Home ANTBITES (Media Releases) Indigenous startups finally get a national platform to showcase their successes –...

Indigenous startups finally get a national platform to showcase their successes – thanks to LaunchVic

0

Following the completion of the Barayamal Accelerator program, five Indigenous entrepreneurs will present their businesses at an investor pitch or “demo day” event on the 25 October at the Victorian Innovation Hub in Melbourne, the Barayamal Demo Day & Awards.

This national event will bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to showcase some of the best Indigenous entrepreneurs in Australia and show the world that Indigenous entrepreneurs exist (like black swans) and they can also build successful businesses.

Five innovative Indigenous business was selected for the Barayamal Accelerator, which provided free co-working space at the Victorian Innovation Hub, mentoring and training from industry experts, along with financial support the growth of their companies.

The Indigenous entrepreneurs have grown their businesses and will now showcase their successes at the culminating demo pitch night, which is now open to the general public to register to attend with over 100 attendees – investors, professionals, community and government representatives expected to attend the event (currently have 170 registrations).

What do participants have to gain from Barayamal?

Success Milestones (examples) from one of the participants, Binary Security:

  • Learned the importance of embedding Indigenous culture into their business.
  • Started engaging with second national enterprise customer for Cyber consulting services.
  • Deployed first proof of concept (POC) for digital product into enterprise customer of 1,100 users.
  • Received enquiries for partnerships in Fiji, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, The Philippines.
  • Opened a new office.

“I feel that indigenous business in Australia is set to explode onto the world stage and being part of it is both incredibly exciting and humbling.” – Stewart Stacey, Director at Binary Security.

CEO of Barayamal, Mr Dean Foley, said an accelerator typically helps startups to gain access to business networks, knowledge, expertise and early-stage funding they need to build successful businesses.

Mr Foley said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs can make a valuable contribution to this momentum towards innovation if they build and grow companies with a global impact.

“The Barayamal Accelerator wants to help Indigenous entrepreneurs achieve just that,” Mr Foley said.

‘LaunchVic is thrilled to be supporting indigenous entrepreneurs through the Barayamal Accelerator Program.  We wish the five startups who participated in the inaugural cohort the all very best at their upcoming Demo Day and are looking forward to watching them succeed, as we follow their startup journeys.’ – Kate Dornick, CEO at LaunchVic.