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TUESDAY 23.OCT.2012 SYDNEY AUSTRALIA |
Tech23 star alumni
For young Australian startups, Tech23 is the ticket to transforming early-stage companies into international superstars. Since 2009, Tech23 has provided fertile ground for innovative Australian technologies to emerge, with an increasing range of Tech23 competitors developing into leading companies both in Australia and overseas.
Our Tech23 alumni have gone on to incredible achievements, whether that be securing multi-million dollar investments or achieving international renown for exciting new technologies, systems, applications and services.
With a combination of cash prizes, invaluable experience, guidance and exposure, Tech23 has propelled many up-and-coming companies into the global spotlight.
We are very proud to present Tech23's Star Alumni.
2011
Global data analytics crowdsourcer Kaggle has exploded into the international marketplace, last year raising $11 million in Series A financing led by Index Ventures and Khosla Ventures. Kaggle is currently on track towards 200,000 submissions, and earlier this year the company partnered with Facebook to recruit data scientists through the Facebook Recruiting Competition. Business Insider named Kaggle as one of the 20 most innovative starts up in tech, and the Daily Mirror asked: "is Kaggle the 'world's smartest company?'"
Tech23 2011 Catalyst Award winner, Stagebitz, which provides a props management system for showbiz, is in the final stages of due diligence to close a Series A round for approximately $1 million, from both angel and VC investors. Director of StageBitz, Catherine Prosser, said: "Our success at Tech23 last year, both the Catalyst Award and the ATP Innovations prize, have made a massive difference to our ability to attract investment as well as secure interest from overseas customers." StageBitz also received $30,000 from the ACT Business & Industry's Innovation Connect program last year.
goCatch's smartphone app technology, saw the company take home the Tech23 Innovation Excellence Award of $50,000. This year, goCatch won the top prize at Microsoft's BizSpark APAC Entrepreneur Summit and was also part of the NSW Government's showcase at CeBIT Australia 2012.
Another 2011 alumni, InterfereX, has recently received a grant from Commercialisation Australia. The company provides wireless networking planning services and was spun out of NICTA.
Cloud computing company OrionVM took home the Tech23 2011 Broadband Innovation Award, and this year was named as part of the NSW Government's 2012 Collaborative Solutions Project. OrionVM will provide a trial of cloud services to the Department of Trade and Investment, working towards a virtual infrastructure platform, and is supported by angel investors Gordon Bell and Ian Baxter.
Earlier in 2012, Bug-reporting tool Bugherd received a $500,000 investment from venture capital firm Starfish Ventures. Bugherd won the Tech23 2011 People's Choice for Best Presentation Award and AMP's Most Promising Emerging Tech Award.
2010
US Defence Force supplier Marathon Robotics was the winner of Tech23 2010's $50,000 Innovation Excellence Award, and in 2010 the company won a $57 million contract to trial robot technology with the United States Marine Corps and in 2010 Australian Defence granted the company Recognised Supplier status.
In August of this year biNu announced a $2 million funding round from Eric Schmidt's Tomorrow Ventures and private investors in both Australia and overseas, including Paul Bassat. biNu is a software platform that delivers cloud-based internet services to lower-end mobile devices. The Tech23 2010 alumni company now has 4 million active monthly users. biNu was also shortlisted for the 2012 GSMA Global Mobile Awards - Most Innovative App Category.
Cocoon Data provides Secure Objects Technology, a secure file transfer system for sensitive electronic data. The company has recently established a US-based new subsidiary, Covata USA, Inc, in order to provide Secure Objects to the US Government and other markets. Last year Cocoon's Australian Patent Application was granted by IP Australia.
Greatest Potential Award winner BuildingIQ provides energy management software for commercial buildings, based on CSIRO technology. Last year the company received $1.2 million from Commercialisation Australia. With a base in the US as well as Australia, the company this year announced an agreement with NV Energy to trial a new energy efficiency program for large commercial customers.
2009
IPscape was a Tech23 2009 company, and this year received almost $5 million from Telstra. The company is a global provider of contact centre applications and technology, and Telstra's Virtual Contact Centre solution is now powered by IPscape.
Posse won the People's Vote for Best Tech23 Company in 2009, and in 2011 Lars Rasmussen joined the company's advisory board. This year Posse closed a recent investment round and relaunched as a way for users to discover and share favourite stores and places online.
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