Thirty-eight female founded startups have been awarded grants as recipients of the second round of the federal government’s Boosting Female Founders Initiative.
The businesses will receive a share of $11.6 million in funding, with the grants designed to help female entrepreneurs expand their businesses into domestic and global markets.
Applicants for the second round of the initiative were assessed by an Independent Assessment Committee made up of successful female entrepreneurs. According to the government, over 2,500 expressions of interest were received in the second round.
The announcement of these successful grant recipients comes about six months after hundreds of female founders mistakenly received an email notifying them they were successful in making it to the next round of the Boosting Female Founders program. Hours later, they received a follow-up email informing them that a mistake had been made and they were actually unsuccessful.
$12 million has been previously been awarded to female founders in the first round of the government’s initiative.
Successful grant recipients, Round 2 of Boosting Female Founders Initiative
Air Robe Pty Ltd, $396,050
Project: AirRobe’s Circular Wardrobe – Powering the circular economy for fashion
AirRobe’s Circular Wardrobe is solving the problem of textile waste by allowing fashion brands to offer their customers a simple way to repurpose their items. The project is building a unique application which captures product data (images, sizing and descriptions) at the time that consumers make a brand new purchase. This enables consumers to return to the application at any time and re-sell, recycle or upcycle their used-fashion in one-click.
Amelio Health Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Digital Behavioural Medicine Pain Management Programme
This project involves accelerating the evolution of Amelio Health’s basic service to deliver a more advanced evidence-based behavioural digital pain management programme and rehabilitation consultants practice support / professional development pain education, domestically and expanding into international markets.
Arete Labs & Technical Solutions Pty Ltd, $229,000
Project: Arete Labs- Formulation, scalability, and new testing innovations
Arete Labs is a contract formulation lab, which specialises in helping their clients bring new products onto the market in the personal care, and cosmeceutical areas. Arete is expanding its services to include an essential small trial-size formulation vessel, designed to reduce wastage and costs. This vessel will allow for manufacturing of new products at 30-50kg scale as opposed to the current standard scale up volumes of 1-3 tons.
Atech Services Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Project Rocketlaunch – ATech International Growth Project
The key aim of Project Rocketlaunch is to build ATech’s people and leadership capability to enable them to scale their market reach in domestic and international markets and to fuel global expansion. New capabilities will be recruited and trained to support international market expansion plans driven by ATech’s flagship XaaS (X as a Service) product.
Bianca Tarrant, $449,542
Project: The Exclusive Eaters Club
Our Cow PTY LTD will build capacity to support the scaling of its subscriber based Exclusive Eaters Club (EEC) by establishing the human resourcing and marketing needed to successfully scale towards reaching families nationwide with online ordering and delivery of sustainable, organic and grass-fed meat products.
Bubble Tea Club Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: DIY Bubble Tea Kits North American and UK Expansion
This project will focus on the launch, commercialisation and extending the reach of the Bubble Tea Club’s DIY bubble tea kits into the North American and UK markets through setting up the company to meet the increase in demand. The project also includes establishing a series of targeted marketing campaigns and collaborations to build audience and credibility, helping to grow the community of ‘Bubblers’ across the globe.
Butterfly Systems Pty. Ltd, $365,000
Project: Scaling MyRecovery- Digitsing Fluid Balance Monitoring
This project is seeking to commercialise MyRecovery, an intelligent integrated system for managing patient fluid balance monitoring via machine learning. Scaling MyRecovery will further generate hospital operational intelligence and deliver benefits through improved efficiency of surgery procedure and patient recovery, documentation and logistics.
CPD Central Pty Ltd, $42,200
Project: Global and Domestic CPD Content Subscription Expansion
Eduvidd is an online Continued Professional Development (CPD) training library and reporting platform. The mission is to make CPD learning in healthcare more engaging and effective, to bring about better staff and patient outcomes across the world. This project will create new and improved online CPD content for different nursing specialties in Australia and the United Kingdom to undertake the first leg of domestic and international expansion.
