La Trobe Accelerator Program launches

A 12-month mentoring program for start-ups has commenced, as part of the La Trobe Accelerator Program.

The LaunchVic funded program will support the development of start-ups through funding, mentoring and in situ support, as well as access to university expertise in the areas of sport, engineering, law, business, marketing and media.

Some of the regional start-ups include WedgePro from Bendigo with its golf training aid, Handwagons from Mildura with its plan to have handwagons for the people of sub-Saharan Africa, and Anidra from Ballarat with the remote patient monitoring it wishes to take to Indian hospitals.

LaunchVic’s CEO Dr Kate Cornick said there was a need to boost overall participation and opportunity for the current and the next generation of start-ups in Victoria’s regions.

“A key part of our remit is to engage and grow the Victorian start-up ecosystem, which is why LaunchVic’s funding of programs such as La Trobe’s Accelerator Program is so important,” she said.

La Trobe University received $1 million in August 2016 to deliver a regional accelerator program as a part of LaunchVic’s first funding round.

La Trobe Pro Vice-Chancellor Industry Engagement Dr Daniel Grant said the coming 12 weeks would be crucial for the nine start-ups.

“They will never get a better opportunity than this,” he said.

“It’s not just exposure to the experts we are bringing in to work with them but also the expertise that the start-ups can call on in whatever university departments are relevant to their ideas.”

La Trobe University will be opening applications for its summer Accelerator program on 18 September.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/alphaspirit

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