The Andrews Labor Government has announced a $4.9 million boost for Victoria’s booming startup sector with Round 2 funding from LaunchVic – the state’s $60 million startup initiative.
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis joined LaunchVic Chair Ahmed Fahour and CEO Dr Kate Cornick today to announce seven projects that will help support Victoria’s best entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses.
The Round 2 projects include initiatives that will increase the scale, accessibility and diversity of Victoria’s startup sector across a number of industries including health, education and technology.
Startups in Victoria’s regions are also big winners this round, with globally recognised Australian outfits Startmate and Girl Geek Academy running regional roadshows and bootcamps across regional cities including Geelong, Shepparton, Albury/Wodonga, Ballarat, the Latrobe Valley, Bendigo, Warrnambool and Warragul.
All grants in this funding round are matched with cash and in-kind investments that will result in a total investment of $11.6 million for Victoria’s startup sector. More information on the grant recipients can be found at .
Today’s announcement focuses on Round 2 recipients that are each receiving up to $1 million in funding. LaunchVic will unveil larger projects that will receive more than $1 million in the coming weeks.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis
"The calibre of programs funded through LaunchVic is a great example of why Victoria is fast becoming the location of choice for startups and tech business investment across the Asia Pacific."
“These are the programs that will help young companies and ideas develop to create jobs and industries that will support our state for decades to come.”
Quotes attributable to LaunchVic CEO Kate Cornick
“LaunchVic is supporting new opportunities to boost Victoria’s reputation as a global destination for startups. We are excited to unveil even more ground-breaking projects in the coming weeks, which will highlight the growing international attention that Victoria is the place to be to grow future business.”
“LaunchVic works together with the entrepreneurial sector to drive solutions that will transition startups to future businesses. We will invest and partner in ideas, expertise and infrastructure to grow Victoria’s thriving startup ecosystem.”
Full list of LaunchVic Round 2 grant recipients (less than $1 million):
- Startmate will run an exclusive two-year Victorian program to accelerate 16 startups including 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 startups in Victoria.
- Seeva will develop an innovation hub and incubator that supports startups 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 startup ecosystem and the state’s southern regions.
- Education Changemakers will facilitate education startup clusters through its Edupreneurs program, a three-day event and regional road show.
Reviewed 19 August 2020