Darzin Software Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Simply Stakeholders – North America Launch
Simply Stakeholders is a SAAS Stakeholder Relationship Management platform that helps teams keep track of their stakeholders and know who they should be talking to in order to manage sentiment, issues and social risk.
East Forged Pty Ltd, $119,020
Project: Reaching new Domestic and International Markets – East Forged Nitro Tea
The project will bring a novel product of nitrogen-infused sparkling tea brews to market. This will include scaling up, expanding into domestic and global markets, and becoming self-sufficient.
Everty Pty. Ltd, $214,899
Project: Launch the Electric Vehicle charging interoperability software platform
Everty is developing a software platform for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations providing interoperability for EV drivers and an Infrastructure Management System for EV charging station owners. With dual user interfaces, the platform provides EV drivers with a single sign-on to access partnering charging locations, while seamlessly providing data and financial reconciliation to the charging network.
GeoNadir Pty Ltd, $480,000
Project: Drone pilots build the best map of the world to save global ecosystems
The best map of the world requires lots of data, and even more intelligence. GeoNadir is developing this map as the most comprehensive earth monitoring system that alerts decision makers to take action. To achieve this they will, collaborate with drone pilots to vastly increase the data inputs, integrate the data with artificial intelligence and advanced geospatial analytics to automate environmental insights, and enable other businesses to innovate and create their own products with the platform.
Grow Your Mind Pty. Ltd., $325,000
Project: Scaling Grow Your Mind to aid student & teacher mental health & wellbeing
This project is focussed on scaling Grow Your Mind’s online wellbeing program for primary school students & educators. The priority is on the domestic market and building a strong foundation for growth that can then expand internationally. This will be achieved via improving the technology platform, developing a business to business sales pipeline in partnership with Maths Pathways and a BDM role and creating further innovative content to support customer retention.
Hormosira Pty Ltd, $115,500
Project: Establishing Kelp farming aquaculture for the South Coast region.
This project will pioneer the development of kelp farming aquaculture on the NSW South Coast, a region reeling from the economic impacts of bushfires and COVID. Kelp is a versatile, sustainable resource with many applications including food and nutraceuticals. Building on early success in breeding Golden kelp seed stock, Sea Health Products will continue to scale the development of seeded kelp lines to be out-planted in the ocean to increase kelp biomass.
Kinephonics Trading Pty Limited, $400,000
Project: Kinephonics® neuro-rehabilitation pilot
The Kinephonics® neuro-rehabilitation pilot will teach non-verbal adults to speak and generate vital data about the role of working memory and cognitive decline in humans. This new data-driven technology provides next generation health infrastructure for accelerating and evidencing speech development across all patient demographics and treatment modalities.
Kova Australia Pty Ltd, $387,550
Project: Syla – tax reporting and portfolio management software for cryptocurrency
Kova Tax has developed Syla – a cloud-based tax reporting and portfolio management software for cryptocurrency. Syla uses its proprietary AI-driven Syla Engine to create certainty for crypto investors by obtaining the correct tax outcomes and tracking their portfolios.
Luxe.It.Fwd Pty Ltd, $196,000
Project: Scaling pre-owned luxury e-commerce platform, Luxe.It.Fwd
The project will focus on scaling and fast-tracking Luxe.It.Fwd’s expansion into domestic and global markets, by investing in improving the digital capabilities of its platform to improve the customer experience and increase conversions, together with raising market awareness through a large-scale targeted public relations and digital marketing campaign.
Mahonia Holdings Pty Ltd, $480,000
Project: IntotheWild Escapes
The project will focus on scaling IntotheWild’s sustainable, off-grid, and transportable tiny homes across the Australian agri-tourism market. The project will focus on strengthening operating systems and internal processes, leveraging technology systems, expanding the brand and marketing, team development, improving manufacturing and exploring projects such as temporary housing.
