Twenty-five of the Hunter region’s most exciting Startups made the journey to Sydney on the Startup Xpress to launch their innovative ideas on the world. 

Starting in Newcastle and making stops in Lake Macquarie and on the Central Coast, the Startup Xpress travelled the ‘innovation corridor’ arriving in Sydney at Parliament House where it was welcomed by the Minister for Trade and Industry Minister, the Honourable Niall Mark Blair, MLC and the Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter and Central Coast, The Honorable Scot MacDonald MLC.

The startups’ founders then arrived at CeBIT - Australia’s largest and longest running technology and startup exhibition and convention - to display their innovations on the exhibition floor. This event sees tens of thousands of visitors through the doors each year.

That evening the five top startups – AnditiRapid PhenotypingCrave New MediaSwitchDin and Smart Corridor pitched at an event hosted by EY to a room full of venture capitalists and the cream of the Sydney innovation community.

All of the Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Central Coast startups, from industries including med-tech, media and education technology, spent the two remaining days of CeBIT spruiking their wares to the Sydney tech and startup community, with exciting results.

Many of these startups have serious traction for their products and services and are looking to continue their commercialisation or globalisation process.

Jess Knocz, Founder of Crave App, coined the tinder for food app was invited by our MC Kathryn Sforcina (Founder of In Her Pursuit) to pitch live on Sky News. Watch here!

The Business Centre has curated these events in collaboration with others in the ecosystem

CEO of the Business Centre, Pierre Malou, says this is an outstanding opportunity for Hunter region startups to take their innovations to the world.

“The Startup Xpress, our Newcastle To The World Pitch Night and the time on our stand at CeBIT have all been planned, in collaboration with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, so that we can share the extraordinary talent that lies with our region.  

“The Business Centre has curated these events in collaboration with others in the Newcastle, Hunter and Central Coast ecosystem including Eighteen04Three76 Hub, Nexus Smart Hub and more as we build our innovation culture to rival that of any other region.

“All of these events are designed to showcase the amazing regional talent we know exists and to ensure that these startups are given what they need to continue on their journey of commercialisation and globalisation.

“This programme is in its inaugural year and is already garnering great interest from many sectors which is brilliant news for the ecosystem.”

Want to be involved in our local innovation ecosystem? Contact us and speak to our Senior Business Advisor - Gordon Whitehead