Australia’s first sharing economy accelerator, The Sharing Hub, was recently opened by government official Matt Kean, Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, to drive this rapidly growing sector to boost jobs across Australia.
The hub, which is based in Pyrmont, NSW, is a vibrant community of Australia’s leading sharing economy startups housed under one roof, which will be working with government and policy makers to share key insights about the industry, which is helping to make Sydney a hotspot for innovation in the sector.
The Sharing Hub kicks off with over 28 young and established startups, by offering each access to education, mentorship and investment opportunities, as well as provide a space for them to collaborate and share advice and experiences.
“We are already working with some of Australia’s most innovative P2P platforms and rolling out a series of events to teach how the gig economy can help business and consumers utilise idle assets and services. Our efforts also include working with the University of Sydney to teach budding entrepreneurs the fundamentals of this sector, alongside creating a graduate program to help create world class talent,” said Mike Rosenbaum, co founder, The Sharing Hub.
Rise of the sharing economy
The first event was the official launch which was attended by some of Australia’s most influential figures including people in government, top investors, Australia’s startup community and micro entrepreneurs who have built mini empires using multiple sharing economy platforms.
“Last night was a fantastic acknowledgement of The Sharing Hub being enforced as an authority in Australia. Minister Matt Kean used it as a platform to reveal new research from Deloitte’s new sharing economy report for NSW showing that collaborative consumption is flourishing in Australia and here to stay,” Steve Orenstein, co founder The Sharing Hub commented.
Matt Kean, Minster for Innovation and Better Regulation also commented: “Research shows the sharing economy is booming in NSW, with revenue generated by key players growing 68 per cent in 12 months from $1.6 billion to $2.6 billion. Ensuring organisations like The Sharing Hub thrive is an essential part of this Government’s strategy to continue to boost the sharing economy.”
What is The Sharing Hub out to achieve?
The Sharing Hub is founded by four of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs in the sharing economy including Will Davies, the CEO and co founder of Car Next Door; Steve Orenstein, CEO and founder of Zoom2U; Alexis Soulopoulos, CEO and co founder of Mad Paws and Mike Rosenbaum, CEO and co founder of Spacer.com.au.
“The sharing economy is still in its infancy, and there are endless potential to enable P2P exchanges through technology. This new and alternative socio-economic system embeds sharing, community, collaboration and trust at its heart, which is why The Sharing Hub has been launched to help companies succeed in this space and help consumers make a second income,” comments Alexis Soulopoulos, co founder The Sharing Hub.
The Sharing Hub will be helping to drive the sharing economy in Australia by showing its value financially alongside other value exchanges to the environment and community. The Hub’s vision is to grow collaborative consumption in Australia by 20X by 2025. Over the past year alone, the number of people earning an income through sharing economy platforms in NSW has doubled from 45,000 to 92,000 people.