Oral Tech AI Pty Ltd, $231,835
Project: Launch and scale of smilo.ai
The project will see the launch and initial scaling of the flagship product smilo.ai. The project is designed to achieve market traction through leveraging significant industry partnerships.
Origo Pty Ltd, $399,000
Project: Expansion of Origo.farm Products and Services into the domestic market
Origo aims to be the leading Australian Industrial Internet of Things Company. The scope of the project is to build a sales and marketing organisation with its related support functions.
Persollo Pty Ltd, $380,000
Project: Social media monetisation SaaS platform powered by AI
Persollo Group is a social media monetisation SaaS platform that offers social e-commerce, analytics and link management solutions. The project aims to scale up commercial expansion into Asia-Pacific and US, and to further develop AdRevenue distribution engine and payment integrations to support the fast growth of current state of 250k users in 195 countries, with 6m monthly visits.
Pioneera Group Pty Ltd, $275,000
Project: International expansion for Pioneera’s innovative Indie platform.
Pioneera is a digital platform that analyses written communication (linguistic analysis) via digital communication in workplace settings to measure behaviour and mental state to power personalised interventions that reduce stress. The platform employs an AI bot called “Indie” that is integrated into an organisation’s systems. Indie detects early warning signs of stress in real time from written communication data and then sends tips and alerts to improve behaviour and engagement and decrease workplace stress.
Porzia Iacobellis, $70,000
Project: Australian Made Vandal Resistant Washroom Hardware
The project is seeking to manufacture and distribute Stainless Steel Vandal Proof Washroom Hardware to all 79 council municipalities within Victoria (and eventually Australia-wide). The project includes a developed design, to be patented, that ensures common items in public restrooms cannot be vandalised, destroyed or stolen.
Quirky Kid Pty Ltd, $200,000
Project: Britechild: Smart Digital Mental Health Platform for Children and Parents
Quirky Kid’s (QK’s) BriteChild is a digital child psychology clinic providing professional, personalised child-centred mental health and wellbeing intervention to child-caregivers. Focusing early intervention and bypassing barriers to care such as wait times and location.
Rachael King, $246,900
Project: Commercialisation of native Australian superfood fruit based chocolate.
The project will propel commercialisation of an innovative fruit-based chocolate and allow diversification of an already successful luxury chocolate business, driving productivity via equipment investment, marketing and professional advisor support. The project will raise the profile of the emerging native Australian food industry promoting the often-unrecognised nutritional advantages of native Australian ingredients throughout the world benefitting communities and First National people.
Roster Right Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Industrial Instrument Builder – Software Development
Roster Right Pty Ltd has built the MVP of the world’s first mathematical roster optimisation and Australian Saas Payroll Audit/Compliance systems, factoring in a range of awards/EBAs. The new Industrial Instrument Builder (IIB) software allows for exponential growth of two existing products Roster Right and Pay Review and consequently their client industries.
Stocked Foods Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Establish a Mill for Australian Grown Certified Organic Gluten Free Flours
The project seeks to build the first Australian fully certified gluten free mill for Australian grown organic grain, free of contamination by having a closed supply and processing chain reducing reliance on International Products. Stocked Foods, trading as The Natural Food Emporium, will connect with Australian farmers, starting with organic rice and support localised cropping certainty through market diversification.
Story Box Library Pty Ltd, $469,000
Project: Story Tools
Story Box Library (SBL) will develop and produce Story Tools, an online instructional masterclass video series for school-age students exploring the mechanics of writing and storytelling. The series will commission Australian writers, illustrators and industry experts to deliver tutorials on the processes of storytelling, in a unique and engaging educational experience for the classroom.
Swag Australia Pty Ltd, $294,000
Project: Launch a world-first, patented produce bag designed for global retail
This project focuses on the development and expansion of Veggie Saver into global wholesale chains. Expansion requires the scaling of manufacturing capabilities, spreading the manufacturing risk; establishing supply chain logistics and IT systems; developing direct retail channels; executing marketing initiatives; and expanding customer service and sales team.
