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DataStart applications will be closing this Friday to get candidates ready for their incubator program, which will kick off this January. The program will give Aussie startups the chance to create their dream company. Innovation is our government’s main agenda and through incubator programs startups will have the opportunity to fuel our countries ideas boom.
The successful startups will be picked from applications Australia wide and seek startup founders and teams that have strong concept ideas and sustainable business designs. Chosen candidates will enter a nine month incubation with Pollenizer, Australia’s oldest incubator program and co-working spaces for startups and entrepreneurs.
“Entrepreneurship is a new craft which fuels the economy. It empowers people to create new businesses faster and larger than ever before. These businesses solve real problems for people all over the world,” said cofounder of Pollenizer Phil Morle.
Since 2008, Pollenizer has helped entrepreneurs, freelancers and creatives to connect, learn and prosper. Their 2016 incubator program will choose 20 finalists to compete in a five day workshop and with their final ideas to be presented in front of a panel of world class investors and government leaders.
The winner of DataStart will be provided with access to private investment, networks, platforms, technical support and coaching to transform their ideas into real businesses.
Morle believes that startups learn through fast failures, which helps a companies to build momentum and grow from mistakes. The idea that failure and risk are the driving forces behind innovation has finally been recognised by the government. This week Malcolm Turnbull announced his Innovation Statement and with that a proposal to relax bankruptcy laws to incentivise startups to take those risks and be competitive on a global scale.
“We will ensure that all Australians understand that their government recognises the opportunities of the future and is putting in place the policies and the plans to enable them to take advantage of it,” said Turnbull.
The incubation program will give startups $200,000 in seed capital from Right Click Capital and Pollenizer, along with access to over 7,500 data resource sets and coding support from Data61 and RoZetta. Pollenizer Ventures is backed by a global network of some of Australia's best known tech entrepreneurs, who have a key focus in early stage investment opportunities, which will give the winner of Data Day the edge to expand their business around the world.
Everyone who applies for the program will receive free access to the Pollenizer 60-day Startup online training program, workshops with IP Australia to help build their business, introductions to state and local programs that support open data startups and priority invitations to apply to future DataStart incubator intakes.
DataStart is being sponsored by Google, Optus and PwC, with support provided by RoZetta, Data61, CSIRO and the Australian Information Industry Association. Morle urges solo founders and teams with new and existing ideas to realise their potential and build their business with full-time dedication.
Image: Phil Morle. Source: Supplied
