Leading women in tech pitch to take their ideas global

Eleven of Australia’s top female tech founders are set to pitch their ideas to global industry leaders, partners and investors at next week’s Australian Women in Tech Pitch event.

The event — held in Brisbane — will see the women pitch their small businesses — including a medtech start-up that delivers virtual healthcare in remote locations and a company creating gamified solutions to motivate employees — to six judges over three minutes, with five minutes question time afterwards.

Other businesses being pitched include: an agtech start-up that uses cloud software to support work health and safety and auditing in the agribusiness sector, a HRtech start-up that uses AI to generate unbiased screening and hiring recommendations via behavioural-based interviews and a smart mobility start-up that helps drivers find available parking on their phones in real time.

Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham, said the level of innovation and creativity among this year’s pitchers is “truly inspirational”.

“I hope this year’s event encourages many more Australian women out there to pursue their ideas, and explore what the possibilities are,” Birmingham said.

The top prize includes a design thinking session, mentoring and tech prototype with IBM Garage Engagement, an Alibaba Cloud voucher and automatic entry into an Australian Landing Pad in Berlin, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore or Tel Aviv with introductions to potential customers and partners and access to local markets.

All pitchers will receive mentoring from Main Sequence Ventures and a complimentary ticket to the international women in technology conference — the Grace Hopper Celebration. The pitchers are:

• Ainslie Williams – Co-Founder and CEO, Qualie
• Annie Slattery – Co-Founder and CEO, ConX
• Barbara Hyman – CEO, Predictive Hire
• Elizabeth Zealand – Founder and CEO, Spot
• Gillian Alexis – Director and CEO, Phenix Health
• Jacqui Jones – Co-Founder and CEO, Way We Do
• Katy Landt – Co-Founder and CEO, Safe Ag Systems
• Kerstin Oberprieler – Co-Founder and Lead Gamification Designer, Pentaquest
• Lucinda Hartley  – Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Neighbourlytics
• Ruth Hatherley – Founder and CEO, Moneycatcha
• Suzy Watson – Co-Founder, CFO and COO, Practera
   

Image credit: © stock.adobe.com/au/metamorworks