Start-ups invited to pitch for $1m at StartCon

Start-ups that wish to pitch for a $1 million investment from venture capital firm Right Click Capital at StartCon 2018 have until 23 November.

Sponsored by the NSW Government-backed Jobs for NSW, StartCon 2018 will attract the best start-ups from the Asia–Pacific region to pitch business ideas at the largest start-up event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business John Barilaro said the NSW Government was backing StartCon 2018 as part of its efforts to strengthen Sydney’s place as Australia’s start-up capital.

“StartCon will allow founders and teams to tap into a wealth of knowledge and expertise across the entire start-up ecosystem so that start-ups can bring their ideas to life and continue to stimulate our thriving economy,” Barilaro said.

“As a government we want to do everything we can to create the right environment for people to have the confidence to launch a start-up and give them the support they need to give it the best chance of success, with key events like this helping cement our place as the start-up capital.

“It’s not up to governments to come up with great new business ideas but it is our job to do everything we can to ensure the people with those great ideas can bring them to fruition.”

StartCon 2018 will be held at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse from 30 November to 1 December.

The pitching competition will see the best start-ups from a range of regional finals — including a Sydney Regional Final to be held on the first day of StartCon and a Regional NSW final to be held in Bathurst on 23 November — progress to compete in a grand final.

Regulatory technology start-up Checkbox won StartCon 2017’s pitching competition last year for its artificial intelligence platform that enables the digital transformation of regulation. Previously Checkbox was a recipient of a $25,000 Jobs for NSW Minimum Viable Product (MVP) grant, and recently it secured $1.7 million in angel investment.

“Thanks to the incredible support of partners like the NSW Government’s Jobs for NSW, StartCon 2018 is set to be the largest initiative of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere with the main event in Sydney to feature over 65 speakers, 150 exhibitors, thousands of attendees and the grand finals for the Pitch for $1 Million pitch competition, featuring some of the most promising young start-ups across the Asia–Pacific region,” said StartCon CEO Cheryl Mack.

Image caption: StartCon CEO Cheryl Mack.

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