Christopher Mote
Latest Posts
The New Kokoda Track campaign: delivering solar energy to PNG villages
No Roads Expeditions, a Melbourne travel company, announced that it has brought 250 solar-powered LED lights to the village of Kagi, which lies along the Papua New Guinea track. The company agreed to provide the lights in coordination with the Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF), whose Light Up the Track initiative has provided over 3,000 solar lights to 30 PNG villages.
PushStart’s first ever Accelerator Program includes apps for social gatherings, surfers, and more
The 13-week program is run by PushStart, the tech startup community group, and will conclude in June. Its first intake of entrepreneurs includes everything from enterprise social media support tools, social life planning apps, blogs for new parents and, a site to help surfers swap their boards.
The Ultimate Product Placement: 321 Water makes the leap from SMART 100 to…The Hunger Games?!
Sure enough, audiences flocking to see the futuristic teen blockbuster, which has been raking in revenues right and left, were able to verify a cameo appearance by the water container in the sleek, hyper-sanitary control room scenes of the film. 321 Water founder Gretha Oost, who has not yet seen the film, said she was “blown away” when she heard about the sighting.
Smart Capital Magazine showcases 15 Australian SMEs courting investors [FREE DOWNLOAD]
A video-streaming site that’s challenging Facebook’s reign. An all-in-one hotel app for busy travellers. And a polymer technology that has winos raving. All of these products have two things in common: a) they’re Australian; b) they’re from unlisted companies represented by the Australian Small-Scale Offerings Board (ASSOB) and seeking equity capital from investors. OK, we fibbed: the third thing is that c) they are all featured in this month’s edition of ASSOB’s Smart Capital Magazine.
A young entrepreneur mad about diamonds, with a hybrid model that’s a cut above the rest
Sabrina Kushnir, the 25-year-old founder of Kush Diamonds, has jewellry in her genes. However, it’s her hybrid business model that puts a new twist on her vaunted pedigree. Kushnir uses a balance of online, retail and wholesale business practices to reach customers and retailers. Her mission: hand-crafted gems, an intimate boutique atmosphere, and affordable wholesale prices.
“Charity finder” connects Australian not-for-profits online
Unlike other developed countries, Australia has had no comprehensive online directory to allow donors, legislators and not-for-profits to network and establish connections with each other. Connecting Up, itself a not-for-profit based in Adelaide, has announced its remedy to fill this void with the release of its directory listing of 60,000 Australian charities and NFPs.
Calling all Angels! AAAI wants to know what made you tick in 2011.
AAAI is asking angel investors, individuals and groups who provide capital to start-ups to complete the National Angel Survey before next Monday, 16 January. The results from the survey will be revealed at the upcoming National Angels Conference in Melbourne on 29 February.
Most Australians are “creative.” At least, according to LinkedIn.
“Creative” topped LinkedIn’s list of the most overused buzzwords of 2011, as revealed through a study of members’ profiles on the global networking site. “Extensive experience,” last year’s number-one phrase, was the runner-up this year, with “effective”, “track record” and “motivated” claiming spots three through five.
A new “Instant Deals” platform in Sydney wants to make group buying obsolete. Can it succeed?
A location-aware platform, Spreedle will allow businesses to target buyers in their vicinity and set their own schedules for posting digital vouchers, deciding for how long and for how many customers the deal is valid. Can this Sydney start-up make a splash in the Groupon market?
“Midwife app” offers child care guidance for sleepless parents
Developed by Cathryn Curtin, the aptly named Midwife Cath gives parents advice on an array of infant care topics such as breastfeeding, bathing, mastitis, reflux and skin condition. While the app is itself no substitute for changing nappies, says Curtin, “At 2am when you’re holding a screaming baby, a one-click app is a lot easier to use than Google.”









