the trenches with you, and help plan, design, code, test, launch, and grow your business. 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
The Innovation Factory
The Innovation Factory is a creative and vibrant coworking space located in the beautiful, leafy, and artistic Halifax Street. If you are looking for a new coworking space to work from, and join a real community of hard-working entrepreneurs, get in touch.
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 that are positioned to use their products and services. Find more
📅 Key Events:
Adelaide Silicon Beach: Virtual Pitch Night. Mar 4th | 5:00-6:30 pm
This is a virtual pitch night conducted via Zoom. The Zoom link will be visible on this meetup page (under Online Event) when you RSVP. No matter where you are, join us on Zoom to empower the future founders of Silicon Beach! Find more
South Start: The Emergence. May 2020
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
👩 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:
Tweet: Management
As a final experiment, I’m sharing my favorite tweet of this past month:
Well done if you arrived at this point! Here is a question for you:
What would you like to see more and what is less relevant in the newsletter?
This is all for today! If you like this post, leave a comment or connect with me! To just say hi, publish your story, or event on this newsletter, please drop me a line. Finally, click subscribe below to receive this newsletter every week by email.
Keep building,
Rob Blum