TalkiWear Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Enhancing language development in early education – the TalkiPlay system
TalkiWear’s multi-award winning and validated TalkiPlay’ system promotes learning with play. TalkiPlay incorporates an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device (TalkiPal), sensors (Talkies), and app (TalkiApp) to create a novel learning process that brings objects in a classroom to life. The project will support the launch of the product in market and will improve language access for children with language delay and revolutionise the learning landscape.
The Hacker Exchange Pty Ltd, $250,000
Project: HEX Academy: Rethinking Higher Education Pathways
HEX Academy will be a highly-engaging digital service; an alternative to current tertiary education, opening up non-traditional STEM, innovation & entrepreneurship career pathways for high school students.
It combines:
- learning experience/LMS modules to develop entrepreneurial skill sets & mindsets
- leading workplace technology (e.g. Slack, Notion, Figma and Miro) to develop work-ready digital skills
- a ‘Community as a Service’ digital platform, with online and real-life events and global expert mentors.
The Remarkable Woman Pty Ltd, $310,000
Project: My Success Path: An AI focused women’s mentoring portal
Project ‘My Success Path’ will fully automate The Remarkable Woman’s (TRW) three tier online platform by adapting AI to combine their life, career and money coaching for women, personalising each woman’s platform to her specific requirements. The learning delivery will be intuitive through an AI tracking process, making the experience ‘the Netflix of ed-tech’ for women. The AI system will be developed, trialled, refined and released by TRW and supported by media awareness activities.
Tummy Gummies Pty Limited, $110,000
Project: Accelerate growth of new category of healthy gelatin snacks in Australia
Tummy Gummies is bringing to market a new category of functional snacks: gelatin gummies. The project initiatives include scaling production, building social media marketing, engaging industry experts to help accelerate and drive sustainable growth and building wholesale and retail sales capabilities.
Vanguard Wireless Pty. Ltd., $348,514
Project: Vanguard BLE Wearable Safety & Sensory Product Launch
Vanguard Wireless Pty Ltd is developing a smart emergency alert system for high-risk workplaces. The systems solve primary problems for customers including device connectivity range, the flexibility of installation, operational visibility, and are supported by a robust smartphone app and a plug-and-play operating system.
View Health Pty Ltd, $145,107
Project: Home Healthcare Management Platform
This Project involves the development and implementation of technical platform improvements that meet the surging demand for specialised home healthcare service delivery. This project will position View Health-chemo@home at the forefront of nationally and internationally scalable specialised home healthcare services by enabling consumers and medical specialists to engage using an intuitive enquiry, referral and management process.
Whola Pty Ltd, $225,000
Project: WHOLA – Scaling fashion wholesale digitally
Whola is Australia’s only dedicated business to business fashion wholesale platform that connects Australian fashion brands with independent retailers here and overseas, helping them compete in a hyper-competitive market. This project will build a scalable tech stack, using the latest technologies in machine learning and AI to optimise business performance.
Woolpack Australia Pty Ltd, $400,000
Project: Good-bye EPS, Woolpack Sustainable Packaging for South Australia
Planet Protector Packaging (PPP), manufactures Woolpack, sustainable insulated packaging used in the shipment of temperature sensitive foods, seafood and wine. PPP seeks to expand into SA, the “wine capital of Australia”. This project will promote the market development necessary to establish PPP as premium packaging for high-value Australian wine shipments.
Y Vote Pty Ltd, $269,000
Project: Platform Scale Up for Youth Employment – Ripple
Ripple accelerates young people’s transition from full-time education to secure, meaningful employment. This project will improve their digital platform, expedite their community growth and scale the customer and partnership acquisition in ANZ, laying the foundations for global expansion.
Further information about grants winners can be found here.