The Curtin Accelerate program drew to a close this week, and the attendees got to strut their stuff yesterday and show what they’ve been working on.
The program is cohort-based, facilitated by the excellent Matt Macfarlane, and provides $5K in funding (with no equity claim) and 10-week structured mentoring program.
The class of 2016, in the order they pitched, was:
Jennifer Vos, Fit-Out
FIT-OUT is a tool for designers that integrates workflow when co-ordinating a furniture fit-out. It does this by connecting information and people and operating on a mobile device, allowing a focus on design whilst saving time.
“The Curtin Accelerate program has opened up a new world of opportunity and has propelled Fit-Out from an idea to the beginnings of what looks like a business. The website www.fitoutlab.com has been created, market research has been undertaken and a MVP is in the pipeline. Also worth mentioning is the exposure generated from Accelerate in leading to some great networking opportunities. Matthew Macfarlane has been a wealth of knowledge – encouraging us to think outside the box when exploring different business strategies.”
Haweya Ismail, Mud & Musk
MUD & MUSK is an online concept store that offers high quality, naturally derived D.I.Y face mask kits and single ingredient products. Customers will be able to purchase ready-made kits, or choose from a selection of premium ingredients and tools to create their own customised recipe
“We are now at the last couple of weeks of the program and I have been able to develop and test the first products on the potential market. I have also begun to develop the website www.mudandmusk.com and become active on social media channels. MUD & MUSK has achieved significant progress under the guidance of Matthew Macfarlane, as well as the many mentors and experts we had the privilege of learning from throughout the program. Overall, it has been an invaluable experience which has personally given me greater confidence in taking the business to the next level.”
Vanessa Rauland and Sam Hall, Rate My Space
RATE MY SPACE helps companies understand how the physical workplace impacts staff and provides solutions to improve health, wellbeing and productivity.
“Participating in the Accelerate program has been extremely helpful in enabling us to really define our target market and hone in on their pain points to ensure we are developing a product that addresses their needs.”
Ryan Beckmand, Sciosity
SCIOSITY develops customised virtual reality training simulations for the academic sector and high-risk industries, as well as provides an analytics platform to understand the minds and behaviour of people undergoing learning and assessment in more depth than ever before.
“Being a part of the Accelerate program has helped connect me to some of Perth’s most prominent, experienced and knowledgeable figures in the start-up community that share a passion for helping accelerate the growth of start-ups like Sciosity. This comes at a perfect time when our business model is undergoing a dynamic expansion, so to have the expertise of figures like Matt Macfarlane and all the other mentors is extremely valuable in guiding Sciosity’s strategies going forward.”
Kevin Forcier, Storekat
Like Airbn
b for self-storage, Storekat aspires to be the world’s most trusted and easy to use exchange platform for listing and making money from self-storage options, and for seeking and using self-storage. Make money or save money. Find. Store. Save… https://storekat.com/#/
“Storekat is excited to have some early traction in Australia and are heading to the USA (on invitation) to display our capabilities in April, thanks to the Accelerate grant money and the great mentoring program provided by our team leaders. The network of individuals that have shared their time and knowledge, and the way they have provided this knowledge, has had a profound effect.
Accelerate reinforced to us that the Perth start-up scene is already great. While we have a great journey ahead of us, we have better skills and knowledge and are certainly more resilient in our focus. Thanks to Accelerate, we are expanding globally and seeking investment to help us with our goal to be the best and biggest platform for self-storage. Furthermore, I personally have also had the great pleasure of sharing this experience with bright and entrepreneurial individuals with exciting ideas and who represent a great cross section of industries. Accelerate has left us better than it found us, and we owe a debt for that.”
