It was our absolute pleasure to welcome an engaging and inspiring cohort of ATC23 Semi-finalists, sponsors, and eco-system partners to the Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) Masterclass program.
The event started with a warm welcome from Warwick Scherf, Director of Export & Exports Program at Investment NSW, who expressed his gratitude to the attending semi-finalists. Scherf recognised their pivotal role in driving innovation and their valuable contributions to economic growth, and emphasised Investment NSW's commitment to fostering global growth for tech innovation, extending support beyond domestic boundaries to international markets.
"Organisations like yours are at the forefront. We want to help give your product the best opportunity to work for you. Your solutions are needed to grow the economy, and our role at Investment NSW is to help you grow globally - not just domestically" - Warwick Scherf, Investment NSW
We were thrilled to welcome an extraordinary line-up of industry experts, seasoned entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who captivated the stage with their insightful keynote presentations, covering an extensive range of topics.
A heartfelt thank you to our presenters for Day One: John Pitman from Krunchbox for enlightening us on business models, MVPs, and market testing; Scalare’s Nick Roberts for his thoughtful presentation on the hot topic of raising capital and how crucial it is to find investors who align with your vision. Jenny Li continued the funding theme by sharing her expertise on how to achieve sustainable business growth through effective finance management, treating cash as king, and prioritising the activities that bring in the most money.
"Effective finance management is the cornerstone of sustainable business growth and success" - Jenny Li, Scalare Partners
Later on, we heard fantastic insights on leadership, culture and building high-performance teams from talent expert Sean Garvey from Odgers Berndtson; and speaker James O'Loughlin wrapped up with plenty of laughs with his humorous and informative session on perfecting the art of presenting, a vital skill for founders whose business’ success relies on the ability to articulate their vision!
On Day Two, we got down to serious business. Stuart Campbell, a representative from FB Rice, guided us through the process of uncovering the unique essence of our businesses – the secret sauce that sets us apart – and how to transform that into intellectual property (IP). Phil Hodgson shared valuable insights on international readiness, drawing from his own experience with Calix, which evolved into a successful multinational company.
Jo Mikleus delivered a captivating presentation on crafting a customer-led strategy to drive sustainable growth, and Matt Rozyn delved into the intricate details of transitioning a product from its design phase to mass manufacturing. The session delivered by Kate Mahady from FB Rice on Accessing the R&D Tax Incentive was chock full of information and thoroughly engaged all the entrepreneurs in attendance. Finally, Jack Williams from Being Iconic took us through some excellent digital marketing growth hacks for time-poor founders.
Throughout the event, our semi-finalists participated in interactive panel discussions and working sessions; covering topics of raising capital at every stage of business acceleration, with input from Chan Arambewela from The National Stock Exchange, David Rowe from 1835i and Ian Gardiner from Jelix Ventures.
Patrick Mooney provided specific information on how to write your business plan, while Scalare CEO Carolyn Breeze hosted a panel discussions on key international market entry strategies with invaluable input from Katie Heathcote from Investment NSW, Mitchell Dow from Citi Commercial Bank, Jonathan Jeffries from Think & Grow and Phil Hodgson from ATC Alumni company Calix. Katie also participated in a Q&A on how to leverage grants and government support alongside Sarah Kosciuk from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. We finished Day Two by looking into the crystal ball with a lively discussion on unleashing the power of AI for your business.
Finally, the panel that everyone was waiting for with bated breath: a deep dive into WHAT the ATC judges are looking for! Melina Georgousakis, Chan Arambewela, Melissa Osborne and Phil Hodgson teamed up to provide excellent insights to assist our semi-finalists in working with their assigned mentors to effectively convey their messages and distinguish their business plans as exceptional.
These sessions fostered meaningful conversations, allowing attendees to exchange ideas, share experiences, and gain practical skills. The tools, resources and coaching from the Judges are key to helping our semi-finalists grow, commercialise, and succeed; and these insights are key to getting through the next phase.
One of the highlights of the event was the extensive networking opportunities provided with fellow innovators, investment professionals, government partners and industry experts. Judging by the buzz in the room our attendees thoroughly enjoyed the chance to connect with professionals and like-minded entrepreneurs, fostering new relationships and potential collaborations.
Scalare would like to thank all our presenters and panellists who all provided invaluable information, tips, and tricks to the scale-ups in the room.
We couldn’t have held this event without the backing of our amazing ATC23 sponsors: the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | Investment NSW | Department of Industry, Science and Resources | Citi | MTPConnect | FB Rice | National Stock Exchange of Australia | Think & Grow | Tank Stream Labs | Odgers Berndtson and prize sponsor Stripe.
Scalare wishes the Semi-finalists the best of luck in the next phase of the competition.
Sincerely,
The Scalare Partners team
Key dates
ATC23 Finalists announcement 25 August 2023
Climate Technologies Finals & Awards 12 September, Rivers Edge, 18/38 Siddeley St, Melbourne VIC
National Finals & Awards 28 September, Amora Hotel, 11 Jamison St, Sydney
Find all the key dates here
List of ATC23 Sponsors
List of ATC23 Semi-finalists
List of ATC23 Judges
About the Australian Technologies Competition
The Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) is a national growth program and awards program designed to showcase and promote innovative Australian technologies with global growth potential. The competition is open to Australia-based technology companies across various sectors (link to all categories) including clean energy, fintech/regtech, medtech, critical technologies (Web3), advanced manufacturing, social impact and more.
Successful entrants will have access to connect with investors, mentors, and industry experts, ultimately helping you to scale and grow your businesses. Semi-finalists receive mentoring, intensive MasterClass sessions and networking opportunities while finalists have a chance to pitch their technology to a panel of judges and ultimately become an awards category winner.
Now in its 13th year, the ATC was previously owned by Impact Tech Ventures and has produced more than 350 alumni and supported numerous technology company success stories.
About Scalare
At Scalare, we’re on a mission to create a greater impact by building a collaborative network that connects exceptional founders, advisors and investors in a unique and powerful partnership, because real transformation and growth takes more than money.
Our unique collaboration and partnership model provides clear pathways to global investors, experts and markets. We plug existing skills gaps in our portfolio companies from our best-of-breed advisor network - to bring, expert resources exactly when needed to facilitate growth and deliver exceptional returns to investors and founders alike. Find out more >
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