StartCon start-ups supported by NSW Govt

Eleven start-ups supported by the NSW Government have featured at StartCon 2017.

The government has supported development of some of the state’s brightest start-ups, which have pitched their ideas to a range of the investment community’s most influential people.

“It’s fantastic to see 11 start-ups supported by the NSW Government-backed Jobs for NSW taking part in Australia’s largest pitching competition,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business John Barilaro.

These companies include Scalamed, which is developing a global digital prescription system based on blockchain technology, Sonder Design which has created the world’s first E Ink keyboard, and Pacific Collective, of Coffs Harbour, which is turning plastic waste into income for coastal communities.

“Other companies include MySail, Mosaic Money, Advanced Catering, RagTagd, PASCAL, Checkbox, Forcite and Clinivid with a range of technologies,” said Barilaro.

“We hope to build on the success of last year’s pitch competition which saw Jobs for NSW-supported companies Uprise and Wipehero win the Best Start-up for Social Good and the Best Student Run Start-up Awards respectively.

“Last year 85 start-up founders presented to seasoned investors including the Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter, and this year there will be more than 18 experts and investors judging and mentoring the pitches.”

Barilaro said Jobs for NSW is assisting start-up companies with grants to prove their products and business models and to accelerate their market adoption, as well as loans and loan guarantees to help fast-growing SMEs access growth finance.

“Jobs for NSW is the government partner of the StartCon conference and is committed to further support growth opportunities for our state’s thriving start-up sector, on top of its $35 million investment in the Sydney Start-up Hub,” he said.

“Over the past six years, high-growth SMEs that make up just 6% of NSW firms have created over 1 million new jobs. StartCon will shine a light on Sydney by attracting some of the world’s biggest technology names among 4000 attendees, 350 investors and 60 speakers, while promoting our best start-up talent to a wide international audience.”

Image caption: Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business John Barilaro.

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