Victorian start-ups receive funding boost

An additional $4.9 million will be provided by LaunchVic for the Victorian start-up sector.

The state government has opened the second round of funding for the $60 million start-up initiative.

Round two projects include initiatives that will increase the scale, accessibility and diversity of Victoria’s start-up sector across a number of industries, including health, education and technology.

Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis, LaunchVic Chair Ahmed Fahour and CEO Dr Kate Cornick have announced seven projects that will help support Victoria’s best entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses.

“The calibre of programs funded through LaunchVic is a great example of why Victoria is fast becoming the location of choice for start-ups and tech business investment across the Asia–Pacific,” said Dalidakis.

Round two grant recipients include:

• Startmate, which will run an exclusive two-year Victorian program to accelerate 16 start-ups. This includes an annual regional tour to connect entrepreneurs with its leading Australian network.
• Girl Geek Academy will present #SheHacks Victoria — the first state-wide hackathon exclusively for girls.
• ACMI will extend its co-working space, ACMI X, into a creative tech laboratory.
• Life will run a range of collaborative industry programs and internships to attract and retain international student graduate start-ups in Victoria.
• Seeva will develop an innovation hub and incubator that supports start-ups and entrepreneurs to drive change within the disability and health sectors.
• Frankston Foundry will grow a regional innovation hub that will provide a conduit between Melbourne’s start-up ecosystem and the state’s southern regions.
• Education Changemakers will facilitate education start-up clusters through its Edupreneurs program, a three-day event and regional road show.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/4Max

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