CeBIT assists the acceleration of start-ups

Overseas investment in the Australian start-up industry reached US$555 million in 2017.

NSW, the host state of CeBIT Australia, produces 44% of the nation’s start-ups, and the recently opened Sydney Startup Hub in Sydney’s CBD has been a landmark $35 million government investment to ensure the start-up ecosystem continues to thrive.

A collaboration of resources between CeBIT Australia, the NSW Government, the Australian Computer Society and the Business Centre will see more than 80 start-ups set to feature ingenious, new-wave technologies on the show floor at CeBIT Australia from 15–17 May 2018.

The NSW Government will showcase the state’s very latest tech talent, from engineers who merge artificial intelligence and machine learning creating biometric technologies, to industrial design for high-tech devices in medical, agriculture, industry and consumer industries. The NSW Government-backed Jobs for NSW will also be showcasing 16 start-ups assisted through its support programs.

Acting Premier John Barilaro said start-ups were accelerating innovation and generating jobs for the economy.

“Here in NSW, we’re doing everything we can to create the right environment for people to have the confidence to launch and the support they need to give their start-up the best chance of success.

“Start-ups are the future of our economy and with the right backing they can develop and deliver new products and services that lead to jobs for the people of NSW and Australia.

“Our state is the nation’s start-up capital and the NSW Government is proud to showcase the latest and best of our NSW start-ups at CeBIT Australia.”

Hannover Fairs Australia Managing Director Harvey Stockbridge said the StartUp hub this year will feature a series of presentations on the FutureTech Stage.

“IoT, FinTech, AI and Machine Learning, and the start-up industry itself, will all be covered by leading industry experts,” he said.

“The StartUp Zone will feature three StartUp Co-Working spaces, a new feature for 2018 which allows start-ups the opportunity to meet new potential clients, business partners or investors network and share ideas and engage with VCs and angels on the showfloor.”

The CeBIT StartUp Conference will deliver a series of inspirational sessions, where a host of experts will participate in panel discussions and presentations about the growth, challenges and opportunities for start-ups.

The StartUp Conference will begin with a presentation by Amadeus on ‘The Sweet Spot — why start-ups should target that 21st-century business problem’, while the rest of the conference is made up of three panel discussions covering key questions of the start-up community:

• Demystifying VCs — a frank chat about what actually happens at a venture capital firm
• Building a global business
• Accelerator/incubator/co-working hub ‘what you need to know’ series
   

Following the StartUp Conference is CeBIT Australia’s highly successful PitchFest contest showcasing 10 finalists, who will actively pitch their innovations and technologies to a panel of expert judges in front of an audience of fellow start-ups, investors and potential customers.

Previous winners of CeBIT Australia PitchFest have gone on to become multimillion-dollar, multinational companies.

CeBIT Australia’s StartUp conference and PitchFest are free to attend. This year’s finalists will be announced in early May.

Image caption: CeBIT Australia 2017.

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