Home ANTBITES (Media Releases) Talent Unleashed has unleashed Australia’s top game-changing tech entrepreneurs

Talent Unleashed has unleashed Australia’s top game-changing tech entrepreneurs

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Talent has announced the APAC category finalists for the 2016 Talent Unleashed Awards. Talent Unleashed celebrates the best and boldest in technological innovation – across start-ups, SMEs, technology leaders and challenger companies – from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the UK.

The brainchild of global IT recruitment agency Talent International, the Awards recognise disruptive entrepreneurs who utilise innovative technology solutions to truly make an impact in their field.

“Every year the quality of the entries which we receive for the Talent Unleashed Awards consistently exceeds our expectations. The 2016 judging panel has been blown away by the quality of this year’s entries which are a testament to the entrepreneurial flair in the APAC region,” said Richard Earl, Executive Chairman and Founder of Talent.

The finalists have been selected by a world-class international judging panel, including Steve Wozniak, Sir Richard Branson, Jane Tewson (Founder and Managing Director, Igniting Change), Cliff Rosenberg (LinkedIn), Jade Zhang (Founder and Managing Director, Okmno Asia), Dan Radcliffe (International Volunteer HQ), Patrick Grove (Captcha Group), and Yat Siu (Outblaze).

The APAC finalists have been recognised as the boldest in technological innovation and are from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. The high quality and number of Australian finalists in the prestigious competition is a testament to the strong innovation and entrepreneur talent which is growing in the country.

Australian finalists include:

• Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Training Company has been nominated for Best Digital SME – Tech Innovation for its use of digital platforms and social media, with workout and nutrition content available to over 12 million fans on social media via streamlined iOS, online and Android app platforms

• Kayla will compete against Prendi, which creates state-of-the-art digital experiences in the physical environment, using innovative and engaging solutions such as augmented reality, projection mapping and interactive displays to draw consumers into a brand experience

• Fast-rising brand advocacy company Tribe has been nominated for Best Start Up – Tech Innovation for its cutting-edge approach to connecting brands and influencers, creating powerful and highly-targeted digital campaigns that are closely aligned with the interests and passions of brand audiences

• Tribe will compete against Clevertar, a highly innovative health IT company introducing clever avatars to digital health care systems, encouraging patients with chronic health conditions to engage with and adhere to their healthcare plans as prescribed, which is the single most crucial factor in preventing avoidable hospitalisation

• Two high-profile Australian CIOs will compete for the title of Most Disruptive CIO, with Deakin University and the National Blood Authority set to face off over the award. Deakin University CIO William D. Confalonieri nominated for his role in transforming Deakin’s information technology services and creating individual experiences, while National Blood Authority’s CIO Peter O’Halloran has been nominated for his important work in driving the Authority’s IT systems to new heights, playing a critical role in reducing demand for red blood cells by 20 per cent over the last four years

• The award for Best Tech IPO/Venture Capital Raising is dominated by Australian contenders, with BlueDot (a digital provider leading the pack with next-gen mobile location services that are 20x more accurate than current providers), ResApp (a pioneering healthcare company creating smartphone apps to diagnose and manage respiratory disease) and Oneflare (an expert connections platform allowing users to quickly identify the business they need out of 80,000 registered businesses)

The APAC finals event will be held in Melbourne on the 21st of July and the winners at the APAC Finals will go on to complete in the Global Grand Finals in Sydney on 18 August, headlined by iconic Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Wozniak.

The global grand prize winner of each category will take away the ultimate prize – a one-on-one conversation with Steve Wozniak, and the trip of a lifetime to a cutting-edge technology conference and a bespoke tour of some of Silicon Valley’s leading tech companies.