It’s safe to say this year’s been a doozy.
But, despite it being a tough one, some small businesses are refusing to just survive the year that was, bubbling with new and existing ideas to thrive in 2020 and beyond.
For 12 business owners and entrepreneurs, the St George Kick Start program aims to do just that, helping businesses kickstart and grow their big, bright ideas.
Following another successful year of applications, 12 incredible finalists have been selected and will pitch their ideas at TEDxSydney flagship event on Friday 6 November 2020.
Across the two categories of new and existing business ideas, the top two winners receive $40,000 each and the top two runner up winners receive $10,000 each, making for a total of $100k up for grabs.
So, who are the lucky applicants that scored a spot in the finals of the 2020 Kick Start program, and what’s the big idea we can expect to hear them pitching on the day?
Category 1. A NEW business idea – This included businesses that had either just launched or were about to launch a new business, based on a great idea.
- Hillridge Technology
Creating an online platform that connects farmers to insurance underwriters who can provide short-term coverage tailored to their farms, Hillridge Technology helps small to medium-sized businesses self-protect against weather risks that most affect their farming operation.
Read more about Hillridge Technology here.
- Zero Co
Developing a range of environmentally-friendly personal care products and reusable ‘sachets’, the company tackles the global plastic problem at both ends of the supply chain by removing the need for single use-plastics.
Read more about Zero Co here.
- Mastt
Mastt, a member of Microsoft’s prestigious ScaleUp program, provides an elegant, automated cloud system solution to this complex environment, shifting organisations from documents and spreadsheets into a real-time, data-driven environment.
Read more about Mastt here.
- Metasense
Tech company Metasense has made it it’s mission to help minimise the overexposure to UV radiation through a wearable device and analytics platform to facilitate tracking and implementing employee safety measures.
Read more about Metasense here.
- Diffuse Energy
JossKesby and co-founders of Diffuse Energy have developed a wind energy solution that can significantly reduce the operating costs of these towers, allowing more to be built where they are needed.
Read more about Diffuse Energy here.
- Lactamo
Lactamo is a lactation aid that aims to address the issues that most mothers experience when breast feeding -over/undersupply, pain, blocked milk ducts, engorgement, and infections.
Read more about Lactamo here.
Category 2. An idea to grow your EXISTING business – this category was for those businesses that had been running for at least 18 months and wanted to take their idea to the next level.
- Australian School of Entrepreneurship
Taj Pabari started ASE to tackle youth unemployment in Australia as traditional methods of solving youth unemployment such as wage subsidies, sponsored training and incentivising local businesses have not worked. ASE have taken another angle by partnering with government agencies, corporates and schools to deliver business literacy and entrepreneurship workshops to youth living in regional areas.
Read more about ASE here.
- Superfastdiet
Superfastdiet is an online platform specialising in intermittent fasting programs of clinically-proven weight loss methods. Using a holistic lifestyle approach, including wellbeing support through motivational mindset videos, nutritional recipes and community building, founders Genevieve Davidson and Victoria Black, have a passion to help others going through their own weight loss transformations.
Read more about Superfastdiet here.
- Batyr
Batyr is a ‘for purpose’ preventative mental health organisation, reaching out to schools and universities to smash the stigma. batyr2peer is a new digital program that connects young people hospitalised for mental ill-health, with others who have personally lived through the same experience.
Read more about Batyr here.
- Sustinent
Sustinent,an agricultural biotech company, have developed a scalable, clean and safe way to transform crop stalks, timber and garden waste into livestock feed, helping to solve the green waste issue generated by the global agricultural sector.
Read more about Sustinent here.
- Xceptional
Xceptional’s goal is to inspire employers to be more accepting of people with disabilities and focus on their strengths such as enhanced pattern recognition and attention to detail, which are skills sought after in roles such as cybersecurity specialists and software engineers.
Read more about Xceptional here.
- BeauTex Designs
BeauTex Designs’ mission is to support a new way of manufacturing that improves on current practices, socially and environmentally, achieving waste-to-work-wear solution for industries such as health, mining, and construction.
Read more about BeauTex Designs here.
You can join the action at the TEDxSydney flagship event on 6 November to listen to the pitches and find out who the winners are. For more information, visit stgeorge.com.au/business/kickstart
