The Amcom Upstart Accelerator held their demo day last night at Spacecubed, where each of the startups in the program got to present their businesses.
Amcom Upstart is the first “true” startup accelerator in Perth, so this is the first cohort of accelerated startups we’ve seen here.
The program started back in February, when over 70 teams applied for positions in the program. Eight of these applicants were selected for places.
Each participant received $40K in funding, and three months of intensive mentoring from a range of experienced mentors who helped the participants with everything from technology, marketing, business structure, strategy and finance.
The list of presenters was:
TeamAhoy – a tool to help manage distributed teams
Offpeak Games – with their Valiant VR game
HomeCamp – a marketplace for campsites on private land
Snaptch – on online portfolio app for models
Hydralert – Industrial Hydration Management system
GeoMoby – geolocation tools for business
RestAlert – Fatigue Management for drivers (Felicity has written a few articles here about her progress through the accelerator… here, here, here and here)
Australian Geotomography (renaming to GroundSight) – ultrasound for the ground, providing pictures of what lies beneath
Each presenter gave a 10-minute pitch on their startup, progress they’d made, and what they were looking for in the future. The audience got to ask one or two questions of each presenter, and the evening wrapped up in the pub.
Our impression: these are all strong ideas, most of whom are already getting traction. As a first batch of results from the program they really showcase how the accelerator program is a great boost to the startups. Each of the founders we spoke to were incredibly positive about the program and its impact, both because of the funding and the mentoring.
Rob Nathan, who started and managed the program, said he was proud of the program and the founders, but has learned a few things doing this one. He says next year’s course will be better, with more structure and more oversight.
You can find out more about the program at their website: http://www.amcomupstart.com.au/
