Smart 100 2010

AutoCarLog was created as a result of a challenge, a challenge to build a successful technology startup in just seven days and for less than $500. It was born from the need to modernise paperback vehicle mileage logbooks with a convenient, fast, environmentally friendly and tech based approach.

Dr. Peter Cooper and Dr. Nikolai Petrovsky met at a social function in Canberra and realised that they shared a common interest in research into improved vaccines. From this initial research collaboration, Advax, a novel plant-sugar-based ingredient that enhances vaccine action, was born. Advax is now a leading ingredient in vaccines being developed in Australia, the US and Japan against pandemic influenza, HIV, malaria and a range of other infectious diseases.

We saw the need for Business to be able to access simple, clear web strategy consulting + planning, and thence order 'best of breed' related site/s and systems, for a low cost (less than half that of traditional processes), get it fast, and then access ongoing support and an ever expanding library of member's only 'how-to' content on Web Marketing (and anything that touches it), along with the usual 'how to use the system' type stuff and direct support. This is the advanced (revised) version of something I've been working on (albeit slowly) for 3.5 years.

Papyrus Australia founder Ramy Azer previously sold traditional papyrus in Europe and realised the demand for this environmentally-friendly paper was greater than supply. After completing a Mechanical Engineering degree in SA, Azer investigated alternative fibre resources readily available in Australia and various manufacturing processes. Following a detailed research and selection process, banana trunks were identified as an ideal choice. Papyrus’ pilot plant was established in Lonsdale, South Australia in April 2007. In February 2008, Papyrus established its first commercial manufacturing facility at Walkamin in Far North Queensland. In November 2009, Papyrus successfully began continuous production of its banana fibre products.

We were designing the mozo.com.au website. We realised that many people who shop around for loans and credit cards already have one. While other parts of the site provided a wealth of information about available products, we also wanted an interactive tool that started with the user’s existing product and picked out those products that would save them money. And once we started to develop Health Check we realised how impossibly difficult (and time consuming) this would be for the average person to do by themselves.

I accepted a consulting assignment to help an ASX 100 organisation improve the way its staff sourced and selected external service providers. I was astounded at the difficulty and inefficiency staff faced in simply trying to work out which Service Providers in the market had the ideas, experience, capability and availability they needed. It went beyond business managers being frustrated at wasting time. The organization was at significant commercial risk from poor process and selection. Ironically, service providers were still struggling to find good clients. It didn’t make sense. When I realized this was common across industries, the penny dropped.

We received feedback from a number of our clients who are currently using Expect A Star's Child Care component of the Corporate Family Program. The clients relayed that the current offering is great for their staff caring for young children, but what about the older demographic who may be caring for an elderly loved one? In response to this feedback we developed a comprehensive Aged Care offering leveraging off the existing infrastructure of the Child care offering, but extending the reach of the innovation to an entirely new audience. So far the response to the program has been overwhelming.

We wanted to help small businesses that couldn't afford our PR fees to generate publicity themselves.

The inventor, Henk Van Harselaar, is Dutch born, came to Australia at 18 and has been a trainee pastry chef, car salesman, property developer in Hervey Bay and a pilot. The Aurora System had its genesis, in the great Australian tradition, under Henk's house and on his kitchen table. Henk is an incorrigable tinkerer and has invented a few other things along the way. The spark for the germ of the idea occurred in Henk's mind 20 years ago when he saw pictures of 15th-century windmills and initial prototypes looked very very different.

We developed this solution around Wincor Nixdorf's solution, however the EPA of South Australia requires that these machines pay end users cash at collection point. These Reverse Vending Machines will be used thru out the state of South Australia as a start. Recyclates are captured in a clean fashion and all empty plastics, cans, and bottles are recycled. Hence, a cleaner environment for people using this technology. The modern day "cash for cans".

This innovation initially came to life when, in 1992, I picked up my daughter's helmet. I pressed my thumb into the foam liner of the helmet and I realised I couldn’t leave an impression in the foam. The foam liner was as hard as a brick. This incident reminded me of what I had learned as a researcher of helmets during the 1980s, that the foam liners in helmets were too hard and stiff and didn’t effectively absorb an impact force. It was in 1993 I thought of embedding low-density cones within the thickness of the hard foam liner.

Having worked on insurance claims as a carpenter, Brian Siemsen identified the need for a better way for insurers to conduct repairs. He was surprised at the attitude of tradespeople who would charge anything because it was an insurance job. He had heard of minor jobs taking as long as 180 days to complete. He believed these attitudes had developed due to the limited ability of insurers to monitor and quality control the repair work. So he set out to develop IntelBuild –- an online system that gives insurers the power to monitor each job, regardless of where it is.

Following the 1998 major hail storm in Sydney (during which our car was extensively damaged), my wife and I were in Narooma one weekend. We heard that a severe storm was approaching the South Coast, and that it may contain hail. Having found that there was no undercover parking available in Narooma on a Saturday afternoon, I tried to find cardboard boxes to protect our car. Luckily it only rained, but it then became obvious to me that a portable shelter would have been ideal. Thus in 2003, Steve Anderson and I started on our project.

The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during ...

The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during ...

I realized that plants possess a powerful intelligence which they use to manipulate soil microbiology in order to feed and medicate themselves.

Invoiceplace was born from the frustration of staying up late to create and send invoices. It was too much of a hassle and was something that ended up being put off, which is potentially disastrous for the cashflow of any business. This grew into a mission to provide a robust and professional online quoting and invoicing service, without being complex and intimidating. Invoiceplace is now used worldwide to help small business do what they do best and grow their business.

Researchers at the ANU collaborated with Volvo in Sweden to explore advanced driver safety systems based on monitoring the driver (instead of monitoring the vehicle or environment). Using a video camera and video image analysis the team learnt to accurately track and monitor the driver's face and facial features. That technology allows the driver's eyes to be monitored (open or closed?) and to track the direction the driver is facing (looking at the road or not?). Crucial innovations along the way include coping with eyeglasses, sunglasses, working night and day, and being fully automatic and remaining off-body/non-contact.

I conducted research into human organ donation, procurement and transplantation in Australia. The research identified the archaic methods used in organ preservation in transit and also identified the heart as the most time-critical organ in the transplantation process.

One of my clients asked me how she could accurately identify creative performers in recruitment for her organisation. I told her I would try and find her a tool, and found out nothing existed - so we set about creating one.